4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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282 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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291 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
292 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
295 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
296 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
297 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
298 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
299 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
300 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
301 License'' in the Emacs manual.
303 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
304 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
305 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
307 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
308 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
309 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
310 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
318 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
320 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
321 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
323 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
324 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
325 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
326 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
327 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
328 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
329 License'' in the Emacs manual.
331 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
332 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
333 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
335 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
336 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
337 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
338 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
344 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
346 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
349 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
350 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
351 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
353 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
354 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
355 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
356 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
357 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
358 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
359 License'' in the Emacs manual.
361 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
362 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
363 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
365 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
366 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
367 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
368 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
377 @top The gnus Newsreader
381 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
382 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
383 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
386 T-gnus provides @sc{mime} features based on @sc{semi} API. So T-gnus
387 supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
388 other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
389 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
390 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
391 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
393 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
404 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
405 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
407 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
408 being accused of plagiarism:
410 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
411 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
412 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
413 can even read news with it!
415 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
416 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
417 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
418 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
419 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
425 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
426 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
427 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
428 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
429 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
430 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
431 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
432 * Various:: General purpose settings.
433 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
434 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
435 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
436 * Key Index:: Key Index.
439 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
443 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
444 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
445 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
446 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
447 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
448 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
449 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
450 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
451 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
452 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
453 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
457 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
458 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
459 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
463 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
464 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
465 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
466 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
467 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
468 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
469 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
470 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
471 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
472 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
473 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
474 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
475 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
476 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
477 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
478 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
479 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
483 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
484 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
485 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
489 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
490 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
491 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
492 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
493 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
497 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
498 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
499 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
500 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
501 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
505 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
506 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
507 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
508 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
509 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
510 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
511 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
512 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
513 * Threading:: How threads are made.
514 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
515 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
516 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
517 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
518 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
519 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
520 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
521 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
522 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
523 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
524 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
525 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
526 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
527 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
528 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
529 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
530 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
531 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
532 or reselecting the current group.
533 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
534 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
535 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
536 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
538 Summary Buffer Format
540 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
541 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
542 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
543 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
547 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
548 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
550 Reply, Followup and Post
552 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
553 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
554 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
555 * Canceling and Superseding::
559 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
560 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
561 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
563 * Generic Marking Commands::
564 * Setting Process Marks::
568 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
569 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
570 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
574 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
575 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
577 Customizing Threading
579 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
580 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
581 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
582 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
586 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
587 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
588 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
589 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
590 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
591 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
595 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
596 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
597 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
601 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
602 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
603 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
604 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
605 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
606 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
607 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
608 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
609 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
610 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
612 Alternative Approaches
614 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
615 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
617 Various Summary Stuff
619 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
620 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
621 * Summary Generation Commands::
622 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
626 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
627 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
628 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
629 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
630 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
634 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
635 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
636 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
637 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
638 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
639 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
640 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
641 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
645 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
646 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
647 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
648 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
649 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
650 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
651 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
652 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
656 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
657 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
658 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
659 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
660 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
661 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
662 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
666 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
667 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
671 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
672 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
673 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
677 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
678 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
679 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
680 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
681 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
682 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
683 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
684 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
685 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
686 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
687 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
688 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
689 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
693 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
694 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
695 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
697 Choosing a Mail Back End
699 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
700 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
701 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
702 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
703 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
704 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
709 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
710 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
711 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
712 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
713 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
714 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
718 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
719 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
720 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
721 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
722 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
726 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
727 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
728 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
729 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
730 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
734 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
738 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
739 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
740 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
744 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
745 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
749 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
750 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
751 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
752 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
753 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
754 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
755 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
756 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
757 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
758 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
759 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
763 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
764 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
765 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
769 * Group Agent Commands::
770 * Summary Agent Commands::
771 * Server Agent Commands::
775 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
776 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
777 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
778 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
779 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
780 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
781 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
782 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
783 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
784 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
785 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
786 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
787 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
788 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
789 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
790 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
791 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
795 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
796 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
797 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
798 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
802 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
803 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
804 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
808 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
809 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
810 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
811 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
812 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
813 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
814 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
815 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
816 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
817 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
818 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
819 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
820 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
821 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
822 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
823 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
824 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
825 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
826 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
830 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
831 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
832 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
833 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
834 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
835 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
836 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
837 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
841 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
842 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
843 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
844 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
845 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
849 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
850 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
851 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
852 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
853 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
857 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
858 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
859 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
860 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
861 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
862 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
866 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
867 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
868 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
869 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
870 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
871 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
872 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
873 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
874 * Frequently Asked Questions::
878 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
879 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
880 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
881 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
882 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
883 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
884 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
885 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
886 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
890 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
891 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
892 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
893 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
894 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
898 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
899 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
900 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
901 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
905 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
906 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
907 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
908 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
909 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
910 * Group Info:: The group info format.
911 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
912 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
913 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
917 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
918 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
919 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
920 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
921 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
922 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
926 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
927 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
931 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
932 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
938 @chapter Starting gnus
943 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
944 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
947 @findex gnus-other-frame
948 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
949 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
950 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
952 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
953 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
954 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
956 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
957 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
960 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
961 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
962 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
963 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
964 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
965 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
966 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
967 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
968 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
969 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
970 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
974 @node Finding the News
975 @section Finding the News
978 @vindex gnus-select-method
980 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
981 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
982 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
983 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
986 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
987 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
990 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
993 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
996 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
999 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
1000 certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
1001 server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
1003 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
1005 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
1006 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
1007 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
1008 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
1009 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
1010 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
1012 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1013 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
1014 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
1015 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
1017 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
1018 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
1019 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
1020 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
1021 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
1022 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
1023 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
1024 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
1025 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
1028 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
1030 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
1031 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
1032 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
1033 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
1034 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
1035 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
1037 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
1039 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
1040 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
1041 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
1042 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
1043 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
1044 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
1047 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
1048 you would typically set this variable to
1051 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1055 @node The First Time
1056 @section The First Time
1057 @cindex first time usage
1059 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1060 be subscribed by default.
1062 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1063 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1064 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1065 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1068 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1069 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1070 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1072 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1073 help you with most common problems.
1075 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1076 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1080 @node The Server is Down
1081 @section The Server is Down
1082 @cindex server errors
1084 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1085 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1086 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1088 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1089 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1090 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1091 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1092 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1093 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1094 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1096 @findex gnus-no-server
1097 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1099 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1100 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1101 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1102 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1103 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1104 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1105 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1109 @section Slave Gnusae
1112 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1113 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1114 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1115 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1117 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1118 @code{.newsrc} file.
1120 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1121 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1122 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1123 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1124 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1125 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1126 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1128 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1129 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1130 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1131 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1132 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1133 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1134 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1135 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1137 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1138 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1140 If the @code{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
1141 slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
1142 file. If you answer "yes", the unsaved changes to the master will be
1143 incorporated into the slave. If you answer "no", the slave may see some
1144 messages as unread that have been read in the master.
1146 @node Fetching a Group
1147 @section Fetching a Group
1148 @cindex fetching a group
1150 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1151 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1152 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1153 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1154 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1155 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1161 @cindex subscription
1163 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1164 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1165 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1166 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1167 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1168 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1169 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1170 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
1171 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1174 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1175 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1176 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1180 @node Checking New Groups
1181 @subsection Checking New Groups
1183 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1184 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1185 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1186 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1187 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1188 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1189 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1190 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1191 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1192 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1194 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1195 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1196 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1197 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1198 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1199 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1200 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1201 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1202 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1203 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1204 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1206 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1207 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1208 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1209 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1210 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1211 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1214 @node Subscription Methods
1215 @subsection Subscription Methods
1217 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1218 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1219 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1221 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1222 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1224 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1228 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1229 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1230 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1231 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1232 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1234 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1235 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1236 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1237 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1239 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1240 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1241 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1243 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1244 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1245 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1246 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1247 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1248 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1249 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1250 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1251 up. Or something like that.
1253 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1254 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1255 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1256 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1257 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1259 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1260 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1261 Kill all new groups.
1263 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1264 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1265 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1266 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1267 topic parameter that looks like
1273 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1276 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1281 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1282 A closely related variable is
1283 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1284 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1285 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1286 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1289 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1290 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1291 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1292 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1295 @node Filtering New Groups
1296 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1298 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1299 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1300 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1303 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1306 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1307 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1308 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1309 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1310 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1311 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1312 subscribing these groups.
1313 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1314 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1316 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1317 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1318 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1319 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1320 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1321 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1322 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1323 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1325 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1326 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1327 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1328 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1329 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1330 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1331 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1332 that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1333 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
1334 subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
1337 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1338 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1341 @node Changing Servers
1342 @section Changing Servers
1343 @cindex changing servers
1345 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1346 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1347 very flaky and you want to use another.
1349 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1350 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1354 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1355 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1356 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1357 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1360 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1361 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1362 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1363 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1365 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1366 @findex gnus-change-server
1367 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1368 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1369 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1370 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1371 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1373 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1374 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1375 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1376 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1377 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1379 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1380 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1381 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1382 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1383 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1384 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1386 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
1387 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1388 Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
1389 list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1391 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1392 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1393 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1394 @code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
1395 to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
1396 can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
1397 cache for all groups).
1401 @section Startup Files
1402 @cindex startup files
1407 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1408 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1410 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1411 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1412 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1413 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1414 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1415 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1416 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1418 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1419 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1420 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1421 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1422 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1423 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1425 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1426 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1427 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1428 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1429 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1430 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1431 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1432 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1433 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1434 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1436 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1437 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1438 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1439 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1440 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1441 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1442 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1443 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1444 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1445 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1446 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1447 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1449 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1450 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1451 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1452 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1454 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1455 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1456 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1457 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1458 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1459 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1460 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1461 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1462 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1463 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1466 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1467 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1469 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1470 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1473 @vindex gnus-init-file
1474 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1475 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1476 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1477 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1478 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1479 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1480 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1481 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1482 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1488 @cindex dribble file
1491 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1492 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1493 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1494 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1495 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1498 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1499 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1502 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1503 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1504 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1506 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1507 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1508 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1509 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1510 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1511 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1513 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1514 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1515 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1518 @node The Active File
1519 @section The Active File
1521 @cindex ignored groups
1523 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1524 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1525 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1527 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1528 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1529 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1530 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1531 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1532 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1533 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1536 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1537 @c if you set it to anything else.
1539 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1541 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1542 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1543 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1545 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1546 you actually subscribe to.
1548 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1549 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1550 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1551 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1553 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1554 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1555 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1556 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1557 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1558 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1560 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1561 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1562 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1565 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1566 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1567 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1568 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1569 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1570 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1572 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1573 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1575 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1576 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1578 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1579 secondary select methods.
1582 @node Startup Variables
1583 @section Startup Variables
1587 @item gnus-load-hook
1588 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1589 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1590 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1591 times you start gnus.
1593 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1594 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1595 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1597 @item gnus-startup-hook
1598 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1599 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1601 @item gnus-started-hook
1602 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1603 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1606 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1607 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1608 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1609 generating the group buffer.
1611 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1612 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1613 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1614 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1615 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1616 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1617 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1618 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1620 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1621 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1622 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1623 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1624 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1625 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1627 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1628 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1629 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1631 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1632 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1633 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1635 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1636 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1637 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1638 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1644 @chapter Group Buffer
1645 @cindex group buffer
1647 @c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
1649 @c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
1650 @c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
1651 @c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
1652 @c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
1653 @c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
1654 @c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
1655 @c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
1656 @c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
1657 @c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
1658 @c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
1659 @c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
1660 @c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
1661 @c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
1662 @c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
1663 @c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
1664 @c human rights at 9...
1667 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1668 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1669 long as gnus is active.
1673 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1674 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
1675 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1676 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1677 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1678 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1679 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1680 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1686 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1687 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1688 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1689 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1690 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1691 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1692 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1693 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1694 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1695 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1696 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1697 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1698 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1699 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1700 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1701 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1702 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1706 @node Group Buffer Format
1707 @section Group Buffer Format
1710 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1711 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1712 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1716 @node Group Line Specification
1717 @subsection Group Line Specification
1718 @cindex group buffer format
1720 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1721 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1723 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1726 25: news.announce.newusers
1727 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1732 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1733 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1734 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1735 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1737 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1738 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1739 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1740 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1741 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1742 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1744 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1746 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1747 the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
1748 Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
1749 displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
1750 Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
1752 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1753 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1754 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1756 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1761 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1764 Whether the group is subscribed.
1767 Level of subscribedness.
1770 Number of unread articles.
1773 Number of dormant articles.
1776 Number of ticked articles.
1779 Number of read articles.
1782 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1783 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1785 Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
1786 efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
1787 the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
1788 hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
1789 unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1790 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
1791 end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1792 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1795 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1798 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1807 Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
1808 comment element in the group parameters.
1811 Newsgroup description.
1814 @samp{m} if moderated.
1817 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1826 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1830 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1833 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1834 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1835 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1836 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1837 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1840 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1842 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1846 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1849 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1853 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1854 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1855 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1856 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1857 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1858 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1863 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1864 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1865 group, or a bogus native group.
1868 @node Group Modeline Specification
1869 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1870 @cindex group modeline
1872 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1873 The mode line can be changed by setting
1874 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1875 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1879 The native news server.
1881 The native select method.
1885 @node Group Highlighting
1886 @subsection Group Highlighting
1887 @cindex highlighting
1888 @cindex group highlighting
1890 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1891 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1892 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1893 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1894 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1896 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1900 (cond (window-system
1901 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1902 (defface my-group-face-1
1903 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1904 (defface my-group-face-2
1905 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1906 (defface my-group-face-3
1907 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1908 (defface my-group-face-4
1909 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1910 (defface my-group-face-5
1911 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1913 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1914 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1915 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1916 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1917 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1918 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1921 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1923 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1930 The number of unread articles in the group.
1934 Whether the group is a mail group.
1936 The level of the group.
1938 The score of the group.
1940 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1942 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1943 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1945 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1946 topic being inserted.
1949 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1950 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1951 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1953 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1954 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1955 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1956 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1957 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1960 @node Group Maneuvering
1961 @section Group Maneuvering
1962 @cindex group movement
1964 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1965 expected, hopefully.
1971 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1972 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1973 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1979 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1980 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1981 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1985 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1986 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1990 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1991 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1995 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1996 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1997 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
2001 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
2002 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
2003 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
2006 Three commands for jumping to groups:
2012 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
2013 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
2014 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
2019 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
2020 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
2021 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
2025 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
2026 Jump to the first group with unread articles
2027 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
2030 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
2031 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
2032 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
2033 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
2037 @node Selecting a Group
2038 @section Selecting a Group
2039 @cindex group selection
2044 @kindex SPACE (Group)
2045 @findex gnus-group-read-group
2046 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
2047 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
2048 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
2049 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
2050 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
2051 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
2052 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
2053 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
2055 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
2056 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
2057 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
2059 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
2060 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
2065 @findex gnus-group-select-group
2066 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
2067 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
2068 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
2069 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
2073 @kindex M-RET (Group)
2074 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
2075 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
2076 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
2077 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
2078 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
2079 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
2080 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
2081 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
2082 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
2085 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
2086 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
2087 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
2088 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
2089 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
2092 @kindex C-M-RET (Group)
2093 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2094 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2095 doing any processing of its contents
2096 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2097 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2098 manner will have no permanent effects.
2102 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2103 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2104 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2105 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2106 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2107 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2108 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2109 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2112 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2113 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2114 If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
2115 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2116 Which article this is is controlled by the
2117 @code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
2123 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
2126 Place point on the subject line of the first article.
2129 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
2131 @item unseen-or-unread
2132 Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
2133 there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
2137 Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
2141 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
2142 will be called to place point on a subject line.
2144 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2145 binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
2146 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
2147 @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2151 @node Subscription Commands
2152 @section Subscription Commands
2153 @cindex subscription
2161 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2162 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2163 Toggle subscription to the current group
2164 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2170 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2171 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2172 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2173 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2179 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2180 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2181 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2187 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2188 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2191 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2192 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2193 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2194 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2195 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2201 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2202 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2206 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2207 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2210 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2211 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2212 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2213 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2214 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2215 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2216 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2217 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2218 @file{.newsrc} file.
2222 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2232 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2233 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2234 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2235 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2236 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2237 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2242 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2243 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2244 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2248 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2249 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2250 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2252 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2253 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2254 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2255 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2256 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2257 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2264 @section Group Levels
2268 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2269 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2270 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2271 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2272 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2274 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2280 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2281 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2282 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2283 prompted for a level.
2286 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2287 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2288 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2289 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2290 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2291 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2292 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2293 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2294 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2295 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2296 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2297 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2298 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2299 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2300 reasons of efficiency.
2302 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2303 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2305 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2306 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2307 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2308 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2309 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2310 groups are hidden, in a way.
2312 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2313 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2314 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2315 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2316 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2317 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2319 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2320 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2321 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2322 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2323 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2324 list of killed groups.)
2326 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2327 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2328 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2330 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2331 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2332 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2333 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2334 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2335 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2336 relevant valid ranges.
2338 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2339 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2340 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2341 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2342 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2343 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2346 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2347 one with the best level.
2349 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2350 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2351 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2354 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2355 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2356 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2357 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2360 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2361 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2362 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2363 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2365 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2366 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2367 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2368 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2369 to 5. The default is 6.
2373 @section Group Score
2378 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2379 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2380 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2383 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2384 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2385 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2386 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2387 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2388 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2389 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2390 least significant part.))
2392 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2393 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2394 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2395 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2396 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2397 action after each summary exit, you can add
2398 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2399 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2400 slow things down somewhat.
2403 @node Marking Groups
2404 @section Marking Groups
2405 @cindex marking groups
2407 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2408 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2409 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2410 bidding on those groups.
2412 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2413 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2414 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2422 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2423 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2429 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2430 Remove the mark from the current group
2431 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2435 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2436 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2440 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2441 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2445 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2446 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2450 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2451 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2452 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2455 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2457 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2458 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2459 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2460 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2461 the command to be executed.
2464 @node Foreign Groups
2465 @section Foreign Groups
2466 @cindex foreign groups
2468 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2469 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2470 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2471 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2478 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2479 @cindex making groups
2480 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2481 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2482 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2486 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2487 @cindex renaming groups
2488 Rename the current group to something else
2489 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2490 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2496 @findex gnus-group-customize
2497 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2501 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2502 @cindex renaming groups
2503 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2504 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2508 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2509 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2510 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2514 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2515 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2516 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2520 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2522 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2523 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2528 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2529 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2533 @cindex (ding) archive
2534 @cindex archive group
2535 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2536 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2537 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2538 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2539 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2540 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2541 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2545 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2547 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2548 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2549 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2550 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2554 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2556 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2557 @code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2558 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2562 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2563 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2565 Make a group based on some file or other
2566 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2567 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2568 Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
2569 @code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
2570 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
2571 @code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
2572 @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
2573 you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2574 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2578 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2579 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2580 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2581 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2585 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2589 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2590 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2591 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2592 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2593 include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
2594 @xref{Web Searches}.
2596 If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
2597 to a particular group by using a match string like
2598 @samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
2601 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2602 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2603 This function will delete the current group
2604 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2605 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2606 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2607 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2608 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2612 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2613 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2614 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2618 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2619 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2620 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2623 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2626 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2627 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2628 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2629 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2630 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2631 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2635 @node Group Parameters
2636 @section Group Parameters
2637 @cindex group parameters
2639 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2640 Here's an example group parameter list:
2643 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2647 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2648 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2649 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2650 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2652 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2653 is an alist of regexps and values.
2655 The following group parameters can be used:
2660 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2663 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2666 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2667 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2668 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2669 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2670 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2672 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2673 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2674 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2675 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2676 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2677 list address instead.
2679 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2683 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2686 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2689 It is totally ignored
2690 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2691 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2693 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2694 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2695 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2696 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2697 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2699 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2700 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2701 sending the message.
2703 @findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
2704 @cindex Mail List Groups
2705 If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
2706 entering summary buffer.
2708 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2713 If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
2714 to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
2715 mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
2716 (only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
2717 headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{(message)Mailing
2718 Lists} for a complete treatment of available MFT support.
2720 See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
2721 directly uses this group parameter.
2725 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2726 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2727 of whether it has any unread articles.
2729 @item broken-reply-to
2730 @cindex broken-reply-to
2731 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2732 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2733 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2734 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2735 broken behavior. So there!
2739 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2740 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2744 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2745 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2746 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2751 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2752 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2753 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2754 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2755 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2756 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2757 (@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
2758 @code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
2759 a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept artciles.
2763 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2764 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2765 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2767 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2770 @cindex total-expire
2771 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2772 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2773 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2774 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2777 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2781 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2782 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2783 @code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
2784 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
2785 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
2786 can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
2787 symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2790 @cindex score file group parameter
2791 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2792 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2793 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2796 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2797 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2798 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2799 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2802 @cindex admin-address
2803 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2804 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2805 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2806 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2810 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2811 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2815 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2818 Display the last INTEGER articles in the group. This is the same as
2819 entering the group with C-u INTEGER.
2822 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2826 Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
2828 Here are some examples:
2832 Display only unread articles.
2835 Display everything except expirable articles.
2837 @item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
2838 Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
2842 The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
2843 Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
2844 @code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
2845 @code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
2846 @code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
2850 The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
2851 the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
2852 command (@pxref{Limiting}).
2856 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
2857 arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
2858 group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
2862 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2863 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2864 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2866 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2868 @item ignored-charsets
2869 @cindex ignored-charset
2870 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
2871 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2872 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2874 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2877 @cindex posting-style
2878 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2879 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2880 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2881 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2882 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2884 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2885 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2886 like this in the group parameters:
2891 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2896 If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
2897 instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
2901 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2902 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2903 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2904 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2905 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2909 This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
2910 that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
2911 Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
2912 condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
2914 For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
2915 address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
2916 translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
2917 Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
2920 if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
2921 fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
2925 The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
2928 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2929 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2930 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2931 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2932 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2933 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2934 @code{eval}ed there.
2936 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
2937 A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
2938 the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
2939 @samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
2940 @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
2941 removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
2942 putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
2943 parameters for the group.
2946 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2947 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2948 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2949 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2950 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2954 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2955 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2956 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2957 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2958 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2960 Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
2961 But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
2965 (setq gnus-parameters
2967 (gnus-show-threads nil)
2968 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2969 (gnus-summary-line-format
2970 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
2974 ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
2978 (gnus-use-scoring t))
2982 (broken-reply-to . t))))
2985 String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
2986 the @code{to-group} example shows.
2989 @node Listing Groups
2990 @section Listing Groups
2991 @cindex group listing
2993 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
3001 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
3002 List all groups that have unread articles
3003 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
3004 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
3005 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
3006 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
3013 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
3014 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
3015 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
3016 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
3017 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
3018 unsubscribed groups).
3022 @findex gnus-group-list-level
3023 List all unread groups on a specific level
3024 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
3025 with no unread articles.
3029 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
3030 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
3031 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
3032 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
3037 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
3038 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
3042 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
3043 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
3044 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
3048 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
3049 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
3053 @findex gnus-group-list-active
3054 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
3055 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
3056 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
3057 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
3058 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
3059 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
3060 Take the output with some grains of salt.
3064 @findex gnus-group-apropos
3065 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
3066 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
3070 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
3071 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
3072 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
3076 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
3077 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
3081 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
3082 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
3086 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
3087 List groups limited within the current selection
3088 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
3092 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
3093 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
3097 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
3098 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
3102 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3103 @cindex visible group parameter
3104 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
3105 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
3106 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
3107 get the same effect.
3109 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
3110 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
3111 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
3112 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
3113 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
3116 @node Sorting Groups
3117 @section Sorting Groups
3118 @cindex sorting groups
3120 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
3121 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
3122 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
3123 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
3124 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
3125 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
3130 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3131 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
3132 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
3134 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3135 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
3136 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
3138 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
3139 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
3140 Sort by group level.
3142 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
3143 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
3144 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
3146 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3147 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
3148 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
3149 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
3151 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3152 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
3153 Sort by number of unread articles.
3155 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
3156 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
3157 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
3159 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
3160 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
3161 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
3166 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
3167 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
3171 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
3172 some sorting criteria:
3176 @kindex G S a (Group)
3177 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3178 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
3179 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3182 @kindex G S u (Group)
3183 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
3184 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
3185 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3188 @kindex G S l (Group)
3189 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
3190 Sort the group buffer by group level
3191 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
3194 @kindex G S v (Group)
3195 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
3196 Sort the group buffer by group score
3197 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3200 @kindex G S r (Group)
3201 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3202 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3203 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3206 @kindex G S m (Group)
3207 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3208 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
3209 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3213 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3214 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3216 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3217 commands will sort in reverse order.
3219 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3223 @kindex G P a (Group)
3224 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3225 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3226 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3229 @kindex G P u (Group)
3230 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3231 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3232 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3235 @kindex G P l (Group)
3236 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3237 Sort the groups by group level
3238 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3241 @kindex G P v (Group)
3242 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3243 Sort the groups by group score
3244 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3247 @kindex G P r (Group)
3248 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3249 Sort the groups by group rank
3250 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3253 @kindex G P m (Group)
3254 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3255 Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
3256 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3259 @kindex G P s (Group)
3260 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
3261 Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
3265 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3269 @node Group Maintenance
3270 @section Group Maintenance
3271 @cindex bogus groups
3276 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3277 Find bogus groups and delete them
3278 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3282 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3283 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3284 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3285 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3286 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3290 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3291 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3292 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3293 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3294 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3295 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3298 @kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
3299 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3300 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3301 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3306 @node Browse Foreign Server
3307 @section Browse Foreign Server
3308 @cindex foreign servers
3309 @cindex browsing servers
3314 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3315 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3316 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3317 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3320 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3321 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3322 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3323 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3325 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3330 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3331 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3335 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3336 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3339 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3340 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3341 Enter the current group and display the first article
3342 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3345 @kindex RET (Browse)
3346 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3347 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3351 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3352 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3353 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3359 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3360 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3364 @findex gnus-browse-describe-group
3365 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
3369 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3370 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3371 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3376 @section Exiting gnus
3377 @cindex exiting gnus
3379 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3384 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3385 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3386 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3387 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3391 @findex gnus-group-exit
3392 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3393 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3397 @findex gnus-group-quit
3398 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3399 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3402 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3403 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3404 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3405 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3406 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3411 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3412 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3413 trying to customize meta-variables.
3418 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3419 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3420 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3426 @section Group Topics
3429 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3430 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3431 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3432 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3433 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3434 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3438 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3439 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
3450 2: alt.religion.emacs
3453 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3455 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3456 13: comp.sources.unix
3459 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3461 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3462 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3463 is a toggling command.)
3465 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3466 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and
3467 now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3468 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3471 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3472 the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
3473 @file{~/.gnus} file:
3476 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3480 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3481 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3482 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3483 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3484 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3488 @node Topic Commands
3489 @subsection Topic Commands
3490 @cindex topic commands
3492 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3493 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3494 definitions slightly.
3496 In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
3497 First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
3498 groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
3499 like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
3500 shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
3501 groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
3503 Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
3510 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3511 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3512 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3516 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3518 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3519 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3520 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3521 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3524 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3525 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3526 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3527 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3531 The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
3532 They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
3533 @kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
3534 kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
3540 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3541 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3542 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3546 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3547 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3548 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3551 So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
3552 @kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
3553 move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
3554 topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
3555 paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
3557 You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
3558 you can move topics around as well as groups.
3562 After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
3563 hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
3570 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3572 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3573 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3574 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3575 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3576 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3577 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3581 Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
3587 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3588 Move the current group to some other topic
3589 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3590 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3594 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3595 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3599 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3600 Copy the current group to some other topic
3601 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3602 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3606 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3607 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3608 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3612 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3613 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3614 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3618 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3619 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3620 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3621 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3622 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3623 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3624 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3627 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3628 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3632 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3633 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3634 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3638 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3639 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3640 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3644 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3645 Toggle hiding empty topics
3646 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3650 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3651 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3652 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3655 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3656 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3657 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3658 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3661 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3662 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3663 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3664 expiry process (if any)
3665 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3669 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3670 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3673 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3674 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3675 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3679 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3680 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3681 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3684 @kindex T M-n (Topic)
3685 @findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
3686 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
3689 @kindex T M-p (Topic)
3690 @findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
3691 Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
3695 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3696 @cindex group parameters
3697 @cindex topic parameters
3699 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3700 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3705 @node Topic Variables
3706 @subsection Topic Variables
3707 @cindex topic variables
3709 The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
3710 This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
3712 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3713 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3714 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3727 Number of groups in the topic.
3729 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3731 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3734 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3735 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3736 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3739 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3740 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3742 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3743 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3744 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3748 @subsection Topic Sorting
3749 @cindex topic sorting
3751 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3757 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3758 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3759 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3760 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3763 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3764 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3765 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3766 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3769 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3770 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3771 Sort the current topic by group level
3772 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3775 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3776 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3777 Sort the current topic by group score
3778 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3781 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3782 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3783 Sort the current topic by group rank
3784 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3787 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3788 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3789 Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
3790 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3793 @kindex T S e (Topic)
3794 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
3795 Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
3796 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
3800 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
3801 Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
3802 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
3803 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
3807 When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
3808 order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
3812 @node Topic Topology
3813 @subsection Topic Topology
3814 @cindex topic topology
3817 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3823 2: alt.religion.emacs
3826 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3828 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3829 13: comp.sources.unix
3832 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3833 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3834 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3839 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3840 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3844 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3845 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3846 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3847 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3848 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3849 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3851 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3852 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3853 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3856 @node Topic Parameters
3857 @subsection Topic Parameters
3858 @cindex topic parameters
3860 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3861 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3862 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3864 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3869 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3870 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3871 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3874 @item subscribe-level
3875 When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
3876 the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
3877 @code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
3881 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3882 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3883 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3884 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3890 2: alt.religion.emacs
3894 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3896 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3897 13: comp.sources.unix
3901 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3902 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3903 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3904 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3905 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3906 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3908 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3909 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3910 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3911 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3912 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3914 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3915 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3916 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3917 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3918 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3919 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3920 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3921 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3924 @node Misc Group Stuff
3925 @section Misc Group Stuff
3928 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3929 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3930 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3931 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3932 * Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
3939 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3940 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3941 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3945 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3946 Start composing a message (a news by default)
3947 (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
3948 under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
3949 Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
3950 article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
3951 with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3955 @findex gnus-group-mail
3956 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
3957 use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
3958 prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
3959 @xref{Composing Messages}.
3963 @findex gnus-group-news
3964 Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
3965 post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
3966 for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
3968 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
3969 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
3970 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
3971 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
3972 for this to work though.
3976 Variables for the group buffer:
3980 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3981 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3982 is called after the group buffer has been
3985 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3986 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3987 is called after the group buffer is
3988 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3991 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3992 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3993 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3994 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3996 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3997 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3998 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3999 whether they are empty or not.
4001 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4002 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4003 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
4004 non-ASCII group names.
4008 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
4009 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
4012 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4013 @cindex UTF-8 group names
4014 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4015 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
4016 is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
4017 default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is nil.
4021 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
4022 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
4027 @node Scanning New Messages
4028 @subsection Scanning New Messages
4029 @cindex new messages
4030 @cindex scanning new news
4036 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
4037 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
4038 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
4039 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
4040 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
4041 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
4046 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
4047 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
4048 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
4049 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
4050 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
4051 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
4052 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
4054 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
4055 @cindex activating groups
4057 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
4058 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
4063 @findex gnus-group-restart
4064 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
4065 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
4066 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
4070 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
4071 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
4073 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
4074 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
4078 @node Group Information
4079 @subsection Group Information
4080 @cindex group information
4081 @cindex information on groups
4088 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
4089 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
4092 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
4093 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
4094 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
4095 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
4096 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
4097 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
4098 for fetching the file.
4100 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
4101 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
4105 @findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
4106 @vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
4108 Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
4109 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
4112 Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
4113 the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
4114 messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
4118 @findex gnus-group-fetch-control
4119 @vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
4120 @cindex control message
4121 Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
4122 @code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
4123 group if given a prefix argument.
4125 If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-nil, Gnus
4126 will open the control messages in a browser using @code{browse-url}.
4127 Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp} and displayed in an
4130 Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
4131 you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode}
4132 (@pxref{(emacs)Compressed Files}).
4136 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
4138 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
4139 @cindex describing groups
4140 @cindex group description
4141 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
4142 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
4143 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
4147 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
4148 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
4149 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
4156 @findex gnus-version
4157 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
4161 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
4162 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
4165 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
4168 @findex gnus-info-find-node
4169 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
4173 @node Group Timestamp
4174 @subsection Group Timestamp
4176 @cindex group timestamps
4178 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
4179 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
4180 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
4183 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
4186 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
4188 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
4189 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
4192 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4193 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
4196 This will result in lines looking like:
4199 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
4200 0: custom 19961002T012713
4203 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
4204 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
4208 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4209 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
4212 If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
4213 user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
4217 (setq gnus-group-line-format
4218 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
4219 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
4220 (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
4222 (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
4228 @subsection File Commands
4229 @cindex file commands
4235 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
4236 @vindex gnus-init-file
4237 @cindex reading init file
4238 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
4239 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
4243 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
4244 @cindex saving .newsrc
4245 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
4246 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
4247 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
4250 @c @kindex Z (Group)
4251 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
4252 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
4257 @node Sieve Commands
4258 @subsection Sieve Commands
4259 @cindex group sieve commands
4261 Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
4262 the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
4263 sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
4264 commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
4265 script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
4267 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4268 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
4269 @vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
4270 The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
4271 default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
4272 between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
4273 @code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
4274 outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
4275 regenerate the Sieve script.
4277 @vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
4278 The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
4279 is generated. If it is non-nil (the default) articles is placed in
4280 all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article is only
4281 placed in the group with the first matching rule. For example, the
4282 group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
4283 "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
4284 code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is nil. (When
4285 @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-nil, it looks the same except that
4286 the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
4289 if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
4290 fileinto "INBOX.ding";
4295 @xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
4301 @findex gnus-sieve-generate
4302 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4303 @cindex generating sieve script
4304 Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
4305 put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
4309 @findex gnus-sieve-update
4310 @vindex gnus-sieve-file
4311 @cindex updating sieve script
4312 Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
4313 @code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
4314 server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
4319 @node Summary Buffer
4320 @chapter Summary Buffer
4321 @cindex summary buffer
4323 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
4324 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
4326 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
4327 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
4329 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
4332 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
4333 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
4334 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
4335 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
4336 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
4337 * Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
4338 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
4339 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
4340 * Threading:: How threads are made.
4341 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
4342 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
4343 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
4344 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
4345 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
4346 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
4347 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
4348 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
4349 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
4350 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
4351 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
4352 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
4353 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
4354 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
4355 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
4356 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
4357 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
4358 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
4359 or reselecting the current group.
4360 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
4361 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
4362 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
4363 * Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
4367 @node Summary Buffer Format
4368 @section Summary Buffer Format
4369 @cindex summary buffer format
4373 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
4374 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
4375 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
4381 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
4382 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
4383 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
4384 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
4387 @findex mail-extract-address-components
4388 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
4389 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
4390 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
4391 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
4392 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
4393 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
4394 fast, and too simplistic solution;
4395 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
4396 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
4397 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
4398 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
4399 other function instead:
4402 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
4403 'mail-extract-address-components)
4406 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
4407 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
4408 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
4409 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
4412 @node Summary Buffer Lines
4413 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4415 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4416 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4417 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4418 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4419 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4421 There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
4422 the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
4423 performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
4424 possible to change this. Just write a new function
4425 @code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
4426 @xref{Positioning Point}.
4428 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
4430 The following format specification characters and extended format
4431 specification(s) are understood:
4437 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4438 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4440 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4441 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4442 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4444 Full @code{From} header.
4446 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4448 The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
4451 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4452 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4453 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4454 may be more thorough.
4456 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4459 Number of lines in the article.
4461 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
4462 in some methods (like nnfolder).
4464 Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
4465 for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
4467 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4469 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
4472 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4473 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4475 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4476 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4478 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4479 for adopted articles.
4481 One space for each thread level.
4483 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4485 Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
4488 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4489 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4490 or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
4493 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4495 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4496 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4497 default level. If the difference between
4498 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4499 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4507 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4509 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4515 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4516 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4518 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4519 article has any children.
4525 Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
4526 @code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
4528 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4529 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4530 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4531 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4532 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4533 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4536 Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
4537 @code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
4538 There can only be one such area.
4540 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4541 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4542 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4543 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4544 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4545 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4547 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4548 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4550 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4553 @node To From Newsgroups
4554 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4558 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4559 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4560 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4561 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4562 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4566 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4567 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4568 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4572 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4573 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4576 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4577 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4580 @findex gnus-extra-header
4581 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4582 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4583 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4586 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4590 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4591 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4592 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4593 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4594 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4595 headers are used instead.
4599 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4600 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4601 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4602 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4603 this variable, by entering the server buffer using `^', and then `g' on
4604 the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause regeneration.
4606 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4607 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4608 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4609 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4611 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4615 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4617 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4618 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4619 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
4620 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4624 (The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
4627 A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
4628 convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
4631 The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4632 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4633 nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
4639 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4640 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4643 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4644 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4646 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4647 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4648 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4649 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4651 Here are the elements you can play with:
4657 Unprefixed group name.
4659 Current article number.
4661 Current article score.
4665 Number of unread articles in this group.
4667 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4670 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4671 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4672 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4673 and no unselected ones.
4675 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4676 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4678 Subject of the current article.
4680 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4682 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4684 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4686 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4688 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4690 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4694 @node Summary Highlighting
4695 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4699 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4700 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4701 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4702 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4703 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4705 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4706 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4707 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4708 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4710 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4711 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4712 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4713 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4715 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4716 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4717 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4718 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4719 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4720 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4723 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4724 ((> score default) . bold))
4726 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4727 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4731 @node Summary Maneuvering
4732 @section Summary Maneuvering
4733 @cindex summary movement
4735 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4736 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4738 None of these commands select articles.
4743 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4744 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4745 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4746 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4747 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4751 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4752 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4753 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4754 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4755 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4758 @kindex G g (Summary)
4759 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4760 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4761 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4764 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4765 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4766 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4767 to the group buffer.
4769 Variables related to summary movement:
4773 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4774 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4775 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4776 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4777 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4778 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4779 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4780 next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
4781 is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
4782 confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
4783 will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
4784 Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
4785 command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
4786 @pxref{Group Levels}.
4788 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4789 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4790 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4791 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4792 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4793 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4794 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4796 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4798 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4799 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4800 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4801 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4802 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4804 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4805 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4806 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4807 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4808 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4809 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4810 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4811 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4814 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4815 the given number of lines from the top.
4820 @node Choosing Articles
4821 @section Choosing Articles
4822 @cindex selecting articles
4825 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4826 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4830 @node Choosing Commands
4831 @subsection Choosing Commands
4833 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4834 and they all select and display an article.
4836 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4837 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4841 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4842 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4843 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4844 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4849 @kindex G n (Summary)
4850 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4851 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4852 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4857 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4858 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4859 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4864 @kindex G N (Summary)
4865 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4866 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4871 @kindex G P (Summary)
4872 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4873 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4876 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4877 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4878 Go to the next article with the same subject
4879 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4882 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4883 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4884 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4885 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4889 @kindex G f (Summary)
4891 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4892 Go to the first unread article
4893 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4897 @kindex G b (Summary)
4899 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4900 Go to the unread article with the highest score
4901 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
4902 go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
4907 @kindex G l (Summary)
4908 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4909 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4912 @kindex G o (Summary)
4913 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4915 @cindex article history
4916 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4917 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4918 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4919 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4920 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4921 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4926 @kindex G j (Summary)
4927 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4928 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4929 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4934 @node Choosing Variables
4935 @subsection Choosing Variables
4937 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4940 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4941 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4942 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4943 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4944 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4945 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4947 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4948 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4949 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4950 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4952 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4953 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4954 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4955 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4956 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4957 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4958 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4959 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4960 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4961 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4962 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4963 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4964 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4965 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4970 @node Paging the Article
4971 @section Scrolling the Article
4972 @cindex article scrolling
4977 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4978 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4979 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4980 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4981 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4984 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4985 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4986 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4989 @kindex RET (Summary)
4990 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4991 Scroll the current article one line forward
4992 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4995 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4996 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4997 Scroll the current article one line backward
4998 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
5002 @kindex A g (Summary)
5004 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
5005 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5006 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
5007 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
5008 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
5009 the way it came from the server.
5011 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
5012 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
5013 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
5016 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
5021 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
5026 @kindex A < (Summary)
5027 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
5028 Scroll to the beginning of the article
5029 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
5034 @kindex A > (Summary)
5035 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
5036 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
5040 @kindex A s (Summary)
5042 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
5043 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
5044 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
5048 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
5049 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
5054 @node Reply Followup and Post
5055 @section Reply, Followup and Post
5058 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
5059 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
5060 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
5061 * Canceling and Superseding::
5065 @node Summary Mail Commands
5066 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
5068 @cindex composing mail
5070 Commands for composing a mail message:
5076 @kindex S r (Summary)
5078 @findex gnus-summary-reply
5079 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
5080 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
5081 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
5082 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
5087 @kindex S R (Summary)
5088 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
5089 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
5090 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5091 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
5092 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5095 @kindex S w (Summary)
5096 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
5097 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
5098 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
5099 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5100 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
5103 @kindex S W (Summary)
5104 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
5105 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
5106 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
5107 the process/prefix convention.
5110 @kindex S v (Summary)
5111 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
5112 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
5113 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
5114 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
5115 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
5116 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
5119 @kindex S V (Summary)
5120 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
5121 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
5122 original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
5123 command uses the process/prefix convention.
5126 @kindex S B r (Summary)
5127 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
5128 Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
5129 @code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
5132 @kindex S B R (Summary)
5133 @findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
5134 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
5135 original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
5136 (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
5140 @kindex S o m (Summary)
5141 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
5143 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
5144 Forward the current article to some other person
5145 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5146 headers of the forwarded article.
5151 @kindex S m (Summary)
5152 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
5153 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
5154 Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
5155 the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5156 If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
5161 @kindex S i (Summary)
5162 @findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
5163 Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
5164 post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
5165 prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
5167 This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
5168 This is useful for "posting" messages to mail groups without actually
5169 sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
5170 in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
5171 for this to work though.
5174 @kindex S D b (Summary)
5175 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
5176 @cindex bouncing mail
5177 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
5178 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
5179 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
5180 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
5181 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
5182 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
5183 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
5184 very well fail, though.
5187 @kindex S D r (Summary)
5188 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
5189 Not to be confused with the previous command,
5190 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
5191 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
5192 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
5193 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
5194 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
5195 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
5196 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
5198 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
5199 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
5200 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
5201 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
5202 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
5204 This command understands the process/prefix convention
5205 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5208 @kindex S O m (Summary)
5209 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
5210 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
5211 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
5212 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5215 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
5216 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
5217 @cindex crossposting
5218 @cindex excessive crossposting
5219 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
5220 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
5222 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
5223 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
5224 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
5225 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
5226 command understands the process/prefix convention
5227 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
5231 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5232 Manual}, for more information.
5235 @node Summary Post Commands
5236 @subsection Summary Post Commands
5238 @cindex composing news
5240 Commands for posting a news article:
5246 @kindex S p (Summary)
5247 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
5248 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
5249 Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
5250 default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
5251 If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
5256 @kindex S f (Summary)
5257 @findex gnus-summary-followup
5258 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
5259 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
5263 @kindex S F (Summary)
5265 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
5266 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
5267 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
5268 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
5269 process/prefix convention.
5272 @kindex S n (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
5274 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5275 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
5278 @kindex S N (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
5280 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
5281 message through mail and include the original message
5282 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
5283 the process/prefix convention.
5286 @kindex S o p (Summary)
5287 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
5288 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
5289 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
5290 headers of the forwarded article.
5293 @kindex S O p (Summary)
5294 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
5296 @cindex making digests
5297 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
5298 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
5299 process/prefix convention.
5302 @kindex S u (Summary)
5303 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
5304 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
5305 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
5306 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
5309 Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
5310 Manual}, for more information.
5313 @node Summary Message Commands
5314 @subsection Summary Message Commands
5318 @kindex S y (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
5320 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
5321 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
5322 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
5323 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5328 @node Canceling and Superseding
5329 @subsection Canceling Articles
5330 @cindex canceling articles
5331 @cindex superseding articles
5333 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
5334 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
5336 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
5338 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
5340 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
5341 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
5342 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
5343 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
5344 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
5345 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5347 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
5348 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
5351 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
5352 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
5353 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
5355 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
5356 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
5357 your original article.
5359 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
5361 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
5362 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
5363 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
5366 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
5367 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
5368 have posted almost the same article twice.
5370 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
5371 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
5372 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
5373 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
5374 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
5375 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
5376 header by substituting one of those words for the word
5377 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
5378 you would do normally. The previous article will be
5379 canceled/superseded.
5381 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
5383 @node Delayed Articles
5384 @section Delayed Articles
5385 @cindex delayed sending
5386 @cindex send delayed
5388 Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
5389 example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
5390 to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
5391 there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
5394 (gnus-delay-initialize)
5397 @findex gnus-delay-article
5398 Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
5399 Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
5400 (@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
5401 message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
5405 A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
5406 @code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
5407 (minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
5408 (months) and @code{Y} (years).
5411 A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
5412 delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
5413 See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
5416 A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
5417 stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
5418 already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
5419 o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
5420 is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
5421 that means a time tomorrow.
5424 The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
5425 couple of variables:
5428 @item gnus-delay-default-hour
5429 @vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
5430 When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
5431 on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
5433 @item gnus-delay-default-delay
5434 @vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
5435 This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
5436 formats described above.
5438 @item gnus-delay-group
5439 @vindex gnus-delay-group
5440 Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
5441 they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
5442 value is @code{"delayed"}.
5444 @item gnus-delay-header
5445 @vindex gnus-delay-header
5446 The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
5447 is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
5448 change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
5451 The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
5452 @code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
5453 calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
5454 @code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
5455 @code{nndraft:delayed} group.
5457 And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
5458 which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
5459 function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
5460 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
5461 Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
5462 execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
5465 @item gnus-delay-initialize
5466 @findex gnus-delay-initialize
5468 By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
5469 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
5470 argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-nil,
5471 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
5472 argument is ignored.
5474 For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
5475 Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
5476 Just don't forget to set that up :-)
5480 @node Marking Articles
5481 @section Marking Articles
5482 @cindex article marking
5483 @cindex article ticking
5486 There are several marks you can set on an article.
5488 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
5489 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
5490 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
5492 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
5495 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
5496 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
5497 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
5501 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
5505 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
5506 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
5507 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
5511 @node Unread Articles
5512 @subsection Unread Articles
5514 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
5519 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
5520 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
5522 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
5523 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
5524 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
5525 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
5526 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
5527 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
5528 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
5531 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
5532 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
5534 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
5535 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
5536 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
5537 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
5541 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
5542 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
5544 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
5549 @subsection Read Articles
5550 @cindex expirable mark
5552 All the following marks mark articles as read.
5557 @vindex gnus-del-mark
5558 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
5559 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
5562 @vindex gnus-read-mark
5563 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
5566 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5567 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5568 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5571 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5572 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5575 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5576 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5579 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5580 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5583 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5584 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5587 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5588 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5591 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5592 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5595 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5596 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5600 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5601 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5602 (@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5606 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5607 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5609 One more special mark, though:
5613 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5614 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5616 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5617 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5618 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5619 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5625 @subsection Other Marks
5626 @cindex process mark
5629 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5635 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5636 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5637 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5638 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5639 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5642 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5643 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5644 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5645 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5648 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5649 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
5650 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5653 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5654 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5655 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5658 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5659 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5660 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5661 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5664 @vindex gnus-recent-mark
5665 Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
5666 before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
5667 (@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
5668 mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
5669 @code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
5672 @vindex gnus-unseen-mark
5673 Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
5674 with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
5675 Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
5678 @vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
5679 When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might not
5680 have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you are
5681 offline (unplugged). These articles get the @samp{@@} mark in the
5682 first column. (The variable @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls
5683 which character to use.)
5686 @vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
5687 The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
5688 automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
5689 download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
5690 explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
5691 (The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
5695 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5696 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5697 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5698 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5699 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5702 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5703 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5704 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5705 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5706 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5707 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5711 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5712 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5713 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5715 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5716 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5717 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5721 @subsection Setting Marks
5722 @cindex setting marks
5724 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5729 @kindex M c (Summary)
5730 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5731 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5732 @cindex mark as unread
5733 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5734 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5740 @kindex M t (Summary)
5741 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5742 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5743 @xref{Article Caching}.
5748 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5749 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5750 Mark the current article as dormant
5751 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5755 @kindex M d (Summary)
5757 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5758 Mark the current article as read
5759 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5763 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5764 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5765 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5770 @kindex M k (Summary)
5771 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5772 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5773 and then select the next unread article
5774 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5778 @kindex M K (Summary)
5779 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5780 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5781 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5782 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5785 @kindex M C (Summary)
5786 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5787 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5788 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5791 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5792 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5793 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5794 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5797 @kindex M H (Summary)
5798 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5799 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5800 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5803 @kindex M h (Summary)
5804 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5805 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5806 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5809 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5810 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5811 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5812 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5815 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5816 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5817 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5818 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5822 @kindex M e (Summary)
5824 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5825 Mark the current article as expirable
5826 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5829 @kindex M b (Summary)
5830 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5831 Set a bookmark in the current article
5832 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5835 @kindex M B (Summary)
5836 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5837 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5838 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5841 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5842 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5843 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5844 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5847 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5848 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5849 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5850 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5853 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5854 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5855 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5856 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5857 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5860 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5861 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5862 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5863 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5864 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5865 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5866 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5867 The default is @code{t}.
5870 @node Generic Marking Commands
5871 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5873 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5874 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5875 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5876 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5877 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5880 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5881 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5884 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5885 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5886 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5887 to list in this manual.
5889 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5890 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5891 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5892 article, you could say something like:
5895 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5896 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5897 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5903 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5904 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5908 @node Setting Process Marks
5909 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5910 @cindex setting process marks
5917 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5918 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5919 Mark the current article with the process mark
5920 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5921 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5925 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5926 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5927 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5928 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5931 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5932 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5933 Remove the process mark from all articles
5934 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5937 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5938 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5939 Invert the list of process marked articles
5940 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5943 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5944 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5945 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5946 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5949 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5950 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5951 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5952 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5955 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5956 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5957 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5961 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
5962 Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
5965 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5966 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5967 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5968 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5971 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5972 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5973 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5974 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5977 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5978 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5979 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5980 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5983 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5984 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5985 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5988 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5989 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5990 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5991 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5994 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5995 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5996 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5999 @kindex M P b (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
6001 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
6002 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
6005 @kindex M P k (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
6007 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
6008 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
6011 @kindex M P y (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
6013 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
6014 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
6017 @kindex M P w (Summary)
6018 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
6019 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
6020 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
6024 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
6025 set process marks based on article body contents.
6032 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
6033 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
6034 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
6037 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
6038 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
6039 additional articles.
6045 @kindex / / (Summary)
6046 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
6047 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
6048 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
6052 @kindex / a (Summary)
6053 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
6054 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
6055 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
6059 @kindex / x (Summary)
6060 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
6061 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
6062 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
6063 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
6068 @kindex / u (Summary)
6070 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
6071 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
6072 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
6073 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
6074 dormant articles will also be excluded.
6077 @kindex / m (Summary)
6078 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
6079 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
6080 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
6083 @kindex / t (Summary)
6084 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
6085 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
6086 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
6087 articles younger than that number of days.
6090 @kindex / n (Summary)
6091 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
6092 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
6093 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
6094 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
6097 @kindex / w (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
6099 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
6100 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
6104 @kindex / . (Summary)
6105 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
6106 Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
6107 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
6110 @kindex / v (Summary)
6111 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
6112 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
6113 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
6116 @kindex / p (Summary)
6117 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
6118 Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
6119 group parameter predicate
6120 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
6121 Parameters} for more on this predicate.
6125 @kindex M S (Summary)
6126 @kindex / E (Summary)
6127 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
6128 Include all expunged articles in the limit
6129 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
6132 @kindex / D (Summary)
6133 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
6134 Include all dormant articles in the limit
6135 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
6138 @kindex / * (Summary)
6139 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
6140 Include all cached articles in the limit
6141 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
6144 @kindex / d (Summary)
6145 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
6146 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
6147 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
6150 @kindex / M (Summary)
6151 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
6152 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
6155 @kindex / T (Summary)
6156 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
6157 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
6160 @kindex / c (Summary)
6161 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
6162 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
6163 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
6166 @kindex / C (Summary)
6167 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
6168 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
6169 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
6170 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
6173 @kindex / N (Summary)
6174 @findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
6175 Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
6176 if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
6179 @kindex / o (Summary)
6180 @findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
6181 Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
6182 prefix, fetch this number of articles.
6190 @cindex article threading
6192 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
6193 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
6194 hierarchical fashion.
6196 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
6197 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
6198 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
6199 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
6200 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
6201 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
6202 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
6204 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
6208 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
6211 A tree-like article structure.
6214 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
6217 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
6218 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
6219 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
6220 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
6221 called loose threads.
6223 @item thread gathering
6224 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
6226 @item sparse threads
6227 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
6228 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
6234 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
6235 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
6239 @node Customizing Threading
6240 @subsection Customizing Threading
6241 @cindex customizing threading
6244 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
6245 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
6246 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
6247 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
6252 @subsubsection Loose Threads
6255 @cindex loose threads
6258 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
6259 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
6260 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
6261 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
6262 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
6263 read or killed the root in a previous session.
6265 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
6266 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
6267 There are four possible values:
6271 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
6272 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
6273 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
6274 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
6275 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
6280 @cindex adopting articles
6285 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
6286 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
6287 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
6288 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
6291 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
6292 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
6293 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
6294 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
6295 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
6296 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
6297 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
6300 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
6301 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
6302 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
6306 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
6307 display them after one another.
6310 Don't gather loose threads.
6313 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6314 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
6315 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
6316 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
6317 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
6318 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
6319 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
6320 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
6321 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
6322 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
6323 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
6325 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
6326 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
6327 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
6330 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6331 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
6332 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
6333 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
6334 simplification is used.
6336 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6337 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6338 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
6339 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
6341 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
6343 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
6349 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
6350 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
6351 "answer" "reference" "announce"
6352 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
6357 (mapconcat 'identity
6358 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
6360 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
6363 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
6366 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6367 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
6368 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
6369 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
6370 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
6371 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
6373 Useful functions to put in this list include:
6376 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
6377 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
6378 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
6380 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6381 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
6384 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
6385 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
6386 Remove excessive whitespace.
6388 @item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6389 @findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
6390 Remove all whitespace.
6393 You may also write your own functions, of course.
6396 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6397 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
6398 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
6399 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
6400 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
6401 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
6402 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
6403 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
6405 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6406 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6407 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
6408 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
6409 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
6410 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
6411 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
6412 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
6413 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
6417 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6418 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
6419 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
6420 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
6422 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6423 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
6424 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
6427 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
6431 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
6432 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
6438 @node Filling In Threads
6439 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
6442 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
6443 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
6444 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
6445 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
6446 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
6447 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
6448 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
6449 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
6450 fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
6451 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
6452 @code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
6453 the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
6456 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
6457 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
6458 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
6460 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
6461 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
6462 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
6463 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
6464 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
6465 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
6466 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
6467 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
6468 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
6469 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
6470 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
6471 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
6472 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
6473 @code{nil} by default.
6475 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
6476 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
6477 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
6478 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
6479 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
6480 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
6481 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
6483 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
6484 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
6485 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
6490 @node More Threading
6491 @subsubsection More Threading
6494 @item gnus-show-threads
6495 @vindex gnus-show-threads
6496 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
6497 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
6498 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
6499 slower and more awkward.
6501 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6502 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6503 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
6506 This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
6507 Avaliable predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
6508 @code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
6513 (setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
6514 '(or gnus-article-unread-p
6515 gnus-article-unseen-p))
6518 (It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
6519 unread, but you get my drift.)
6522 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
6523 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
6524 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
6525 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
6526 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
6527 threads are expunged.
6529 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
6530 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
6531 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
6534 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6535 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
6536 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
6537 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
6538 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
6539 result in a new thread.
6541 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
6542 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
6543 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
6546 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6547 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
6548 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
6549 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
6550 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
6551 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
6552 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
6553 Setting this variable to an alternate value
6554 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
6555 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
6556 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
6561 @node Low-Level Threading
6562 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
6566 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
6567 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
6568 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
6569 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
6570 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
6571 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
6573 @item gnus-alter-header-function
6574 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
6575 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
6576 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
6577 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
6578 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
6579 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
6580 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
6581 meaningful. Here's one example:
6584 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
6586 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
6587 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
6589 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
6591 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
6598 @node Thread Commands
6599 @subsection Thread Commands
6600 @cindex thread commands
6606 @kindex T k (Summary)
6607 @kindex C-M-k (Summary)
6608 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
6609 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
6610 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
6611 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
6616 @kindex T l (Summary)
6617 @kindex C-M-l (Summary)
6618 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
6619 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
6620 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
6623 @kindex T i (Summary)
6624 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
6625 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
6626 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
6629 @kindex T # (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
6631 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
6632 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
6635 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
6637 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
6638 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
6641 @kindex T T (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
6643 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
6646 @kindex T s (Summary)
6647 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
6648 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
6649 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
6652 @kindex T h (Summary)
6653 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6654 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6657 @kindex T S (Summary)
6658 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6659 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6662 @kindex T H (Summary)
6663 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6664 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6667 @kindex T t (Summary)
6668 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6669 Re-thread the current article's thread
6670 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6671 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6674 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6675 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6676 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6677 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6681 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6682 understand the numeric prefix.
6687 @kindex T n (Summary)
6689 @kindex C-M-n (Summary)
6691 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6692 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6693 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6696 @kindex T p (Summary)
6698 @kindex C-M-p (Summary)
6700 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6701 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6702 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6705 @kindex T d (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6707 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6710 @kindex T u (Summary)
6711 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6712 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6715 @kindex T o (Summary)
6716 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6717 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6720 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6721 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6722 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6723 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6724 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6725 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6726 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6727 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6728 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6729 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6730 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6731 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6735 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6736 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6738 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6739 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6740 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6741 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6742 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6743 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6744 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
6745 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6746 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
6747 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6748 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6749 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6750 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6752 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6753 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6754 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6755 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
6756 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
6757 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
6758 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
6759 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6761 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6762 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6763 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6765 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6766 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6767 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6768 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6769 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6770 ascending article order.
6772 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6773 by number, you could do something like:
6776 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6777 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6778 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6779 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6782 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6783 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6784 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6785 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6786 which the articles arrived.
6788 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6792 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6794 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6795 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6798 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6799 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6800 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6801 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6804 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6805 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6806 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6807 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6808 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6809 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
6810 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6811 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
6812 other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
6813 variable. It is very similar to the
6814 @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
6815 different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
6816 predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6817 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
6818 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
6819 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
6820 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6822 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6826 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6827 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6828 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6833 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6834 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6835 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6836 @cindex article pre-fetch
6839 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6840 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6841 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6842 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6843 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6845 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6846 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6848 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6849 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6850 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6851 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6852 connection is blocked.
6854 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6855 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6856 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6857 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6859 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6860 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6861 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6862 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6865 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6868 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6869 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6870 happen automatically.
6872 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6873 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6874 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6875 that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
6876 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
6877 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6878 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6880 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6881 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6882 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6883 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6884 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6885 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6886 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6887 data structure as the only parameter.
6889 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6892 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6893 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6894 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6895 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6898 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6901 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6902 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6903 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6905 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6906 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6907 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6908 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6912 Remove articles when they are read.
6915 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6918 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6920 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6921 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6922 @c from the next group.
6925 @node Article Caching
6926 @section Article Caching
6927 @cindex article caching
6930 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6931 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6932 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6933 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6934 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6936 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6938 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6939 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6940 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6941 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6942 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6943 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6944 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6945 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6947 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6948 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6949 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6950 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6951 as dormant, and don't worry.
6953 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6955 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6956 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6957 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6958 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6959 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6960 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6961 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6962 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6963 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6964 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6966 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6967 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6968 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6969 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6970 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6971 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6972 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6973 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6974 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6975 not then be downloaded by this command.
6977 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6978 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6979 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6980 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6981 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6982 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6984 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6985 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6986 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6987 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6988 variables, the group is not cached.
6990 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6991 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6992 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6993 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6994 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6995 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6996 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6997 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6998 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
7001 @findex gnus-cache-move-cache
7002 @code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
7003 @code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
7004 where, isn't that cool?
7006 @node Persistent Articles
7007 @section Persistent Articles
7008 @cindex persistent articles
7010 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
7011 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
7012 useful in my opinion.
7014 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
7015 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
7016 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
7017 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
7018 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
7019 the expiry going on at the news server.
7021 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
7022 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
7023 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
7029 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
7030 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
7033 @kindex M-* (Summary)
7034 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
7035 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
7036 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
7040 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
7042 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
7043 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
7044 interested in persistent articles:
7047 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
7051 @node Article Backlog
7052 @section Article Backlog
7054 @cindex article backlog
7056 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
7057 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
7058 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
7059 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
7060 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
7061 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
7062 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
7063 increase memory usage some.
7065 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
7066 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
7067 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
7068 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
7069 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
7070 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
7071 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
7073 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
7076 @node Saving Articles
7077 @section Saving Articles
7078 @cindex saving articles
7080 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
7081 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
7082 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
7083 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
7084 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
7086 For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
7087 save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
7088 command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
7090 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
7091 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
7092 unwanted headers before saving the article.
7094 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
7095 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
7096 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
7097 deleted before saving.
7103 @kindex O o (Summary)
7105 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
7106 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
7107 Save the current article using the default article saver
7108 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
7111 @kindex O m (Summary)
7112 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
7113 Save the current article in mail format
7114 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
7117 @kindex O r (Summary)
7118 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
7119 Save the current article in rmail format
7120 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
7123 @kindex O f (Summary)
7124 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
7125 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
7126 Save the current article in plain file format
7127 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
7130 @kindex O F (Summary)
7131 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
7132 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
7133 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
7136 @kindex O b (Summary)
7137 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
7138 Save the current article body in plain file format
7139 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
7142 @kindex O h (Summary)
7143 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
7144 Save the current article in mh folder format
7145 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
7148 @kindex O v (Summary)
7149 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
7150 Save the current article in a VM folder
7151 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
7155 @kindex O p (Summary)
7157 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
7158 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
7159 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
7162 @kindex O P (Summary)
7163 @findex gnus-summary-muttprint
7164 @vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
7165 Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
7166 external program Muttprint (see
7167 @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
7168 options to use is controlled by the variable
7169 @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
7173 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
7174 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
7175 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
7176 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
7177 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
7178 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
7179 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
7180 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
7181 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
7182 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
7183 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
7184 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
7188 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
7189 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
7190 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
7191 functions below, or you can create your own.
7195 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7196 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
7197 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
7198 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7199 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
7200 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7201 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7203 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7204 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
7205 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
7206 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
7207 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7208 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
7210 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
7211 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
7212 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
7213 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7214 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
7215 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7216 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7218 @item gnus-summary-write-to-file
7219 @findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
7220 Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
7221 overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
7222 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7223 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7225 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7226 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
7227 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
7228 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
7229 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
7231 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7232 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
7233 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
7234 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
7235 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
7238 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
7239 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
7240 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
7241 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
7242 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
7244 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7245 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
7246 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
7247 reader to use this setting.
7250 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
7251 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
7252 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
7253 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
7256 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
7257 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
7258 available functions that generate names:
7262 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
7263 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
7264 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7266 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
7267 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
7268 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
7270 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
7271 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
7272 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7274 @item gnus-plain-save-name
7275 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
7276 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
7278 @item gnus-sender-save-name
7279 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
7280 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
7283 @vindex gnus-split-methods
7284 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
7285 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
7286 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
7287 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
7291 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
7292 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
7293 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
7294 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
7297 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
7298 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
7299 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
7300 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
7301 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
7302 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
7303 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
7304 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
7305 called returns a string or a list of strings.
7307 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
7308 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
7309 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
7310 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
7312 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
7313 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
7314 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
7317 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
7318 lots of mail groups called things like
7319 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
7320 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
7321 following will do just that:
7324 (defun my-save-name (group)
7325 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
7326 (substring group (match-end 0))))
7328 (setq gnus-split-methods
7329 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
7334 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
7335 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
7336 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
7337 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
7338 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
7339 all the files in the top level directory
7340 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
7341 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
7342 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
7343 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
7345 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
7346 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
7347 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
7348 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
7349 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
7352 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
7356 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
7357 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
7358 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
7361 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
7362 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
7363 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
7364 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
7367 @node Decoding Articles
7368 @section Decoding Articles
7369 @cindex decoding articles
7371 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
7372 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
7375 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
7376 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
7377 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
7378 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
7379 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
7380 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
7384 @cindex article series
7385 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
7386 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
7387 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
7388 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
7389 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
7391 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
7392 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
7393 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
7395 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
7396 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
7397 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
7399 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
7400 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
7401 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
7404 @node Uuencoded Articles
7405 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
7407 @cindex uuencoded articles
7412 @kindex X u (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
7414 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
7415 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
7418 @kindex X U (Summary)
7419 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
7420 Uudecodes and saves the current series
7421 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7424 @kindex X v u (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
7426 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
7429 @kindex X v U (Summary)
7430 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
7431 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
7432 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
7436 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
7437 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
7438 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
7439 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
7440 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
7442 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
7443 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
7444 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
7445 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
7448 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
7449 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
7450 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
7451 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
7452 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
7453 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
7457 @node Shell Archives
7458 @subsection Shell Archives
7460 @cindex shell archives
7461 @cindex shared articles
7463 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
7464 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
7465 some commands to deal with these:
7470 @kindex X s (Summary)
7471 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
7472 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
7475 @kindex X S (Summary)
7476 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
7477 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
7480 @kindex X v s (Summary)
7481 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
7482 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
7485 @kindex X v S (Summary)
7486 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
7487 Unshars, views and saves the current series
7488 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
7492 @node PostScript Files
7493 @subsection PostScript Files
7499 @kindex X p (Summary)
7500 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
7501 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
7504 @kindex X P (Summary)
7505 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
7506 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
7507 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
7510 @kindex X v p (Summary)
7511 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
7512 View the current PostScript series
7513 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
7516 @kindex X v P (Summary)
7517 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
7518 View and save the current PostScript series
7519 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
7524 @subsection Other Files
7528 @kindex X o (Summary)
7529 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
7530 Save the current series
7531 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
7534 @kindex X b (Summary)
7535 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
7536 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
7537 doesn't really work yet.
7541 @node Decoding Variables
7542 @subsection Decoding Variables
7544 Adjective, not verb.
7547 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
7548 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
7549 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
7553 @node Rule Variables
7554 @subsubsection Rule Variables
7555 @cindex rule variables
7557 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
7558 variables are of the form
7561 (list '(regexp1 command2)
7568 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7569 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7571 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
7572 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
7575 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
7576 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
7579 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7580 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
7581 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
7582 user and default view rules.
7584 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7585 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
7586 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
7591 @node Other Decode Variables
7592 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
7595 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7597 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
7598 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
7599 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
7600 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
7601 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
7605 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
7606 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
7609 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
7610 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
7611 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
7614 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7615 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
7616 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
7617 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
7618 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
7621 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7622 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
7623 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
7625 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7626 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
7627 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
7628 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
7629 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
7632 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7633 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
7634 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
7636 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7637 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
7638 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
7639 looking for files to display.
7641 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
7642 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
7643 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
7646 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7647 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
7648 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
7651 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7652 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
7653 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
7656 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7657 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
7658 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
7661 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7662 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
7663 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
7664 decoded articles as unread.
7666 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7667 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
7668 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
7669 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
7671 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7672 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
7673 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
7675 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7676 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
7678 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
7679 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
7680 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
7681 @code{metamail} for viewing.
7683 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7684 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
7685 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
7686 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
7687 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
7688 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7689 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7690 simply dropped them.
7695 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7696 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7700 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7701 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7702 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7703 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7704 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7705 for you when you post the article.
7707 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7708 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7709 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7710 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7712 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7713 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7714 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7715 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7716 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7717 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7718 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7720 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7721 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7722 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7723 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7724 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7725 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7726 Default is @code{t}.
7732 @subsection Viewing Files
7733 @cindex viewing files
7734 @cindex pseudo-articles
7736 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7737 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7738 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7739 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7740 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7741 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7742 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7744 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7745 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7746 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7747 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7749 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7750 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7751 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7753 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7754 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7755 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7756 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7757 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7759 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7760 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7761 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7762 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7763 a list of parameters to that command.
7765 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7766 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7767 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7769 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7770 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7771 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7774 @node Article Treatment
7775 @section Article Treatment
7777 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7778 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7779 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7780 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7781 these articles easier.
7784 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7785 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7786 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7787 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7788 * Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
7789 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7790 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7791 * Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
7792 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7793 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7797 @node Article Highlighting
7798 @subsection Article Highlighting
7799 @cindex highlighting
7801 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7802 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7807 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7808 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7809 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7810 Do much highlighting of the current article
7811 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7812 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7815 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7816 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7817 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7818 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7819 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7820 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7821 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7822 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7823 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7824 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7825 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7826 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7829 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7830 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7831 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7833 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7836 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7838 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7839 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7840 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7842 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7843 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7844 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7846 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7847 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7848 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7849 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7850 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7851 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7853 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7854 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7855 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7857 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7858 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7859 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7861 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7862 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7863 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7864 that it's a citation.
7866 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7867 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7868 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7870 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7871 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7872 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7874 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7875 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7876 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7877 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7883 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7884 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7885 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7886 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7887 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7888 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7889 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7890 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7895 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7898 @node Article Fontisizing
7899 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7901 @cindex article emphasis
7903 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7904 @kindex W e (Summary)
7905 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7906 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7907 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7908 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7910 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7911 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7912 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7913 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7914 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7915 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7916 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7917 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7921 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7922 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7923 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7932 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7933 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7934 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7935 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7936 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7937 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7938 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7939 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7940 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7941 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7942 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7943 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7944 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7946 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7947 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7948 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7952 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7955 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7957 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7958 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7959 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7960 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7962 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7965 @node Article Hiding
7966 @subsection Article Hiding
7967 @cindex article hiding
7969 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7970 too much cruft in most articles.
7975 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7976 @findex gnus-article-hide
7977 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7978 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7979 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7982 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7983 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7984 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7988 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7989 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7990 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7991 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7994 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7995 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7996 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
8000 @kindex W W l (Summary)
8001 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
8002 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8003 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
8004 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
8005 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
8006 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
8007 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
8011 @item gnus-list-identifiers
8012 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
8013 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
8014 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
8019 @kindex W W p (Summary)
8020 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
8021 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8022 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
8023 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
8024 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
8025 articles that have signatures in them do:
8027 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
8029 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
8031 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
8032 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
8034 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
8037 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
8042 @kindex W W P (Summary)
8043 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
8044 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
8045 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
8048 @kindex W W B (Summary)
8049 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
8050 @vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
8051 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8054 @cindex stripping advertisements
8055 @cindex advertisements
8056 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
8057 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
8058 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
8059 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
8060 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
8061 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
8062 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
8063 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
8064 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
8065 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
8068 Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
8069 the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
8070 @code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
8074 @item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8075 @vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
8076 Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
8077 @code{(ADDRESS . BANNER)}, where ADDRESS is a regexp matching a mail
8078 address in the From header, BANNER is one of a symbol @code{signature},
8079 an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}, a regexp and @code{nil}.
8080 If ADDRESS matches author's mail address, it will remove things like
8081 advertisements. For example, if a sender has the mail address
8082 @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a banner something like
8083 @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he sends, you can use the
8084 following element to remove them:
8087 ("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
8093 @kindex W W c (Summary)
8094 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
8095 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
8096 customizing the hiding:
8100 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8101 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8102 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
8103 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
8104 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
8105 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
8106 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
8111 Starting point of the hidden text.
8113 Ending point of the hidden text.
8115 Number of characters in the hidden region.
8117 Number of lines of hidden text.
8120 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
8121 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
8122 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
8123 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
8124 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
8129 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
8130 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
8132 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
8133 following two variables:
8136 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8137 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
8138 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
8139 50), hide the cited text.
8141 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8142 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
8143 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
8148 @kindex W W C (Summary)
8149 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
8150 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
8151 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
8152 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
8153 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
8157 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
8158 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
8159 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
8161 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
8162 citation customization.
8164 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
8168 @node Article Washing
8169 @subsection Article Washing
8171 @cindex article washing
8173 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
8174 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
8176 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
8177 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
8180 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
8181 articles by default.
8186 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
8187 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
8191 @kindex W l (Summary)
8192 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
8193 Remove page breaks from the current article
8194 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
8198 @kindex W r (Summary)
8199 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
8200 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
8201 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
8202 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
8203 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
8204 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
8206 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
8207 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
8208 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
8209 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
8212 @kindex W m (Summary)
8213 @findex gnus-summary-morse-message
8214 @c @icon{gnus-summary-morse-message}
8215 Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
8219 @kindex W t (Summary)
8221 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
8222 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
8223 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
8226 @kindex W v (Summary)
8227 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
8228 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
8229 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
8232 @kindex W m (Summary)
8233 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
8234 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
8235 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
8238 @kindex W o (Summary)
8239 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
8240 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
8243 @kindex W d (Summary)
8244 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
8245 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
8247 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
8249 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
8250 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
8251 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
8252 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
8255 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
8256 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
8257 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
8258 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
8261 @kindex W k (Summary)
8262 @findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
8263 @cindex Outlook Express
8264 Deuglify broken Outlook (Express) articles and redisplay
8265 (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
8268 @kindex W w (Summary)
8269 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
8270 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
8272 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
8276 @kindex W Q (Summary)
8277 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
8278 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
8281 @kindex W C (Summary)
8282 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
8283 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
8284 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
8287 @kindex W c (Summary)
8288 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
8289 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
8290 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
8291 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
8292 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
8295 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
8296 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
8297 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
8298 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
8299 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is usually done
8300 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8301 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
8303 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8306 @kindex W Z (Summary)
8307 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
8308 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
8309 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
8310 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
8313 @kindex W u (Summary)
8314 @findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
8315 Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
8316 outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
8317 split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
8318 the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
8321 @kindex W h (Summary)
8322 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
8323 Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
8324 usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
8325 @code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
8327 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
8329 @vindex gnus-article-wash-function
8330 The default is to use the function specified by
8331 @code{mm-inline-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Customization, , , emacs-mime})
8332 to convert the @sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
8333 @code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
8341 Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
8345 Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
8348 Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
8351 Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
8356 @kindex W b (Summary)
8357 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
8358 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
8359 @xref{Article Buttons}.
8362 @kindex W B (Summary)
8363 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
8364 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
8365 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
8368 @kindex W p (Summary)
8369 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
8370 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
8371 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
8372 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
8373 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
8374 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
8375 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
8378 @kindex W s (Summary)
8379 @findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
8380 Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
8381 (@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
8384 @kindex W a (Summary)
8385 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
8386 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
8387 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
8390 @kindex W E l (Summary)
8391 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
8392 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
8393 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
8396 @kindex W E m (Summary)
8397 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
8398 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
8399 lines with a single empty line.
8400 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
8403 @kindex W E t (Summary)
8404 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
8405 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
8406 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
8409 @kindex W E a (Summary)
8410 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
8411 Do all the three commands above
8412 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
8415 @kindex W E A (Summary)
8416 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
8417 Remove all blank lines
8418 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
8421 @kindex W E s (Summary)
8422 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
8423 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
8424 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
8427 @kindex W E e (Summary)
8428 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
8429 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
8430 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
8434 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
8437 @node Article Header
8438 @subsection Article Header
8440 These commands perform various transformations of article header.
8445 @kindex W G u (Summary)
8446 @findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
8447 Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
8450 @kindex W G n (Summary)
8451 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
8452 Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
8453 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
8456 @kindex W G f (Summary)
8457 @findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
8458 Fold all the message headers
8459 (@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
8463 @findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
8464 Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
8465 (@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
8470 @node Article Buttons
8471 @subsection Article Buttons
8474 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
8475 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
8476 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
8477 button on these references.
8479 @vindex gnus-button-man-handler
8480 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
8481 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links and man pages.
8482 This is controlled by two variables, one that handles article bodies and
8483 one that handles article heads:
8487 @item gnus-button-alist
8488 @vindex gnus-button-alist
8489 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
8492 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8498 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
8499 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
8500 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a variable containing a
8501 regexp, useful variables to use include @code{gnus-button-url-regexp}.
8504 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
8505 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
8506 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
8509 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
8510 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
8511 avoid false matches.
8514 This function will be called when you click on this button.
8517 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
8518 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
8522 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
8525 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
8528 @item gnus-header-button-alist
8529 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
8530 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
8531 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
8532 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
8535 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
8538 @var{header} is a regular expression.
8540 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
8541 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
8542 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
8543 default values of the variables above.
8545 @item gnus-article-button-face
8546 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
8547 Face used on buttons.
8549 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
8550 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
8551 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
8555 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
8559 @subsection Article Date
8561 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
8562 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
8563 when the article was sent.
8568 @kindex W T u (Summary)
8569 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
8570 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
8571 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
8574 @kindex W T i (Summary)
8575 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
8577 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
8578 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
8581 @kindex W T l (Summary)
8582 @findex gnus-article-date-local
8583 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
8586 @kindex W T p (Summary)
8587 @findex gnus-article-date-english
8588 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
8589 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
8592 @kindex W T s (Summary)
8593 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
8594 @findex gnus-article-date-user
8595 @findex format-time-string
8596 Display the date using a user-defined format
8597 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
8598 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
8599 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
8600 for a list of possible format specs.
8603 @kindex W T e (Summary)
8604 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
8605 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
8606 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
8607 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
8608 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
8611 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
8614 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
8615 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
8618 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
8619 into wonderful absurdities.
8621 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
8624 (gnus-start-date-timer)
8627 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
8628 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
8632 @kindex W T o (Summary)
8633 @findex gnus-article-date-original
8634 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
8635 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
8636 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
8637 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
8638 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
8642 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
8643 preferred format automatically.
8646 @node Article Display
8647 @subsection Article Display
8652 These commands add various frivolous display gimmics to the article
8653 buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
8655 @code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
8656 message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
8658 Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
8659 try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
8661 Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
8662 their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
8664 All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
8669 @kindex W D x (Summary)
8670 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
8671 Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
8672 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
8675 @kindex W D s (Summary)
8676 @findex gnus-treat-smiley
8677 Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
8680 @kindex W D f (Summary)
8681 @findex gnus-treat-from-picon
8682 Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
8685 @kindex W D m (Summary)
8686 @findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
8687 Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
8688 (@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
8691 @kindex W D n (Summary)
8692 @findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
8693 Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
8694 @code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
8697 @kindex W D D (Summary)
8698 @findex gnus-article-remove-images
8699 Remove all images from the article buffer
8700 (@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
8706 @node Article Signature
8707 @subsection Article Signature
8709 @cindex article signature
8711 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
8712 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
8713 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
8714 that says what is to be considered a signature is
8715 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
8716 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
8717 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
8718 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
8719 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
8722 (setq gnus-signature-separator
8723 '("^-- $" ; The standard
8724 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
8725 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
8726 ; line of dashes. Shame!
8727 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
8728 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
8729 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
8732 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
8735 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
8736 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
8737 signature when displaying articles.
8741 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
8744 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
8747 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
8748 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
8750 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
8751 in question is not a signature.
8754 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
8755 listed above. Here's an example:
8758 (setq gnus-signature-limit
8759 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
8762 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
8763 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
8764 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
8765 signature after all.
8768 @node Article Miscellania
8769 @subsection Article Miscellania
8773 @kindex A t (Summary)
8774 @findex gnus-article-babel
8775 Translate the article from one language to another
8776 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
8782 @section MIME Commands
8783 @cindex MIME decoding
8785 @cindex viewing attachments
8787 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
8788 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
8794 @kindex K v (Summary)
8795 View the @sc{mime} part.
8798 @kindex K o (Summary)
8799 Save the @sc{mime} part.
8802 @kindex K c (Summary)
8803 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
8806 @kindex K e (Summary)
8807 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
8810 @kindex K i (Summary)
8811 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
8814 @kindex K | (Summary)
8815 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
8818 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
8823 @kindex K b (Summary)
8824 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
8825 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
8829 @kindex K m (Summary)
8830 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8831 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8832 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8833 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8834 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8837 @kindex X m (Summary)
8838 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8839 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8840 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8841 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8844 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8845 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
8846 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8847 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8850 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8851 @findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
8852 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8853 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8856 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8857 @findex gnus-article-decode-charset
8858 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8859 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8861 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8862 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8863 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8864 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
8865 include @sc{mime} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
8866 parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8869 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8870 @findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
8871 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8872 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8879 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8880 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8881 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8882 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8885 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8888 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8892 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8893 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8894 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8895 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8896 displayed or this variable is overriden by
8897 @code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
8900 @item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8901 @vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
8902 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8903 this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8904 displayed. This variable overrides
8905 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
8907 To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
8908 variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
8909 @code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
8911 @item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8912 @vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
8913 If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
8914 value is @code{nil}.
8916 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8917 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8918 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8919 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8920 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8921 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8922 save all jpegs into some directory).
8924 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8927 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8928 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8930 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8931 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8932 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8933 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8934 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8937 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8938 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8939 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8941 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8942 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8943 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8944 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8946 Ready-made functions include@*
8947 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8948 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8949 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8950 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8951 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8952 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8953 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8954 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8955 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8956 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8957 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8958 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8960 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8961 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8963 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8964 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8965 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8968 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8969 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8970 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8971 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8975 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8984 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8985 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8986 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8987 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8988 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8989 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8990 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8992 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8993 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8994 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8995 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8997 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8998 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
8999 even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
9000 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
9001 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
9002 set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
9003 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
9004 which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
9006 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
9007 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
9008 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
9009 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
9010 quoted-printable header encoding.
9012 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
9013 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
9014 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
9018 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
9021 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
9022 means encode all charsets),
9024 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
9025 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
9026 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
9033 @cindex coding system aliases
9034 @cindex preferred charset
9036 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
9038 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
9039 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
9042 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
9043 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
9046 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
9047 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
9049 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
9052 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
9055 This will almost do the right thing.
9057 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
9061 (codepage-setup 1251)
9062 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
9066 @node Article Commands
9067 @section Article Commands
9074 @kindex A P (Summary)
9075 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
9076 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
9077 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
9078 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
9079 be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
9080 article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
9085 @node Summary Sorting
9086 @section Summary Sorting
9087 @cindex summary sorting
9089 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
9090 can't really see why you'd want that.
9095 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
9096 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
9097 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
9100 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
9101 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
9102 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
9105 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
9106 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
9107 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
9110 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
9111 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
9112 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
9115 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
9116 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
9117 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
9120 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
9121 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
9122 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
9125 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
9126 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
9127 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
9130 @kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
9131 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
9132 Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
9135 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
9136 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
9137 Sort using the default sorting method
9138 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
9141 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
9142 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
9143 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
9144 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
9145 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
9149 @node Finding the Parent
9150 @section Finding the Parent
9151 @cindex parent articles
9152 @cindex referring articles
9157 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
9158 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
9159 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
9160 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
9161 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
9162 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
9163 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
9164 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
9165 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
9167 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
9168 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
9169 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
9170 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
9171 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
9175 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
9176 @kindex A R (Summary)
9177 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
9178 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
9181 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
9182 @kindex A T (Summary)
9183 Display the full thread where the current article appears
9184 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
9185 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
9186 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
9187 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
9188 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
9189 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
9191 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
9192 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
9193 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
9194 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
9195 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
9196 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
9199 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
9200 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
9202 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
9203 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
9204 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
9205 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
9206 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
9207 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
9208 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
9211 The current select method will be used when fetching by
9212 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
9213 by giving this command a prefix.
9215 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
9216 If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
9217 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
9218 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
9219 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
9220 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
9223 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
9224 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
9225 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
9228 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
9229 then ask Google if that fails:
9232 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
9234 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type google))))
9237 Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
9238 do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
9239 @code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
9240 any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
9241 only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current group.
9242 (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not
9243 support this at all.
9246 @node Alternative Approaches
9247 @section Alternative Approaches
9249 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
9250 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
9253 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
9254 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
9259 @subsection Pick and Read
9260 @cindex pick and read
9262 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
9263 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
9264 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
9265 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
9267 @findex gnus-pick-mode
9268 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
9269 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
9270 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
9271 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
9272 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
9274 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
9279 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
9280 Pick the article or thread on the current line
9281 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9282 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
9283 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
9284 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
9285 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
9286 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
9289 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
9290 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
9291 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
9292 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
9296 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
9297 Unpick the thread or article
9298 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
9299 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
9300 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
9301 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
9302 the thread or article at that line.
9306 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
9307 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
9308 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
9309 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
9310 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
9311 will still be visible when you are reading.
9315 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
9316 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
9317 which is mapped to the same function
9318 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
9320 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
9323 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
9326 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
9327 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
9329 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
9330 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
9331 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
9333 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
9334 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
9335 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
9336 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
9337 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
9338 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
9339 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
9343 @subsection Binary Groups
9344 @cindex binary groups
9346 @findex gnus-binary-mode
9347 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
9348 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
9349 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
9350 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
9351 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
9352 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
9355 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
9356 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
9357 command, when you have turned on this mode
9358 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
9360 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
9361 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
9365 @section Tree Display
9368 @vindex gnus-use-trees
9369 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
9370 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
9371 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
9374 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
9377 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
9378 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
9379 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
9381 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9382 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
9383 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
9384 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
9385 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
9387 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
9388 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
9389 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
9390 default is @code{modeline}.
9392 @item gnus-tree-line-format
9393 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
9394 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
9395 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
9396 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
9397 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
9398 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
9404 The name of the poster.
9406 The @code{From} header.
9408 The number of the article.
9410 The opening bracket.
9412 The closing bracket.
9417 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
9419 Variables related to the display are:
9422 @item gnus-tree-brackets
9423 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
9424 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
9425 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
9426 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
9427 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
9429 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9430 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
9431 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
9432 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
9436 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
9437 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
9438 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
9439 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
9440 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
9441 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
9442 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
9443 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
9444 other windows displayed next to it.
9446 You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
9450 (add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
9451 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
9454 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
9455 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
9456 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9457 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
9458 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
9459 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
9460 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
9464 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
9467 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
9477 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
9481 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
9482 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
9484 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
9486 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
9491 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
9492 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
9493 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
9496 (setq gnus-use-trees t
9497 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
9498 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
9499 (gnus-add-configuration
9503 (summary 0.75 point)
9508 @xref{Window Layout}.
9511 @node Mail Group Commands
9512 @section Mail Group Commands
9513 @cindex mail group commands
9515 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
9516 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
9518 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
9519 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9524 @kindex B e (Summary)
9525 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
9526 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
9527 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
9528 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
9529 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
9532 @kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
9533 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
9534 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
9535 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
9536 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
9537 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
9540 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
9541 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
9542 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
9543 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
9544 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
9545 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
9548 @kindex B m (Summary)
9550 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
9551 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
9552 Move the article from one mail group to another
9553 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9554 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9557 @kindex B c (Summary)
9559 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
9560 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
9561 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
9562 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
9563 @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
9566 @kindex B B (Summary)
9567 @cindex crosspost mail
9568 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
9569 Crosspost the current article to some other group
9570 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
9571 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
9572 be properly updated.
9575 @kindex B i (Summary)
9576 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
9577 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
9578 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
9579 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9582 @kindex B I (Summary)
9583 @findex gnus-summary-create-article
9584 Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
9585 (@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
9586 @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
9589 @kindex B r (Summary)
9590 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
9591 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
9592 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
9593 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
9594 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
9595 Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
9596 (which is the default).
9600 @kindex B w (Summary)
9602 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
9603 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
9604 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
9605 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
9606 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
9607 (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
9608 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
9611 @kindex B q (Summary)
9612 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
9613 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
9614 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
9615 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
9618 @kindex B t (Summary)
9619 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
9620 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
9621 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
9624 @kindex B p (Summary)
9625 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
9626 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
9627 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
9628 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
9629 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
9630 article from your news server (or rather, from
9631 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
9632 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
9633 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
9634 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
9635 just not have arrived yet.
9638 @kindex K E (Summary)
9639 @findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
9640 @vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
9641 Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
9642 The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
9643 variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
9647 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
9648 @cindex moving articles
9649 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
9650 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
9651 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
9652 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
9653 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
9654 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
9655 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
9658 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
9659 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
9660 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
9661 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
9665 @node Various Summary Stuff
9666 @section Various Summary Stuff
9669 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
9670 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
9671 * Summary Generation Commands::
9672 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
9676 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
9677 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
9678 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
9680 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
9681 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
9682 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
9683 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
9684 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
9685 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
9688 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9689 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
9690 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
9691 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
9692 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
9694 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9695 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
9696 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
9699 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9700 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
9701 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
9702 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
9703 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
9704 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
9705 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
9706 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
9707 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
9708 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
9710 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9711 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
9712 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
9713 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
9714 list of articles to be selected.
9716 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
9717 the list in one particular group:
9720 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
9721 (if (string= group "some.group")
9722 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
9726 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
9727 @item gnus-newsgroup-variables
9728 A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
9729 variables and their default values (when the default values are not
9730 nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
9731 These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
9732 while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
9733 buffers. For example:
9736 (setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
9737 '(message-use-followup-to
9738 (gnus-visible-headers .
9739 "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
9745 @node Summary Group Information
9746 @subsection Summary Group Information
9751 @kindex H f (Summary)
9752 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
9753 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
9754 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
9755 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
9756 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
9757 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
9758 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
9759 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
9760 be used for fetching the file.
9763 @kindex H d (Summary)
9764 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
9765 Give a brief description of the current group
9766 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
9767 rereading the description from the server.
9770 @kindex H h (Summary)
9771 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
9772 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
9773 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
9776 @kindex H i (Summary)
9777 @findex gnus-info-find-node
9778 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
9782 @node Searching for Articles
9783 @subsection Searching for Articles
9788 @kindex M-s (Summary)
9789 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
9790 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
9791 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
9794 @kindex M-r (Summary)
9795 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
9796 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
9797 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
9801 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
9802 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
9803 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
9804 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
9805 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
9806 search backward instead.
9808 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
9809 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
9812 @kindex M-& (Summary)
9813 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
9814 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
9815 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
9818 @node Summary Generation Commands
9819 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
9824 @kindex Y g (Summary)
9825 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
9826 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
9829 @kindex Y c (Summary)
9830 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
9831 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
9832 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
9837 @node Really Various Summary Commands
9838 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
9844 @kindex C-d (Summary)
9845 @kindex A D (Summary)
9846 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
9847 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
9848 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
9849 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
9850 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
9851 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
9852 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
9853 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
9857 @kindex C-M-d (Summary)
9858 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
9859 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
9860 several documents into one biiig group
9861 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
9862 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
9863 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
9864 command understands the process/prefix convention
9865 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
9868 @kindex C-t (Summary)
9869 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
9870 Toggle truncation of summary lines
9871 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
9872 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
9873 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
9877 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
9878 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
9879 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
9882 @kindex C-M-e (Summary)
9883 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
9884 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9885 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
9888 @kindex C-M-a (Summary)
9889 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
9890 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
9891 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
9896 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
9897 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9898 @cindex summary exit
9899 @cindex exiting groups
9901 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9902 group and return you to the group buffer.
9908 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9910 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9911 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9912 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9913 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9914 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9915 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9916 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9917 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9918 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9919 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9920 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9924 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9926 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9927 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9928 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9932 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9934 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9935 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9936 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9937 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9940 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9941 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9942 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9943 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9946 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9947 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9948 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9949 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9952 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9953 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9954 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9955 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9956 all articles, both read and unread.
9960 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9961 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9962 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9963 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9964 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9965 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9966 articles, both read and unread.
9969 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9970 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9971 Exit the group and go to the next group
9972 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9975 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9976 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9977 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9978 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9981 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9982 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9983 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9984 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9985 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9986 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9989 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9990 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9991 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9992 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9994 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9995 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9996 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9997 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9998 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9999 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
10000 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
10001 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
10002 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
10003 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
10004 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
10005 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
10007 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
10009 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
10010 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
10011 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
10012 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
10013 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
10014 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
10015 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
10016 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
10017 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
10020 @node Crosspost Handling
10021 @section Crosspost Handling
10025 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
10026 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
10027 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
10028 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
10029 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
10030 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
10033 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
10034 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
10035 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
10036 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
10037 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
10039 @cindex cross-posting
10042 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
10043 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
10044 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
10045 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
10046 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
10047 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
10048 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
10049 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
10050 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
10051 the cross reference mechanism.
10053 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
10054 @cindex overview.fmt
10055 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
10056 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
10057 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
10058 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
10059 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
10060 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
10063 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
10064 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
10065 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
10070 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
10073 @node Duplicate Suppression
10074 @section Duplicate Suppression
10076 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
10077 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
10078 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
10079 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
10084 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
10085 is evil and not very common.
10088 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
10089 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
10092 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
10093 different @sc{nntp} servers.
10096 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
10099 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
10100 well, but these four are the most common situations.
10102 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
10103 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
10104 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
10105 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
10106 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
10107 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
10108 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
10111 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
10112 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
10113 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
10114 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
10115 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
10116 saw the article in.
10119 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
10120 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
10121 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
10123 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
10124 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
10125 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
10126 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
10127 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
10128 session are suppressed.
10130 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
10131 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
10132 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
10133 suppression list. The default is 10000.
10135 @item gnus-duplicate-file
10136 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
10137 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
10138 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
10141 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
10142 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
10143 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
10144 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
10145 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
10146 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
10147 to you to figure out, I think.
10152 Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
10153 The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
10154 however you need some external programs to get things to work:
10158 To handle PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or gpg.el as
10159 well as a OpenPGP implementation (such as GnuPG).
10162 To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
10163 or newer is recommended.
10167 More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
10168 manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
10171 @item mm-verify-option
10172 @vindex mm-verify-option
10173 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
10174 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
10175 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10177 @item mm-decrypt-option
10178 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
10179 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
10180 @code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
10181 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
10186 @section Mailing List
10188 @kindex A M (summary)
10189 @findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
10190 Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
10191 either add a `to-list' group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
10192 possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
10193 summary buffer, or say:
10196 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-mailing-list-mode)
10199 That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
10204 @kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
10205 @findex gnus-mailing-list-help
10206 Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
10209 @kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
10210 @findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
10211 Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
10214 @kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
10215 @findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
10216 Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
10220 @kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
10221 @findex gnus-mailing-list-post
10222 Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
10225 @kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
10226 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10227 Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
10230 @kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
10231 @findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
10232 Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
10236 @node Article Buffer
10237 @chapter Article Buffer
10238 @cindex article buffer
10240 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
10241 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
10242 tell gnus otherwise.
10245 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
10246 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
10247 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
10248 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
10249 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
10253 @node Hiding Headers
10254 @section Hiding Headers
10255 @cindex hiding headers
10256 @cindex deleting headers
10258 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
10259 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
10261 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
10262 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
10263 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
10264 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
10265 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
10266 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
10267 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
10268 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
10269 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
10271 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
10275 @item gnus-visible-headers
10276 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
10277 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
10278 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
10279 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
10281 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
10282 the article and the subject, you'd say:
10285 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
10288 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10291 @item gnus-ignored-headers
10292 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
10293 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
10294 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
10295 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
10296 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
10298 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
10299 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
10302 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
10305 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
10308 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
10309 variable will have no effect.
10313 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
10314 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
10315 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
10316 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
10317 the headers are to be displayed.
10319 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
10320 and then the subject, you might say something like:
10323 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
10326 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
10327 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
10329 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
10330 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
10331 You can hide further boring headers by setting
10332 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
10333 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
10334 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
10335 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
10338 These conditions are:
10341 Remove all empty headers.
10343 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
10344 @code{Newsgroups} header.
10346 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
10347 @code{From} header.
10349 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
10352 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
10353 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
10355 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
10358 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
10360 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
10363 To include these three elements, you could say something like:
10366 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
10367 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
10370 This is also the default value for this variable.
10374 @section Using MIME
10377 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
10378 while people stand around yawning.
10380 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
10381 while all newsreaders die of fear.
10383 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
10384 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
10385 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
10387 @vindex gnus-show-mime
10388 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
10389 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
10390 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
10391 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
10392 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
10393 calls the @sc{semi} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
10394 information on @sc{semi} MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is
10395 not existed yet, sorry).
10397 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
10398 @sc{mime} all the time. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime} set, then
10399 you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article buffer.
10400 These can't be avoided.
10402 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
10403 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
10404 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
10405 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
10406 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
10407 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
10408 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
10409 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
10410 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
10413 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
10415 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
10416 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
10417 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
10418 buffer when there are nobody else.
10420 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
10423 @node Customizing Articles
10424 @section Customizing Articles
10425 @cindex article customization
10427 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
10428 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
10429 called automatically when you select the articles.
10431 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
10432 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
10433 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
10434 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
10436 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
10437 for sensible values.
10441 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
10444 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
10447 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
10450 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
10453 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
10457 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
10458 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
10459 regexps in the list.
10462 A list where the first element is not a string:
10464 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
10465 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
10466 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
10470 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
10474 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
10479 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
10480 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
10481 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
10482 considered to contain just a single part.
10484 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
10485 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
10486 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
10487 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
10488 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
10489 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
10490 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
10492 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
10493 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
10494 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
10495 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
10498 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
10499 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
10501 @xref{Article Buttons}.
10503 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
10504 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
10505 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
10506 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
10507 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
10508 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
10509 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
10510 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
10511 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
10512 @item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
10513 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
10515 @xref{Article Washing}.
10517 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
10518 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
10519 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
10520 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
10521 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
10522 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
10523 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
10525 @xref{Article Date}.
10527 @item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
10528 @item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
10529 @item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
10533 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
10535 @item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
10537 @vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
10538 Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
10539 is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
10543 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
10547 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
10548 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
10549 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
10550 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
10551 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
10552 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
10553 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
10554 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
10556 @xref{Article Hiding}.
10558 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
10559 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
10560 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
10562 @xref{Article Highlighting}.
10564 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
10565 @item gnus-treat-translate
10566 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
10568 @item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
10569 @item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
10570 @item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
10571 @item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
10573 @xref{Article Header}.
10578 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
10579 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
10580 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
10581 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
10582 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
10586 @node Article Keymap
10587 @section Article Keymap
10589 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
10590 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
10591 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
10592 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
10595 A few additional keystrokes are available:
10600 @kindex SPACE (Article)
10601 @findex gnus-article-next-page
10602 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
10605 @kindex DEL (Article)
10606 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
10607 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
10610 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
10611 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
10612 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
10613 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
10614 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
10617 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
10618 @findex gnus-article-mail
10619 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
10620 given a prefix, include the mail.
10623 @kindex s (Article)
10624 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
10625 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
10626 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
10629 @kindex ? (Article)
10630 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
10631 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
10632 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
10635 @kindex TAB (Article)
10636 @findex gnus-article-next-button
10637 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
10638 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
10641 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
10642 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
10643 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
10646 @kindex R (Article)
10647 @findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
10648 Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
10649 (@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
10650 wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10654 @kindex F (Article)
10655 @findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
10656 Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
10657 (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
10658 a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
10666 @section Misc Article
10670 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
10671 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
10672 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
10673 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
10676 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
10677 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
10679 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
10680 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
10682 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
10683 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
10684 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
10685 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
10686 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
10687 the contents of the article buffer.
10689 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
10690 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
10691 Hook called in article mode buffers.
10693 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10694 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
10695 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
10696 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
10698 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
10699 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
10700 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
10701 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
10702 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
10708 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
10709 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
10710 performed. The characters and their meaning:
10715 Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
10718 Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
10721 Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
10722 hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
10723 security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
10726 Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
10729 Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
10732 Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
10737 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
10741 @vindex gnus-break-pages
10743 @item gnus-break-pages
10744 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
10745 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
10746 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
10747 paging will not be done.
10749 @item gnus-page-delimiter
10750 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
10751 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
10756 @node Composing Messages
10757 @chapter Composing Messages
10758 @cindex composing messages
10761 @cindex sending mail
10766 @cindex using s/mime
10767 @cindex using smime
10769 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
10770 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
10771 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
10772 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
10773 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
10774 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
10777 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
10778 * Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
10779 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
10780 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
10781 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
10782 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
10783 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
10784 * Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
10787 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
10788 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
10794 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
10797 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
10798 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
10799 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
10800 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
10802 @item gnus-add-to-list
10803 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
10804 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
10805 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
10807 @item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10808 @vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
10809 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus requests confirmation when replying to news.
10810 If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
10811 press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
10816 @node Posting Server
10817 @section Posting Server
10819 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
10820 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
10822 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
10824 It can be quite complicated.
10826 @vindex gnus-post-method
10827 When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
10828 (@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
10829 Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
10830 reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
10831 groups from different private servers). However. If the server
10832 you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
10833 want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
10834 fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
10835 @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
10838 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
10841 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
10842 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
10843 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
10844 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
10846 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
10847 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
10849 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
10850 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
10853 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
10854 you can set this variable to @code{native}.
10856 When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
10857 The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
10858 your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
10859 sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
10860 using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
10861 server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
10862 @code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
10863 package correctly. An example:
10866 (setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
10867 smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
10870 To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
10871 It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
10872 See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
10874 Other possible choises for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
10875 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
10876 and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
10878 @node Mail and Post
10879 @section Mail and Post
10881 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
10885 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
10886 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
10887 @cindex mailing lists
10889 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
10890 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
10891 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
10892 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
10893 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
10894 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
10895 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
10896 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
10897 still a pain, though.
10901 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
10902 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
10903 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
10906 @findex ispell-message
10908 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
10911 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
10912 you're in, you could say something like the following:
10915 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
10919 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
10920 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
10922 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
10925 Modify to suit your needs.
10928 @node Archived Messages
10929 @section Archived Messages
10930 @cindex archived messages
10931 @cindex sent messages
10933 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
10934 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
10935 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
10936 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
10939 For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
10940 @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
10943 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
10944 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
10945 use to store sent messages. The default is:
10948 (nnfolder "archive"
10949 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
10950 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
10951 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
10952 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
10955 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
10956 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
10957 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
10958 directory chosen, you could say something like:
10961 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
10962 '(nnfolder "archive"
10963 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
10964 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
10965 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
10968 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
10970 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
10971 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
10972 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
10974 This variable can be used to do the following:
10979 Messages will be saved in that group.
10981 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
10982 message will not be stored in the select method given by
10983 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
10984 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
10985 has the default value shown above. Then setting
10986 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
10987 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
10988 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
10992 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
10994 an alist of regexps, functions and forms
10995 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
10998 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
11003 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
11005 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
11008 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
11010 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
11013 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
11015 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11016 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
11017 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
11018 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
11021 More complex stuff:
11023 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11024 '((if (message-news-p)
11029 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
11030 messages in one file per month:
11033 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
11034 '((if (message-news-p)
11036 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
11039 @c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
11040 @c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
11042 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
11043 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
11044 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
11045 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
11046 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
11047 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
11048 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
11049 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
11050 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
11051 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
11053 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
11054 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
11055 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
11056 this will disable archiving.
11059 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
11060 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
11061 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
11062 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
11063 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
11066 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
11067 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
11068 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
11071 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
11072 but the latter is the preferred method.
11074 @item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11075 @vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
11076 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
11078 @item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11079 @vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
11080 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
11081 and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
11082 @code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
11083 non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
11084 changed in the future.
11089 @node Posting Styles
11090 @section Posting Styles
11091 @cindex posting styles
11094 All them variables, they make my head swim.
11096 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
11097 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
11098 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
11101 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
11102 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
11103 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
11104 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
11105 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
11110 (signature "Peace and happiness")
11111 (organization "What me?"))
11113 (signature "Death to everybody"))
11114 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
11115 (organization "Emacs is it")))
11118 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
11119 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
11120 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
11121 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
11122 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
11123 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
11124 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
11125 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
11127 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
11128 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
11129 If it is the form @code{(header MATCH REGEXP)}, then Gnus will look in
11130 the original article for a header whose name is MATCH and compare that
11131 REGEXP. MATCH and REGEXP are strings. (There original article is the
11132 one you are replying or following up to. If you are not composing a
11133 reply or a followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
11134 @code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with no
11135 arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
11136 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
11137 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
11140 Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
11141 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
11142 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
11143 @code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
11144 @code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
11145 @code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
11146 be a string or a symbol. In that case, this will be used as a header
11147 name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article; if
11148 the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed. If the
11149 attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the result
11152 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
11153 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
11154 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
11155 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
11156 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
11157 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
11158 is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
11159 references chars lines xref extra.
11161 @vindex message-reply-headers
11163 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
11164 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
11165 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
11167 @findex message-mail-p
11168 @findex message-news-p
11170 So here's a new example:
11173 (setq gnus-posting-styles
11175 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11177 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11178 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11180 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
11181 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
11182 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
11183 (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
11184 (signature my-news-signature))
11185 (window-system ;; A value symbol
11186 ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
11187 ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
11188 ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
11189 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
11190 ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
11191 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
11192 (address "user@@bar.foo")
11193 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
11194 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
11196 (From (save-excursion
11197 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
11198 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
11200 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
11203 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
11204 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
11205 if you fill many roles.
11207 Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
11208 posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
11209 arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
11210 summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
11211 the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
11212 import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
11213 is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
11214 @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
11219 (setq gnus-named-posting-styles
11221 (signature-file "~/.signature")
11223 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
11224 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
11227 (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
11230 The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
11231 "Default" except @code{organization}.
11238 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
11239 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
11240 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
11241 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
11242 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
11244 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
11245 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
11246 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
11247 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
11248 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
11252 @vindex nndraft-directory
11253 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
11254 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
11255 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
11256 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
11257 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
11258 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
11260 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
11261 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
11264 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
11265 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
11266 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
11267 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
11268 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
11269 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
11270 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
11271 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
11272 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
11273 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
11274 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
11275 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
11276 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
11277 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
11279 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
11280 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
11281 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
11283 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
11284 @kindex D e (Draft)
11285 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
11286 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
11287 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
11289 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
11292 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
11293 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
11294 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
11295 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
11296 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
11297 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
11298 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
11301 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
11302 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
11303 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
11306 @node Rejected Articles
11307 @section Rejected Articles
11308 @cindex rejected articles
11310 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
11311 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
11312 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
11313 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
11315 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
11316 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
11317 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
11318 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
11319 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
11321 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
11322 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
11323 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
11325 @node Signing and encrypting
11326 @section Signing and encrypting
11328 @cindex using s/mime
11329 @cindex using smime
11331 Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
11332 format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
11333 see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
11334 (@pxref{Security}).
11336 For PGP, Gnus supports two external libraries, @sc{gpg.el} and
11337 @sc{Mailcrypt}, you need to install at least one of them. The
11338 @sc{s/mime} support in Gnus requires the external program OpenSSL.
11340 Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
11341 messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
11342 are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
11343 @code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
11344 @code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
11345 @code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
11346 automatically encrypted messages.
11348 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
11349 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
11350 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
11355 @kindex C-c C-m s s
11356 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
11358 Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11361 @kindex C-c C-m s o
11362 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11364 Digitally sign current message using PGP.
11367 @kindex C-c C-m s p
11368 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
11370 Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11373 @kindex C-c C-m c s
11374 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
11376 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
11379 @kindex C-c C-m c o
11380 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
11382 Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
11385 @kindex C-c C-m c p
11386 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
11388 Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
11391 @kindex C-c C-m C-n
11392 @findex mml-unsecure-message
11393 Remove security related MML tags from message.
11397 Also @xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}.
11399 @node Select Methods
11400 @chapter Select Methods
11401 @cindex foreign groups
11402 @cindex select methods
11404 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
11405 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
11406 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
11407 personal mail group.
11409 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
11410 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
11411 list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
11412 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
11413 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
11414 value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
11416 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
11417 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
11419 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
11422 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
11423 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
11424 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
11425 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
11426 back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
11428 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
11431 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
11432 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
11433 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
11434 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
11435 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
11436 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
11437 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
11438 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
11442 @node Server Buffer
11443 @section Server Buffer
11445 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
11446 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
11447 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
11448 one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
11449 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
11450 back end represents a virtual server.
11452 For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
11453 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
11454 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
11455 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
11457 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
11458 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
11459 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
11460 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
11461 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
11462 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
11463 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
11465 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
11466 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
11469 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
11470 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
11471 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
11472 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
11473 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
11474 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
11475 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
11478 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
11479 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
11482 @node Server Buffer Format
11483 @subsection Server Buffer Format
11484 @cindex server buffer format
11486 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
11487 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
11488 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
11489 variable, with some simple extensions:
11494 How the news is fetched---the back end name.
11497 The name of this server.
11500 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
11503 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
11506 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
11507 The mode line can also be customized by using the
11508 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
11509 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
11519 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
11522 @node Server Commands
11523 @subsection Server Commands
11524 @cindex server commands
11530 @findex gnus-server-add-server
11531 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
11535 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
11536 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
11539 @kindex SPACE (Server)
11540 @findex gnus-server-read-server
11541 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
11545 @findex gnus-server-exit
11546 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
11550 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
11551 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
11555 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
11556 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
11560 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
11561 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
11565 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
11566 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
11570 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
11571 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
11572 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
11577 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
11578 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
11579 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
11580 a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
11585 @node Example Methods
11586 @subsection Example Methods
11588 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
11591 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
11594 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
11600 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
11601 back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
11604 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
11605 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
11607 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
11608 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
11612 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
11615 You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
11616 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
11618 @code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
11619 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
11620 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
11624 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
11627 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
11630 Here's the method for a public spool:
11634 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
11635 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
11641 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
11642 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
11643 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
11644 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
11645 should probably look something like this:
11649 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
11650 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
11651 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
11652 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11655 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
11656 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
11657 configuration to the example above:
11660 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
11663 See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
11665 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
11666 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
11667 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
11671 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
11672 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
11673 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
11674 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
11677 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
11678 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
11679 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
11680 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
11683 @node Creating a Virtual Server
11684 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
11686 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
11687 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
11689 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
11690 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
11691 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
11693 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
11695 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
11696 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
11697 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
11698 will contain the following:
11708 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
11709 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
11710 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
11713 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
11714 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
11715 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
11718 @node Server Variables
11719 @subsection Server Variables
11721 One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
11722 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
11723 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
11724 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
11725 won't change the "derived" variables.
11727 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
11728 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
11729 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
11730 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
11731 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
11732 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
11733 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
11734 variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
11735 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
11739 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
11740 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
11741 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
11745 @node Servers and Methods
11746 @subsection Servers and Methods
11748 Wherever you would normally use a select method
11749 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
11750 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
11751 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
11755 @node Unavailable Servers
11756 @subsection Unavailable Servers
11758 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
11759 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
11760 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
11761 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
11762 actually the case or not.
11764 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
11765 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
11766 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
11767 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
11768 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
11769 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
11770 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
11771 it will regard that server as ``down''.
11773 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
11774 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
11776 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
11777 with the following commands:
11783 @findex gnus-server-open-server
11784 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
11785 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
11789 @findex gnus-server-close-server
11790 Close the connection (if any) to the server
11791 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
11795 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
11796 Mark the current server as unreachable
11797 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
11800 @kindex M-o (Server)
11801 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
11802 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
11803 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
11806 @kindex M-c (Server)
11807 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
11808 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
11809 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
11813 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
11814 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
11815 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
11819 @findex gnus-server-offline-server
11820 Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
11826 @section Getting News
11827 @cindex reading news
11828 @cindex news back ends
11830 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
11831 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
11832 or it can read from a local spool.
11835 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
11836 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
11844 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
11845 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
11846 server as the, uhm, address.
11848 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
11849 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
11850 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
11851 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11853 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
11854 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
11855 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
11857 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
11862 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
11863 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
11864 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
11866 @cindex authentification
11867 @cindex nntp authentification
11868 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11869 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
11870 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
11871 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
11872 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
11873 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
11874 present in this hook.
11876 @item nntp-authinfo-function
11877 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
11878 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
11879 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
11880 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
11881 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
11882 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
11883 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
11884 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
11885 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
11886 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
11887 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
11891 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
11894 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
11896 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
11897 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
11898 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
11899 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
11900 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
11901 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
11902 @samp{force} is explained below.
11906 Here's an example file:
11909 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
11910 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
11913 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
11914 have to be first, for instance.
11916 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
11917 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
11918 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
11919 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
11920 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
11921 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
11922 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
11924 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
11925 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
11931 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
11932 previously mentioned.
11934 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
11936 @item nntp-server-action-alist
11937 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
11938 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
11939 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
11940 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
11943 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
11944 '(("innd" (ding))))
11947 You probably don't want to do that, though.
11949 The default value is
11952 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
11953 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
11954 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
11957 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
11958 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
11960 @item nntp-maximum-request
11961 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
11962 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
11963 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
11964 speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
11965 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
11966 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
11967 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
11969 @item nntp-connection-timeout
11970 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
11971 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
11972 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
11973 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
11974 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
11975 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
11976 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
11977 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
11978 no timeouts are done.
11980 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
11981 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
11982 @c @cindex PPP connections
11983 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
11984 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
11985 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
11986 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
11987 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
11988 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
11989 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
11990 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
11991 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
11992 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
11994 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
11995 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
11996 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
11997 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
11998 @c described above.
12000 @item nntp-server-hook
12001 @vindex nntp-server-hook
12002 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
12005 @item nntp-buggy-select
12006 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
12007 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
12009 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
12010 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
12011 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
12012 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
12015 @item nntp-xover-commands
12016 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
12019 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
12020 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
12024 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
12025 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
12026 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
12027 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
12028 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
12029 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
12030 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
12031 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
12032 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
12033 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
12034 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
12036 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
12037 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
12038 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
12040 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12041 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
12042 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
12043 server closes connection.
12045 @item nntp-record-commands
12046 @vindex nntp-record-commands
12047 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
12048 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
12049 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
12050 that doesn't seem to work.
12052 @item nntp-open-connection-function
12053 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
12054 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
12055 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
12056 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
12057 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
12058 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
12059 indirect ones (two pre-made).
12061 @item nntp-prepare-post-hook
12062 @vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
12063 A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
12064 @code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
12065 recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
12066 hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
12067 inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
12070 (add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
12073 Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
12074 INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
12076 @item nntp-list-options
12077 @vindex nntp-list-options
12078 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
12079 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
12080 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
12081 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
12082 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
12086 (setq gnus-select-method
12087 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12088 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
12091 @item nntp-options-subscribe
12092 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
12093 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
12094 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12095 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12096 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12097 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12100 (setq gnus-select-method
12101 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12102 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
12105 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
12106 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
12107 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
12108 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
12109 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
12110 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
12111 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
12114 (setq gnus-select-method
12115 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
12116 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
12121 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
12122 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
12123 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
12127 @node Direct Functions
12128 @subsubsection Direct Functions
12129 @cindex direct connection functions
12131 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
12132 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
12133 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
12134 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12137 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
12138 @item nntp-open-network-stream
12139 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
12142 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
12143 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
12144 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
12145 this you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
12146 installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also
12147 need @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
12148 define a server as follows:
12151 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
12153 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
12154 ;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports
12156 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
12157 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
12158 (nntp-port-number 563)
12159 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
12162 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
12163 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
12164 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
12165 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
12166 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
12167 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
12168 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
12169 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
12173 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
12174 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
12175 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
12178 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
12179 session, which is not a good idea.
12183 @node Indirect Functions
12184 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
12185 @cindex indirect connection functions
12187 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
12188 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
12189 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
12190 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
12191 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
12192 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
12195 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12196 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
12197 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
12198 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
12199 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
12201 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12204 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
12205 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
12206 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
12207 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
12209 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12210 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
12211 List of strings to be used as the switches to
12212 @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
12213 @samp{ssh} for `nntp-via-rlogin-command', you may set this to
12214 @samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
12215 this to @samp{("-t")} or @samp{("-C" "-t")} if the telnet command
12216 requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate host.
12219 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12220 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
12221 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
12222 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
12224 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
12227 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
12228 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
12229 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
12232 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
12233 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
12234 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
12235 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
12237 @item nntp-via-user-password
12238 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
12239 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
12241 @item nntp-via-envuser
12242 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
12243 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
12244 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
12245 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
12247 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
12248 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
12249 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
12250 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
12257 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
12262 @item nntp-via-user-name
12263 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
12264 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
12266 @item nntp-via-address
12267 @vindex nntp-via-address
12268 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
12273 @node Common Variables
12274 @subsubsection Common Variables
12276 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
12277 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
12282 @item nntp-pre-command
12283 @vindex nntp-pre-command
12284 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
12285 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
12286 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
12287 wrapper for instance.
12290 @vindex nntp-address
12291 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
12293 @item nntp-port-number
12294 @vindex nntp-port-number
12295 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
12296 If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{ssl}, you may want to use integer ports rather
12297 than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews}), because
12298 external SSL tools may not work with named ports.
12300 @item nntp-end-of-line
12301 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
12302 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
12303 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
12304 using a non native connection function.
12306 @item nntp-telnet-command
12307 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
12308 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
12309 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
12310 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
12312 @item nntp-telnet-switches
12313 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
12314 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
12321 @subsection News Spool
12325 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
12326 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
12327 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
12330 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
12331 anything else) as the address.
12333 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
12334 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
12335 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
12336 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
12340 @item nnspool-inews-program
12341 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
12342 Program used to post an article.
12344 @item nnspool-inews-switches
12345 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
12346 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
12348 @item nnspool-spool-directory
12349 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
12350 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
12351 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
12353 @item nnspool-nov-directory
12354 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
12355 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
12356 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
12358 @item nnspool-lib-dir
12359 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
12360 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
12362 @item nnspool-active-file
12363 @vindex nnspool-active-file
12364 The path to the active file.
12366 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
12367 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
12368 The path to the group descriptions file.
12370 @item nnspool-history-file
12371 @vindex nnspool-history-file
12372 The path to the news history file.
12374 @item nnspool-active-times-file
12375 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
12376 The path to the active date file.
12378 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
12379 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
12380 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
12383 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12384 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
12386 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
12387 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
12388 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
12394 @section Getting Mail
12395 @cindex reading mail
12398 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
12402 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
12403 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
12404 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
12405 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
12406 * Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
12407 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
12408 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
12409 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
12410 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
12411 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
12412 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
12413 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
12414 * Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
12418 @node Mail in a Newsreader
12419 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
12421 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
12422 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
12423 of a culture shock.
12425 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
12426 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
12428 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
12429 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
12430 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
12431 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
12433 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
12435 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
12436 deleted? How awful!
12438 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
12439 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
12440 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
12441 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
12444 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
12445 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
12446 they want to treat a message.
12448 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
12449 via @sc{smtp}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
12450 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
12451 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
12452 archived somewhere else.
12454 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
12455 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
12456 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
12457 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
12458 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
12460 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
12461 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
12462 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
12464 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
12465 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
12468 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
12469 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
12470 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
12471 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
12472 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
12474 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
12475 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
12476 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
12477 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
12478 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
12479 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
12483 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
12484 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
12486 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
12487 mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
12488 and things will happen automatically.
12490 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
12491 mail" back end), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
12494 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
12497 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
12498 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
12499 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
12500 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
12501 like any other group.
12503 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
12506 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12507 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12508 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12512 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
12513 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
12514 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
12517 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
12518 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
12519 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
12522 @node Splitting Mail
12523 @subsection Splitting Mail
12524 @cindex splitting mail
12525 @cindex mail splitting
12527 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
12528 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
12529 to be split into groups.
12532 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12533 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
12534 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
12535 ("mail.other" "")))
12538 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
12539 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
12540 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
12541 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
12542 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
12543 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
12544 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
12547 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
12550 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12551 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
12552 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
12553 mail belongs in that group.
12555 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
12556 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
12557 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
12558 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
12559 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
12560 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
12562 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
12563 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
12564 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
12565 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
12566 thinks should carry this mail message.
12568 Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
12569 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
12570 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
12571 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
12573 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
12574 The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
12575 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
12576 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
12577 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
12579 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
12582 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
12583 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
12584 links. If that's the case for you, set
12585 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
12586 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
12588 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
12589 @kindex nnmail-split-history
12590 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
12591 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
12592 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
12593 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
12596 @vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
12597 Header lines longer than the value of
12598 @code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
12601 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
12602 @vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
12603 By default the splitting codes MIME decodes headers so you can match
12604 on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
12605 variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
12606 can be turned off completely by binding
12607 @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
12608 want to match articles based on the raw header data.
12610 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12611 By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
12612 you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
12613 @code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
12614 splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
12615 @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
12616 happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
12619 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
12620 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
12621 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
12622 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
12623 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
12624 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
12625 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
12626 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
12627 month's rent money.
12631 @subsection Mail Sources
12633 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
12634 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
12638 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
12639 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
12640 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
12644 @node Mail Source Specifiers
12645 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
12647 @cindex mail server
12650 @cindex mail source
12652 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
12653 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
12658 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
12661 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
12662 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
12663 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
12666 The following mail source types are available:
12670 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
12676 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
12677 environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
12678 (usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
12681 An example file mail source:
12684 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
12687 Or using the default path:
12693 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
12694 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
12695 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
12698 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
12702 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
12705 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
12709 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
12712 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
12714 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
12717 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
12721 @vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
12722 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
12723 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
12724 there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
12725 groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
12726 the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
12727 of @code{.spool}.) Setting
12728 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
12729 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
12730 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
12732 @vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
12733 There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
12734 that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
12735 to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
12741 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
12745 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
12749 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
12750 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
12751 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
12752 predicate are considered.
12756 Script run before/after fetching mail.
12760 An example directory mail source:
12763 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
12768 Get mail from a POP server.
12774 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
12775 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12778 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
12779 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
12780 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
12781 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
12782 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
12785 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
12789 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
12793 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
12794 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
12797 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
12800 The valid format specifier characters are:
12804 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
12805 included in this string.
12808 The name of the server.
12811 The port number of the server.
12814 The user name to use.
12817 The password to use.
12820 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12821 corresponding keywords.
12824 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12825 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12828 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
12829 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
12832 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
12833 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
12836 @item :authentication
12837 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
12838 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
12842 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
12843 @code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
12844 and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
12845 programs and libraries:
12849 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
12850 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
12851 library @samp{ssl.el}.
12853 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
12854 Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
12859 Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
12860 message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
12864 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
12865 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
12867 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
12868 default user name, and default fetcher:
12874 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
12877 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
12878 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
12881 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
12884 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
12888 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
12889 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
12890 contains exactly one mail.
12896 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
12897 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
12900 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
12901 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
12903 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
12904 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
12905 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
12908 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
12909 from locking problems).
12913 Two example maildir mail sources:
12916 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
12917 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
12921 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
12926 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
12927 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
12928 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
12929 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
12932 Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, SSL/TLS and STARTTLS support you
12933 may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
12939 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
12940 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
12943 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
12944 @samp{993} for SSL/TLS connections.
12947 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
12951 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
12955 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
12956 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
12957 @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{ssl},
12958 @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
12960 @item :authentication
12961 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
12962 one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
12963 this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
12964 @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
12967 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
12968 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
12969 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
12975 The valid format specifier characters are:
12979 The name of the server.
12982 User name from `imap-default-user'.
12985 The port number of the server.
12988 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
12989 corresponding keywords.
12992 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
12993 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
12996 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
12997 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
12998 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
12999 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
13000 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
13001 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
13004 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
13005 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
13006 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
13007 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
13010 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
13011 after finishing the fetch.
13015 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
13018 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
13020 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
13024 Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
13025 @uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
13026 @uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
13028 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
13029 required for url "4.0pre.46".
13031 WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
13037 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
13038 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
13041 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
13045 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
13049 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
13050 folder after finishing the fetch.
13054 An example webmail source:
13057 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
13059 :password "secret")
13064 @item Common Keywords
13065 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
13071 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
13072 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
13076 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
13081 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
13082 useful when you use local mail and news.
13087 @subsubsection Function Interface
13089 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
13090 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
13091 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
13092 consider the following mail-source setting:
13095 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
13096 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
13099 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
13100 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
13101 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
13102 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
13103 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
13105 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
13108 @node Mail Source Customization
13109 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
13111 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
13112 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
13116 @item mail-source-crash-box
13117 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
13118 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
13119 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
13121 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
13122 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
13123 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
13125 @item mail-source-directory
13126 @vindex mail-source-directory
13127 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
13128 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
13129 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
13132 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13133 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
13134 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
13135 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
13136 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
13137 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
13139 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
13140 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
13141 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
13143 @item mail-source-movemail-program
13144 @vindex mail-source-movemail-program
13145 If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
13146 @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
13151 @node Fetching Mail
13152 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
13154 @vindex mail-sources
13155 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
13156 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
13157 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
13158 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
13160 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
13161 @code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
13164 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
13165 mail server, you'd say something like:
13170 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13171 :password "secret")))
13174 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
13178 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
13179 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
13182 :password "secret")))
13186 When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
13187 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
13188 mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
13189 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
13190 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
13191 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
13195 @node Mail Back End Variables
13196 @subsection Mail Back End Variables
13198 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
13202 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13203 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
13204 The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
13205 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
13207 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
13208 @item nnmail-split-hook
13209 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
13210 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
13211 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
13212 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
13213 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
13214 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
13215 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
13216 in the buffer will show up in any files.
13217 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
13220 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13221 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13222 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13223 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13224 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
13225 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
13226 starting to handle the new mail) and
13227 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
13228 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
13229 default file modes the new mail files get:
13232 (add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
13233 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
13235 (add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
13236 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
13239 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
13240 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
13241 If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
13242 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
13243 (assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
13244 @code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
13245 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
13247 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
13248 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
13249 @findex delete-file
13250 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
13252 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13253 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13254 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
13255 the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
13256 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
13258 @item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13259 @vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
13260 This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
13261 Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
13262 recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
13264 This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
13265 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
13266 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
13271 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
13272 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
13273 @cindex mail splitting
13274 @cindex fancy mail splitting
13276 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
13277 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
13278 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
13279 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
13280 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
13281 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
13283 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
13286 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
13287 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
13288 ;; from real errors.
13289 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
13291 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
13292 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
13293 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
13294 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
13295 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
13296 ;; Other mailing lists...
13297 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
13298 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
13299 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
13300 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
13301 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
13302 ;; message was really cross-posted.
13303 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
13304 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
13306 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
13307 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
13311 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
13312 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
13313 the five possible split syntaxes:
13318 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
13319 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
13323 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
13324 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
13325 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
13326 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
13327 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
13328 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
13329 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
13330 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
13333 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13334 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
13335 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
13336 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
13339 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13340 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
13343 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
13344 (i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
13347 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
13348 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
13349 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
13350 function should return a @var{split}.
13353 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
13354 body of the messages:
13357 (defun split-on-body ()
13359 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
13360 (goto-char (point-min))
13361 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
13365 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
13366 when the @code{:} function is run.
13369 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
13370 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
13371 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
13375 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
13379 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
13380 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
13381 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
13382 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
13383 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
13385 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
13386 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
13387 are expanded as specified by the variable
13388 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
13389 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
13392 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
13393 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
13394 when all this splitting is performed.
13396 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
13397 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
13398 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
13401 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
13404 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
13405 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
13407 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
13408 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
13409 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
13410 groupings 1 through 9.
13412 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
13413 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
13414 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
13415 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
13416 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
13417 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
13418 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
13419 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
13420 it once per thread.
13422 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} and
13423 @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-nil value. And then
13424 you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
13427 (setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
13428 nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
13430 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
13431 ;; other splits go here
13435 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
13436 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
13437 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
13438 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
13439 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
13440 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
13441 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
13442 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
13443 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
13444 unless the group name matches the regexp
13445 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
13446 that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
13447 number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
13448 (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
13449 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
13450 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
13451 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
13452 messages goes into the new group.
13454 Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
13455 want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
13456 outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
13457 @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
13458 Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
13462 @node Group Mail Splitting
13463 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
13464 @cindex mail splitting
13465 @cindex group mail splitting
13467 @findex gnus-group-split
13468 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
13469 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
13470 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
13471 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
13472 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
13473 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
13474 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
13475 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
13477 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
13478 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
13479 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
13480 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
13482 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
13483 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
13484 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
13485 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
13486 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
13487 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
13488 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
13490 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
13491 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
13492 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
13493 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
13494 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
13495 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
13496 @code{gnus-group-split}.
13498 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
13499 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
13500 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
13501 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
13502 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
13503 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
13504 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
13505 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
13506 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
13507 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
13508 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
13509 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
13510 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
13512 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
13517 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
13518 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
13520 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
13521 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
13522 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
13523 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
13525 ((split-spec . catch-all))
13528 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
13529 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
13530 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
13533 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
13534 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
13535 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
13539 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
13540 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
13541 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
13545 (: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
13548 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
13549 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
13550 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
13551 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
13552 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
13553 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
13554 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
13555 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
13556 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
13558 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
13559 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
13560 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
13561 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
13562 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
13563 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
13564 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
13565 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
13566 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
13568 @findex gnus-group-split-update
13569 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
13570 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
13571 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
13572 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
13573 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
13576 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
13579 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
13580 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
13581 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
13582 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
13583 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
13586 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
13587 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
13588 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
13589 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
13591 @node Incorporating Old Mail
13592 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
13593 @cindex incorporating old mail
13594 @cindex import old mail
13596 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
13597 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
13598 back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
13601 Doing so can be quite easy.
13603 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
13604 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
13605 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
13606 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
13607 your @code{nnml} groups.
13613 Go to the group buffer.
13616 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
13617 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13620 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
13623 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
13624 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
13627 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
13628 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
13631 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
13632 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
13633 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
13634 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
13635 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
13637 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
13638 back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
13639 using the new mail back end.
13642 @node Expiring Mail
13643 @subsection Expiring Mail
13644 @cindex article expiry
13646 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
13647 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
13648 different approach to mail reading.
13650 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
13651 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
13652 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
13653 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
13654 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
13655 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
13658 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
13659 articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
13660 that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
13661 will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
13662 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
13663 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
13664 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
13665 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
13666 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
13668 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
13669 two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
13670 with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
13671 for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
13672 considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
13673 the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
13674 @samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
13677 When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
13678 who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
13679 and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
13680 (@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
13681 into its own group.)
13683 Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
13684 answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
13685 advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
13686 the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
13687 between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
13688 only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
13689 total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
13690 Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
13693 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13694 Groups that match the regular expression
13695 @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
13696 read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
13697 expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
13699 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
13700 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
13701 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
13702 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
13705 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
13707 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
13708 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
13709 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
13712 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
13713 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
13714 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
13715 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
13716 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
13718 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
13719 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
13722 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
13723 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
13726 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
13727 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
13729 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
13730 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
13731 don't really mix very well.
13733 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
13734 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
13735 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
13736 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
13739 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
13740 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
13741 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
13742 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
13745 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13747 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
13749 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
13751 ((string= group "mail.junk")
13753 ((string= group "important")
13759 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
13760 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
13762 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
13763 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
13764 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
13767 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
13768 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
13770 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
13771 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
13772 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
13773 to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
13774 @code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
13775 parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
13776 all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
13777 parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
13778 string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
13779 moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
13780 the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
13781 from as its parameter) which should return a target -- either a group
13782 name or @code{delete}.
13784 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
13786 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
13789 @findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13790 @vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13791 Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
13792 expire mail to groups according to the variable
13793 @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
13796 (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
13797 nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
13798 '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
13799 ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
13800 ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
13803 With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
13804 header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
13805 get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
13806 From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
13807 to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
13808 @code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
13810 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
13811 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
13812 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
13813 easier for procmail users.
13815 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
13816 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
13817 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
13818 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
13819 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
13820 caution. Even more dangerous is the
13821 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
13822 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
13823 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
13824 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
13825 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
13826 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
13827 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
13830 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
13832 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
13833 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
13834 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
13835 auto-expire turned on.
13839 @subsection Washing Mail
13840 @cindex mail washing
13841 @cindex list server brain damage
13842 @cindex incoming mail treatment
13844 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
13845 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
13846 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
13847 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
13848 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
13849 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
13851 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
13852 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
13853 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
13856 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
13857 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
13858 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
13859 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
13862 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13863 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
13864 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
13865 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
13866 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
13869 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13870 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
13871 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
13872 Emacs running on MS machines.
13876 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13877 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
13878 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
13879 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
13882 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13883 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
13884 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
13885 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
13887 (Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
13888 messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
13889 of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
13890 rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
13891 into a feature by documenting it.)
13893 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13894 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
13895 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
13896 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
13897 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
13898 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
13899 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
13902 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
13903 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
13906 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
13907 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
13910 This can also be done non-destructively with
13911 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
13913 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
13914 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
13915 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
13917 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13918 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
13920 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
13921 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
13922 @code{References} headers.
13926 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13927 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
13928 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
13932 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
13933 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
13934 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
13941 @subsection Duplicates
13943 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
13944 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
13945 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
13946 @cindex duplicate mails
13947 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
13948 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
13949 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
13950 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
13951 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
13952 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
13953 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
13954 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
13955 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
13956 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
13957 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
13958 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
13959 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
13961 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
13962 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
13963 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
13964 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
13966 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
13969 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
13970 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
13974 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
13975 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
13976 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
13977 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
13978 (any mail "mail.misc")
13985 (setq nnmail-split-methods
13986 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
13991 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
13992 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
13993 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
13994 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
13995 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
13998 @node Not Reading Mail
13999 @subsection Not Reading Mail
14001 If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
14002 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
14003 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
14005 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
14006 @code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
14007 mail, which should help.
14009 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14010 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14011 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14012 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14013 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14014 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
14015 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
14016 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
14017 variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
14018 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
14019 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
14021 All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
14022 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
14026 @node Choosing a Mail Back End
14027 @subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
14029 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
14030 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
14031 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
14033 There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
14034 back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
14035 (because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
14036 Spool}). You might notice that only five back ends are listed below;
14037 @code{nnmaildir}'s documentation has not yet been completely
14038 incorporated into this manual. Until it is, you can find it at
14039 @uref{http://multivac.cwru.edu./nnmaildir/}.
14042 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
14043 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
14044 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
14045 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
14046 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
14047 * Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
14051 @node Unix Mail Box
14052 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
14054 @cindex unix mail box
14056 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14057 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14058 The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
14059 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
14060 which group it belongs in.
14062 Virtual server settings:
14065 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
14066 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
14067 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
14070 @item nnmbox-active-file
14071 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
14072 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
14073 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
14075 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
14076 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
14077 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
14078 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
14083 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
14087 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14088 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14089 The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
14090 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
14091 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
14093 Virtual server settings:
14096 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
14097 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
14098 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
14100 @item nnbabyl-active-file
14101 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
14102 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
14103 @file{~/.rmail-active}
14105 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14106 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
14107 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
14113 @subsubsection Mail Spool
14115 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
14117 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
14118 format. It should be used with some caution.
14120 @vindex nnml-directory
14121 If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
14122 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
14123 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
14124 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
14126 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
14129 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
14130 in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
14131 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
14132 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
14133 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
14134 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
14135 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
14136 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
14138 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
14139 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
14140 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
14141 fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
14143 @cindex self contained nnml servers
14145 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
14146 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14147 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14148 proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
14149 for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
14150 @code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
14151 Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
14152 to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
14155 If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
14156 up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
14157 them next time it starts.
14159 Virtual server settings:
14162 @item nnml-directory
14163 @vindex nnml-directory
14164 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
14165 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
14168 @item nnml-active-file
14169 @vindex nnml-active-file
14170 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
14171 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
14173 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
14174 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
14175 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14176 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
14178 @item nnml-get-new-mail
14179 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
14180 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
14183 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
14184 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
14185 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14186 default is @code{nil}.
14188 @item nnml-nov-file-name
14189 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
14190 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
14192 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14193 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
14194 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
14196 @item nnml-marks-is-evil
14197 @vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
14198 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14199 default is @code{nil}.
14201 @item nnml-marks-file-name
14202 @vindex nnml-marks-file-name
14203 The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
14205 @item nnml-use-compressed-files
14206 @vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
14207 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
14212 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
14213 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
14214 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
14215 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
14216 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
14217 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
14218 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
14223 @subsubsection MH Spool
14225 @cindex mh-e mail spool
14227 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
14228 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
14229 This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
14230 but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
14232 Virtual server settings:
14235 @item nnmh-directory
14236 @vindex nnmh-directory
14237 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
14238 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14241 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
14242 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
14243 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
14247 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
14248 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
14249 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
14250 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
14251 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
14252 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
14253 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
14258 @subsubsection Mail Folders
14260 @cindex mbox folders
14261 @cindex mail folders
14263 @code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a separate
14264 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
14265 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
14268 @cindex self contained nnfolder servers
14270 When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
14271 servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
14272 similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
14273 proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
14274 Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
14275 with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
14276 @code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
14277 Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
14278 @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
14279 @code{nnfolder} directory).
14281 Virtual server settings:
14284 @item nnfolder-directory
14285 @vindex nnfolder-directory
14286 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
14287 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
14290 @item nnfolder-active-file
14291 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
14292 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
14294 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14295 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
14296 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
14297 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
14299 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
14300 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
14301 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
14304 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14305 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
14306 @cindex backup files
14307 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
14308 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
14309 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
14310 your @file{.emacs} file:
14313 (defun turn-off-backup ()
14314 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
14316 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
14319 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14320 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
14321 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
14322 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
14323 extract some information from it before removing it.
14325 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14326 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
14327 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
14328 default is @code{nil}.
14330 @item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14331 @vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
14332 The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
14334 @item nnfolder-nov-directory
14335 @vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
14336 The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
14337 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14339 @item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14340 @vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
14341 If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
14342 default is @code{nil}.
14344 @item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14345 @vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
14346 The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
14348 @item nnfolder-marks-directory
14349 @vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
14350 The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
14351 @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
14356 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
14357 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
14358 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
14359 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
14360 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
14361 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
14364 @node Comparing Mail Back Ends
14365 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
14367 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
14368 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
14369 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
14370 and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
14371 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
14373 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
14374 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
14375 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
14376 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
14377 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
14378 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
14379 @code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
14380 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
14383 The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
14384 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
14385 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
14386 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
14391 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
14392 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
14393 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
14394 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
14395 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
14396 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
14397 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
14398 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
14399 this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
14400 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
14401 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
14402 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
14403 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
14408 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
14409 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
14410 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
14411 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
14412 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
14413 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
14414 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
14415 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
14416 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
14417 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
14418 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
14419 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
14420 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
14421 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
14423 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
14424 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
14429 @code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
14430 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
14431 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
14432 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
14433 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
14434 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
14435 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
14436 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
14437 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
14438 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
14439 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
14440 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
14441 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
14442 provided by the active file and overviews.
14444 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
14445 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
14446 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
14447 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
14448 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
14451 It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
14452 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
14457 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
14458 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
14459 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
14460 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
14461 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
14462 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
14463 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
14467 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
14468 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
14469 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
14470 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
14471 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
14472 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
14473 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
14474 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
14475 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
14477 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
14478 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
14479 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
14480 friendly mail back end all over.
14484 @code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
14485 differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
14486 filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
14487 also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
14488 per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
14489 @code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
14490 you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
14491 (@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
14494 Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
14495 as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
14496 This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
14497 organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
14498 entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
14499 require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
14500 thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
14501 whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
14502 @code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
14503 @code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will undergo
14504 treatment such as duplicate checking.
14506 An article will not necessarily keep the same number across Gnus
14507 sessions; articles are renumbered starting from 1 for each Gnus session
14508 (more precisely, each time you open the @code{nnmaildir} server). This
14509 way, you don't get gaps in your article number ranges, and when entering
14510 large groups, Gnus is likely to give a more accurate article count. The
14511 price is that @code{nnmaildir} doesn't work with the cache or agent.
14512 This will probably be changed in the future.
14514 @code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
14515 corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
14516 them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
14517 else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
14518 it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
14521 For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses group
14522 parameters slightly different from those of other mail back ends.
14524 @code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
14525 (It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
14526 and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
14527 is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
14528 parameter to somthing small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
14529 would) to make it use less memory.
14531 Startup and shutdown are likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than
14532 with other back ends. Everything in between is likely to be faster,
14533 depending in part on your filesystem.
14535 @code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
14536 to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
14541 @node Browsing the Web
14542 @section Browsing the Web
14544 @cindex browsing the web
14548 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
14549 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
14550 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
14551 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
14552 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
14553 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
14554 even know what a news group is.
14556 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
14557 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
14558 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
14559 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
14560 you mad in the end.
14562 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
14565 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
14566 interfaces to these sources.
14570 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
14571 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
14572 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
14573 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
14574 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
14575 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
14578 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
14580 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
14581 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
14582 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
14583 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
14584 though, you should be ok.
14586 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
14587 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
14588 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
14589 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
14590 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
14592 @node Archiving Mail
14593 @subsection Archiving Mail
14594 @cindex archiving mail
14595 @cindex backup of mail
14597 Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
14598 @code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
14599 For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
14600 marks is fairly simple.
14602 (Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
14603 requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
14606 To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
14607 server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
14608 to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
14609 similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
14610 adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
14611 @ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
14612 might interfer with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
14613 before you restore the data.
14615 It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
14616 @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
14617 For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
14618 directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
14619 file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
14620 this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
14621 buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
14622 @code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
14623 is unnecessary in that case.
14626 @subsection Web Searches
14631 @cindex Usenet searches
14632 @cindex searching the Usenet
14634 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
14635 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
14636 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
14637 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
14638 searches without having to use a browser.
14640 The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
14641 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
14642 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
14643 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
14644 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
14646 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
14647 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
14648 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
14649 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
14650 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
14651 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
14652 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
14653 engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
14654 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
14655 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
14658 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
14659 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
14660 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
14661 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
14662 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
14663 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
14665 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
14666 to use @code{nnweb}.
14668 Virtual server variables:
14673 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
14674 are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
14675 @code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
14678 @vindex nnweb-search
14679 The search string to feed to the search engine.
14681 @item nnweb-max-hits
14682 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
14683 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
14686 @item nnweb-type-definition
14687 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
14688 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
14689 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
14694 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
14698 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
14701 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
14704 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
14708 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
14715 @subsection Slashdot
14719 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
14720 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
14721 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
14723 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
14724 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
14727 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14728 '((nnslashdot "")))
14731 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
14732 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
14733 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
14734 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
14735 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
14738 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
14739 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
14741 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
14742 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
14743 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
14744 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
14745 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
14746 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
14749 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
14752 @item nnslashdot-threaded
14753 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
14754 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
14755 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
14756 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
14757 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
14758 but much, much slower than untreaded.
14760 @item nnslashdot-login-name
14761 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
14762 The login name to use when posting.
14764 @item nnslashdot-password
14765 @vindex nnslashdot-password
14766 The password to use when posting.
14768 @item nnslashdot-directory
14769 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
14770 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
14771 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
14773 @item nnslashdot-active-url
14774 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
14775 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
14776 news articles and comments. The default is
14777 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
14779 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
14780 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
14781 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
14783 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
14785 @item nnslashdot-article-url
14786 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
14787 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
14789 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
14791 @item nnslashdot-threshold
14792 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
14793 The score threshold. The default is -1.
14795 @item nnslashdot-group-number
14796 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
14797 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
14798 updated. The default is 0.
14805 @subsection Ultimate
14807 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
14809 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
14810 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
14811 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
14812 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
14814 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
14815 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
14816 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
14817 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
14818 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
14819 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
14820 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
14822 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
14825 @item nnultimate-directory
14826 @vindex nnultimate-directory
14827 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
14828 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
14833 @subsection Web Archive
14835 @cindex Web Archive
14837 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
14838 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
14839 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
14840 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14843 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
14844 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
14845 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
14846 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
14847 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
14848 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
14849 back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
14851 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
14854 @item nnwarchive-directory
14855 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
14856 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
14857 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
14859 @item nnwarchive-login
14860 @vindex nnwarchive-login
14861 The account name on the web server.
14863 @item nnwarchive-passwd
14864 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
14865 The password for your account on the web server.
14873 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
14874 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
14875 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
14878 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
14879 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
14882 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
14885 @item nnrss-directory
14886 @vindex nnrss-directory
14887 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
14888 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
14892 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
14893 the summary buffer.
14896 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
14897 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
14899 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
14901 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
14902 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
14905 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
14908 (require 'browse-url)
14910 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
14912 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
14915 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
14916 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
14919 (browse-url (cdr url))
14920 (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
14921 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
14923 (eval-after-load "gnus"
14924 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
14925 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
14926 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
14929 @node Customizing w3
14930 @subsection Customizing w3
14936 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
14937 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
14938 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
14940 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
14941 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
14942 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
14945 (eval-after-load "w3"
14947 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
14948 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
14949 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
14950 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
14952 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
14955 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
14956 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
14965 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14966 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14967 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14968 specify the network address of the server.
14970 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14971 POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14972 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14973 protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
14974 because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
14976 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
14977 @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
14978 @sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
14979 usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
14981 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14982 entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
14983 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14984 usage explained in this section.
14986 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14987 might look something like the following. (Note that for SSL/TLS, you
14988 need external programs and libraries, see below.)
14991 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14992 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14993 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14995 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14996 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14997 ; a UW server running on localhost
14999 (nnimap-server-port 143)
15000 (nnimap-address "localhost")
15001 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
15002 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
15003 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
15004 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
15005 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
15006 (nnimap-stream network))
15007 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
15009 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
15010 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
15011 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
15014 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
15019 @item nnimap-address
15020 @vindex nnimap-address
15022 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
15023 server name if not specified.
15025 @item nnimap-server-port
15026 @vindex nnimap-server-port
15027 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
15029 Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
15032 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15033 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
15036 @item nnimap-list-pattern
15037 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
15038 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
15039 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
15040 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
15041 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
15042 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
15044 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
15045 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
15046 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
15049 Example server specification:
15052 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15053 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
15054 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
15057 @item nnimap-stream
15058 @vindex nnimap-stream
15059 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
15060 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
15061 of SSL/TLS. (@sc{imap} over SSL/TLS is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
15062 can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
15064 Example server specification:
15067 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15068 (nnimap-stream ssl))
15071 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
15075 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
15076 @samp{imtest} program.
15078 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
15080 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
15081 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
15084 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
15085 @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
15086 library @samp{ssl.el}.
15088 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
15090 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
15093 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
15094 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
15095 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
15096 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
15097 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
15098 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
15099 restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
15100 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
15101 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
15104 @vindex imap-ssl-program
15105 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
15106 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
15107 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
15108 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
15109 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
15110 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
15111 to OpenSSL/SSLeay. You also need @samp{ssl.el} (from the W3
15112 distribution, for instance).
15114 @vindex imap-shell-program
15115 @vindex imap-shell-host
15116 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
15117 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
15119 @item nnimap-authenticator
15120 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
15122 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
15123 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
15125 Example server specification:
15128 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
15129 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
15132 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
15136 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
15137 external program @code{imtest}.
15139 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
15142 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
15143 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
15145 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
15147 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
15149 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
15152 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
15154 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
15155 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
15156 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
15157 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
15158 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
15159 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
15162 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
15163 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
15164 running in circles yet?
15166 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
15167 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
15170 The possible options are:
15175 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
15178 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
15179 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
15180 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
15181 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
15183 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
15188 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
15189 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
15191 If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
15192 for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
15193 naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
15194 articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
15195 clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
15198 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
15199 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
15202 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
15203 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15204 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
15205 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
15208 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
15209 as ticked for other users.
15211 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
15213 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
15215 This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
15216 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
15217 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
15218 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
15220 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
15221 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
15222 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
15223 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
15225 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
15226 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
15228 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
15229 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
15230 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
15236 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
15237 * Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
15238 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
15239 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
15240 * A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
15245 @node Splitting in IMAP
15246 @subsection Splitting in IMAP
15247 @cindex splitting imap mail
15249 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
15250 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
15251 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
15252 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
15253 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
15257 Here are the variables of interest:
15261 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
15262 @cindex splitting, crosspost
15264 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
15266 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
15267 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
15269 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
15271 @item nnimap-split-inbox
15272 @cindex splitting, inbox
15274 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
15276 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
15277 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
15281 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
15282 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
15285 No nnmail equivalent.
15287 @item nnimap-split-rule
15288 @cindex Splitting, rules
15289 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
15291 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
15294 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
15295 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
15296 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
15297 Neither did I, we need examples.
15300 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15302 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
15303 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
15304 ("INBOX.private" "")))
15307 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
15308 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
15309 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
15311 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
15312 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
15316 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
15319 The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
15320 matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
15322 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
15323 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
15324 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
15325 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
15327 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
15328 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
15329 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
15330 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
15331 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
15332 them every time you fetch new mail.)
15334 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
15335 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
15336 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
15338 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
15339 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
15340 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15342 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
15344 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
15345 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
15346 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
15349 (setq nnimap-split-rule
15350 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
15351 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
15352 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
15353 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
15354 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
15357 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
15358 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
15359 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
15360 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
15361 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
15362 group/function elements.
15364 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
15366 @item nnimap-split-predicate
15368 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
15370 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
15371 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
15373 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
15374 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
15375 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
15378 @item nnimap-split-fancy
15379 @cindex splitting, fancy
15380 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
15381 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
15383 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15384 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
15385 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
15387 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
15388 nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
15389 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
15390 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
15395 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
15396 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
15399 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
15403 @node Expiring in IMAP
15404 @subsection Expiring in IMAP
15405 @cindex expiring imap mail
15407 Even though @sc{nnimap} is not a proper @sc{nnmail} derived back end,
15408 it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
15409 Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do not clone
15410 the @sc{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating @var{nnimap-expiry-wait})
15411 but reuse the @sc{nnmail} variables. What follows below are the
15412 variables used by the @sc{nnimap} expiry process.
15414 A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
15415 appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
15416 @sc{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
15417 message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
15418 the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
15419 you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
15420 your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
15421 messages. Most do, fortunately.
15425 @item nnmail-expiry-wait
15426 @item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
15428 These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
15429 number, the symbol @var{immediate} or @var{never}.
15431 @item nnmail-expiry-target
15433 This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
15434 @sc{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
15435 that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
15436 article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
15440 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
15441 @subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
15442 @cindex editing imap acls
15443 @cindex Access Control Lists
15444 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
15446 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
15448 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
15449 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
15450 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
15453 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
15454 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
15455 editing window with detailed instructions.
15457 Some possible uses:
15461 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
15462 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
15463 follow the list without subscribing to it.
15465 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
15466 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
15467 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
15471 @node Expunging mailboxes
15472 @subsection Expunging mailboxes
15476 @cindex Manual expunging
15478 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
15480 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
15481 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
15482 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
15484 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
15487 @node A note on namespaces
15488 @subsection A note on namespaces
15489 @cindex IMAP namespace
15492 The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
15493 following text in the RFC:
15496 5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
15498 By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
15499 which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
15500 the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
15501 types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
15503 For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
15504 newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
15505 newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
15506 comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
15507 "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
15508 to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
15511 While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
15512 implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
15513 that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
15515 Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
15516 names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
15517 @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
15518 (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
15519 the namespace prefix, i.e @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
15520 possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
15521 will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
15522 simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
15524 See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
15525 for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
15526 tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
15528 @node Other Sources
15529 @section Other Sources
15531 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
15532 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
15536 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
15537 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
15538 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
15539 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
15540 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
15544 @node Directory Groups
15545 @subsection Directory Groups
15547 @cindex directory groups
15549 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
15550 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
15553 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
15554 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
15555 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
15556 back end to read directories. Big deal.
15558 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
15559 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
15560 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
15561 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
15562 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
15564 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
15566 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
15567 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
15568 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
15569 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
15572 @node Anything Groups
15573 @subsection Anything Groups
15576 From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
15577 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
15578 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
15581 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
15582 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
15583 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
15584 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
15585 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
15586 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
15587 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
15588 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
15589 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
15590 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
15593 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
15594 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
15595 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
15596 in the article buffer, just as usual.
15598 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
15599 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
15600 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
15601 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
15603 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
15604 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
15605 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
15606 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
15607 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
15608 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
15609 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
15610 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
15615 @item nneething-map-file-directory
15616 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
15617 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
15618 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
15620 @item nneething-exclude-files
15621 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
15622 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
15623 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
15625 @item nneething-include-files
15626 @vindex nneething-include-files
15627 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
15628 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
15630 @item nneething-map-file
15631 @vindex nneething-map-file
15632 Name of the map files.
15636 @node Document Groups
15637 @subsection Document Groups
15639 @cindex documentation group
15642 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
15643 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
15650 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
15655 The standard Unix mbox file.
15657 @cindex MMDF mail box
15659 The MMDF mail box format.
15662 Several news articles appended into a file.
15665 @cindex rnews batch files
15666 The rnews batch transport format.
15667 @cindex forwarded messages
15670 Forwarded articles.
15673 Netscape mail boxes.
15676 @sc{mime} multipart messages.
15678 @item standard-digest
15679 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
15682 A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
15684 @item lanl-gov-announce
15685 Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
15687 @item rfc822-forward
15688 A message forwarded according to RFC822.
15691 The Outlook mail box.
15694 The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
15697 A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
15700 A message forwarded according to informal rules.
15703 An RFC934-forwarded message.
15709 A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
15712 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
15718 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
15719 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
15720 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
15723 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
15724 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
15725 group. And that's it.
15727 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
15728 new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
15729 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
15730 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
15731 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
15732 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
15733 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
15734 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
15735 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
15736 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
15738 Virtual server variables:
15741 @item nndoc-article-type
15742 @vindex nndoc-article-type
15743 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
15744 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
15745 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
15746 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
15747 @code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
15749 @item nndoc-post-type
15750 @vindex nndoc-post-type
15751 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
15752 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
15757 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
15761 @node Document Server Internals
15762 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
15764 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
15765 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
15766 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
15767 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
15769 First, here's an example document type definition:
15773 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
15774 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
15777 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
15778 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
15779 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
15780 types can be defined with very few settings:
15783 @item first-article
15784 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
15785 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
15788 @item article-begin
15789 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
15790 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
15792 @item head-begin-function
15793 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
15796 @item nndoc-head-begin
15797 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
15800 @item nndoc-head-end
15801 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
15802 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
15804 @item body-begin-function
15805 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
15809 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
15812 @item body-end-function
15813 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
15817 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
15820 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
15821 regexp will be totally ignored.
15825 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
15826 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
15827 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
15828 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
15829 something that's palatable for Gnus:
15832 @item prepare-body-function
15833 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
15834 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
15835 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
15837 @item article-transform-function
15838 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
15839 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
15840 body of the article.
15842 @item generate-head-function
15843 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
15844 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
15845 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
15846 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
15850 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
15855 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15856 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
15857 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
15858 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
15859 (head-end . "^ ?$")
15860 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
15861 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
15862 (subtype digest guess))
15865 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
15866 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
15867 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
15868 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
15869 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
15871 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
15872 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
15873 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
15874 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
15875 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
15876 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
15877 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
15878 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
15879 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
15880 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
15888 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
15889 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
15890 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
15892 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
15893 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
15894 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
15897 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
15898 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
15899 that interested in doing things properly.
15901 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
15902 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
15905 First some terminology:
15910 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
15911 get news and/or mail from.
15914 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
15915 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
15918 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
15922 @item message packets
15923 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
15924 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
15925 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15927 @item response packets
15928 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
15929 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
15930 default, where @var{x} is a number.
15940 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
15941 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
15942 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
15943 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
15946 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
15949 You put the packet in your home directory.
15952 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
15953 the native or secondary server.
15956 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
15957 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
15960 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
15964 You transfer this packet to the server.
15967 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
15970 You then repeat until you die.
15974 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
15975 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
15978 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
15979 * SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
15980 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
15984 @node SOUP Commands
15985 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
15987 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
15991 @kindex G s b (Group)
15992 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
15993 Pack all unread articles in the current group
15994 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
15995 process/prefix convention.
15998 @kindex G s w (Group)
15999 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
16000 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
16003 @kindex G s s (Group)
16004 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
16005 Send all replies from the replies packet
16006 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
16009 @kindex G s p (Group)
16010 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
16011 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
16014 @kindex G s r (Group)
16015 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
16016 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
16019 @kindex O s (Summary)
16020 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
16021 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
16022 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
16023 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16028 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
16033 @item gnus-soup-directory
16034 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
16035 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
16036 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
16038 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
16039 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
16040 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
16041 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
16043 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
16044 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
16045 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
16046 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
16048 @item gnus-soup-packer
16049 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
16050 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16051 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
16053 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
16054 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
16055 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
16056 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16058 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
16059 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
16060 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
16062 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16063 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
16064 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
16065 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
16071 @subsubsection SOUP Groups
16074 @code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
16075 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
16076 you can read them at leisure.
16078 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
16082 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
16083 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
16084 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
16085 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
16087 @item nnsoup-directory
16088 @vindex nnsoup-directory
16089 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
16090 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
16092 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
16093 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
16094 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
16095 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
16097 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
16098 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
16099 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
16100 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
16101 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
16103 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
16104 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
16105 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
16106 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
16108 @item nnsoup-active-file
16109 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
16110 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
16111 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
16112 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
16113 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
16115 @item nnsoup-packer
16116 @vindex nnsoup-packer
16117 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
16118 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
16120 @item nnsoup-unpacker
16121 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
16122 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
16123 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
16125 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
16126 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
16127 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
16130 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
16131 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
16132 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
16135 @item nnsoup-always-save
16136 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
16137 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
16143 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
16145 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
16146 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
16147 more for that to happen.
16149 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
16150 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
16151 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
16154 In specific, this is what it does:
16157 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
16158 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
16161 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
16162 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
16163 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
16166 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
16167 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
16168 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
16171 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
16172 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
16173 The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
16175 Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
16181 @item nngateway-address
16182 @vindex nngateway-address
16183 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
16185 @item nngateway-header-transformation
16186 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
16187 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
16188 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
16189 transformation should be called, and defaults to
16190 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
16191 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
16194 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
16195 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
16196 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
16199 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
16202 will get this @code{To} header inserted:
16205 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
16208 The following pre-defined functions exist:
16210 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16213 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
16214 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16215 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
16217 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16219 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
16220 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
16221 @code{nngateway-address}.
16226 (setq gnus-post-method
16228 "mail2news@@replay.com"
16229 (nngateway-header-transformation
16230 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
16238 So, to use this, simply say something like:
16241 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
16246 @node Combined Groups
16247 @section Combined Groups
16249 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
16253 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
16254 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
16258 @node Virtual Groups
16259 @subsection Virtual Groups
16261 @cindex virtual groups
16262 @cindex merging groups
16264 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
16267 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
16268 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
16269 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
16271 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
16272 regexp to match component groups.
16274 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
16275 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
16276 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
16277 came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
16278 shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
16279 @kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
16280 and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
16281 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
16283 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
16284 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
16287 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
16290 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
16291 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
16293 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
16294 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
16295 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
16296 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
16299 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
16302 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
16303 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
16304 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
16306 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
16307 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
16308 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
16309 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
16310 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
16312 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
16313 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
16314 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
16316 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
16317 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
16318 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
16319 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
16320 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
16321 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
16322 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
16323 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
16324 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
16325 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
16326 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
16328 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
16329 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
16330 has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
16331 whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
16332 there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
16333 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
16334 not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
16336 @kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
16337 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
16339 @code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
16340 from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
16344 @node Kibozed Groups
16345 @subsection Kibozed Groups
16349 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
16350 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
16351 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
16352 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
16354 @kindex G k (Group)
16355 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
16358 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
16359 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
16360 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
16361 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
16363 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
16364 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
16365 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
16367 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
16368 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
16369 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
16370 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
16371 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
16372 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
16373 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
16374 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
16376 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
16377 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
16378 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
16379 Stranger things have happened.
16381 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
16382 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
16384 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
16385 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
16386 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
16387 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
16388 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
16389 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
16391 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
16392 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
16395 @node Gnus Unplugged
16396 @section Gnus Unplugged
16401 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
16403 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
16404 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
16405 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
16406 read news. Believe it or not.
16408 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
16409 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
16410 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
16411 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
16412 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
16414 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
16415 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
16416 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
16417 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
16418 reading news on a machine.
16420 Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
16421 fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
16423 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
16426 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
16427 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
16428 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
16429 * Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
16430 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
16431 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
16432 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
16433 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
16434 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
16435 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
16436 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
16441 @subsection Agent Basics
16443 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
16445 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
16446 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
16447 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
16448 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
16450 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
16451 connected to the net continuously.
16453 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
16454 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
16456 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
16461 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
16462 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
16463 already fetched while in this mode.
16466 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
16467 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
16468 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
16469 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
16470 Source Specifiers}).
16473 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
16474 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
16475 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
16476 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
16477 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
16480 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
16481 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
16482 then you read the news offline.
16485 And then you go to step 2.
16488 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
16494 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
16495 back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
16496 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
16497 @kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
16498 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
16499 added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
16500 all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
16501 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
16504 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
16511 @node Agent Categories
16512 @subsection Agent Categories
16514 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
16515 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
16516 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
16517 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
16518 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
16519 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
16520 you're interested in the articles anyway.
16522 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
16523 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
16524 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
16525 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
16526 managing categories.
16529 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
16530 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
16531 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
16535 @node Category Syntax
16536 @subsubsection Category Syntax
16538 A category consists of two things.
16542 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
16543 are eligible for downloading; and
16546 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
16547 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
16548 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
16551 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
16552 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
16553 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
16554 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
16556 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
16557 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
16558 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
16560 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
16561 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
16562 operators sprinkled in between.
16564 Perhaps some examples are in order.
16566 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
16567 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
16573 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
16574 short (for some value of ``short'').
16576 Here's a more complex predicate:
16585 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
16586 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
16589 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
16590 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
16591 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
16593 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
16594 you want to do, you can write your own.
16598 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
16599 lines; default 100.
16602 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
16603 lines; default 200.
16606 True iff the article has a download score less than
16607 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
16610 True iff the article has a download score greater than
16611 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
16614 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
16615 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
16616 checksum and sees whether articles match.
16625 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
16626 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
16627 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
16630 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
16631 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
16632 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
16633 something along the lines of the following:
16636 (defun my-article-old-p ()
16637 "Say whether an article is old."
16638 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
16639 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
16642 with the predicate then defined as:
16645 (not my-article-old-p)
16648 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
16649 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
16653 (require 'gnus-agent)
16654 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
16655 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
16656 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
16659 and simply specify your predicate as:
16665 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
16666 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
16667 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
16668 just don't give a damn.
16670 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
16671 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
16672 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
16673 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
16674 parameters like so:
16677 (agent-predicate . short)
16680 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
16681 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
16682 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
16684 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
16687 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
16690 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
16691 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
16692 predicate is assumed to be a list.
16695 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
16696 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
16697 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
16698 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
16699 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
16700 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
16702 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
16703 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
16704 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
16705 if it's to be specific to that group.
16707 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
16714 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
16715 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
16721 Category specification
16725 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16731 Group Parameter specification
16734 (agent-score ("from"
16735 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
16740 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
16746 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
16753 Category specification
16756 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
16762 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
16766 Group Parameter specification
16769 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
16772 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
16777 Use @code{normal} score files
16779 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
16780 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
16781 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
16782 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
16784 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
16785 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
16786 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
16787 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
16791 Category Specification
16798 Group Parameter specification
16801 (agent-score . file)
16806 @node Category Buffer
16807 @subsubsection Category Buffer
16809 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
16810 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
16811 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
16813 The following commands are available in this buffer:
16817 @kindex q (Category)
16818 @findex gnus-category-exit
16819 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
16822 @kindex k (Category)
16823 @findex gnus-category-kill
16824 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
16827 @kindex c (Category)
16828 @findex gnus-category-copy
16829 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
16832 @kindex a (Category)
16833 @findex gnus-category-add
16834 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
16837 @kindex p (Category)
16838 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
16839 Edit the predicate of the current category
16840 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
16843 @kindex g (Category)
16844 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
16845 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
16846 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
16849 @kindex s (Category)
16850 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
16851 Edit the download score rule of the current category
16852 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
16855 @kindex l (Category)
16856 @findex gnus-category-list
16857 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
16861 @node Category Variables
16862 @subsubsection Category Variables
16865 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
16866 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
16867 Hook run in category buffers.
16869 @item gnus-category-line-format
16870 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
16871 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
16872 Variables}). Valid elements are:
16876 The name of the category.
16879 The number of groups in the category.
16882 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
16883 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
16884 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
16886 @item gnus-agent-short-article
16887 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
16888 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
16890 @item gnus-agent-long-article
16891 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
16892 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
16894 @item gnus-agent-low-score
16895 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
16896 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
16899 @item gnus-agent-high-score
16900 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
16901 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
16907 @node Agent Commands
16908 @subsection Agent Commands
16910 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
16911 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
16912 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
16916 * Group Agent Commands::
16917 * Summary Agent Commands::
16918 * Server Agent Commands::
16921 You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
16922 following incantation:
16924 @cindex gnus-agent-batch
16926 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch
16931 @node Group Agent Commands
16932 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
16936 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
16937 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
16938 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
16939 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
16942 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
16943 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
16944 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
16947 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
16948 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
16949 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
16950 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
16953 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
16954 @findex gnus-group-send-queue
16955 Send all sendable messages in the queue group
16956 (@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
16959 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
16960 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
16961 Add the current group to an Agent category
16962 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
16963 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16966 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
16967 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
16968 Remove the current group from its category, if any
16969 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
16970 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
16973 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
16974 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
16975 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
16981 @node Summary Agent Commands
16982 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
16986 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
16987 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
16988 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
16991 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
16992 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
16993 Remove the downloading mark from the article
16994 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
16997 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
16998 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
16999 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
17002 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
17003 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
17004 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
17007 @kindex J u (Agent Summary)
17008 @findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
17009 Download all downloadable articles in the current group
17010 (@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
17015 @node Server Agent Commands
17016 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
17020 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
17021 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
17022 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
17023 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
17026 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
17027 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
17028 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
17029 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
17034 @node Agent as Cache
17035 @subsection Agent as Cache
17037 When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
17038 articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
17039 Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
17040 in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
17041 buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
17042 are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
17043 consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
17044 article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
17045 server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
17047 This behaviour can be controlled by @code{gnus-agent-cache}
17048 (@pxref{Agent Variables}).
17051 @subsection Agent Expiry
17053 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
17054 @findex gnus-agent-expire
17055 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
17056 @cindex Agent expiry
17057 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
17060 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
17061 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
17062 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
17063 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
17064 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
17065 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
17067 @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} can also be a list of regexp/day pairs.
17068 The regexps will be matched against group names to allow differing
17069 expiry in different groups.
17072 (setq gnus-agent-expire-days
17078 If you use the list form, the last element must always be the default
17079 method---it must always match all groups.
17081 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
17082 If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
17083 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
17084 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
17085 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
17087 @findex gnus-agent-regenerate
17088 If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
17089 perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's a special
17090 @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} command to fix possible problems.
17092 @node Agent and IMAP
17093 @subsection Agent and IMAP
17095 The Agent work with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
17096 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
17097 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
17098 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
17100 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
17101 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
17102 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
17103 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
17105 Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
17106 Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
17107 any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
17108 The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
17110 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
17111 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
17112 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
17113 the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
17114 ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
17115 any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
17117 If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
17118 re-connect, you can do it manually with the
17119 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
17120 in the group buffer.
17122 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
17123 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
17128 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
17131 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
17135 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
17136 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
17137 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
17138 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
17139 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
17140 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
17141 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
17142 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
17145 @node Outgoing Messages
17146 @subsection Outgoing Messages
17148 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
17149 stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
17150 them there after posting, and edit them at will.
17152 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
17153 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
17154 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
17155 messages in the draft group.
17159 @node Agent Variables
17160 @subsection Agent Variables
17163 @item gnus-agent-directory
17164 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
17165 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
17166 @file{~/News/agent/}.
17168 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
17169 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
17170 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
17171 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
17172 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
17175 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17176 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
17177 Hook run when connecting to the network.
17179 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17180 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
17181 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
17183 @item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17184 @vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
17185 Hook run when after finishing fetching articles.
17187 @item gnus-agent-cache
17188 @vindex gnus-agent-cache
17189 Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
17190 articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
17191 The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
17193 @item gnus-agent-go-online
17194 @vindex gnus-agent-go-online
17195 If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
17196 automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
17197 @code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
17198 offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
17199 other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
17202 @item gnus-server-unopen-status
17203 @vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
17204 Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
17205 variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
17206 Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
17207 whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
17208 Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
17209 for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
17210 is only valid if the Agent is used.
17215 @node Example Setup
17216 @subsection Example Setup
17218 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
17219 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
17220 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
17223 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
17224 ;;; from your ISP's server.
17225 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
17227 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
17228 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
17229 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
17231 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
17232 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
17234 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
17235 ;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
17236 ;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
17239 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
17240 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
17243 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
17244 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
17245 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
17246 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
17247 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
17250 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
17251 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
17252 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
17253 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
17254 back all the killed groups.)
17256 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
17257 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
17258 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
17261 @node Batching Agents
17262 @subsection Batching Agents
17264 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
17265 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
17266 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
17270 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
17274 @node Agent Caveats
17275 @subsection Agent Caveats
17277 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
17278 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
17282 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
17286 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
17288 @strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is `nil'.
17292 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
17293 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP and also uses the
17294 locally stored articles.
17301 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
17302 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
17303 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
17306 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
17307 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
17308 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
17309 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
17310 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
17312 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
17313 before generating the summary buffer.
17315 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
17316 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
17317 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
17319 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
17320 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
17321 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
17322 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
17325 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
17326 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
17327 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
17328 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
17329 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
17330 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
17331 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
17332 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
17333 * Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
17334 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
17335 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
17336 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
17337 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
17338 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
17339 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
17340 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
17341 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
17345 @node Summary Score Commands
17346 @section Summary Score Commands
17347 @cindex score commands
17349 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
17350 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
17351 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
17352 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
17353 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
17355 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
17356 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
17357 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
17358 score file the current one.
17360 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
17365 @kindex V s (Summary)
17366 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
17367 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
17370 @kindex V S (Summary)
17371 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
17372 Display the score of the current article
17373 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
17376 @kindex V t (Summary)
17377 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
17378 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
17379 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
17382 @kindex V w (Summary)
17383 @findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
17384 List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
17387 @kindex V R (Summary)
17388 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
17389 Run the current summary through the scoring process
17390 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
17391 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
17392 effect you're having.
17395 @kindex V c (Summary)
17396 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
17397 Make a different score file the current
17398 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
17401 @kindex V e (Summary)
17402 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
17403 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
17404 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
17408 @kindex V f (Summary)
17409 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
17410 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
17411 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
17414 @kindex V F (Summary)
17415 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17416 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
17417 after editing score files.
17420 @kindex V C (Summary)
17421 @findex gnus-score-customize
17422 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
17423 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
17427 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
17432 @kindex V m (Summary)
17433 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
17434 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
17435 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
17438 @kindex V x (Summary)
17439 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
17440 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
17441 expunge all articles below this score
17442 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
17445 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
17446 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
17449 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
17450 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
17454 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
17455 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
17457 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
17458 keys are available:
17462 Score on the author name.
17465 Score on the subject line.
17468 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
17471 Score on the @code{References} line.
17477 Score on the number of lines.
17480 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
17483 Score on an "extra" header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
17484 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
17487 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
17488 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
17489 @file{ADAPT} files.)
17498 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
17504 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
17505 what headers you are scoring on.
17517 Substring matching.
17520 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
17549 Greater than number.
17554 The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
17555 expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
17556 or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
17561 Temporary score entry.
17564 Permanent score entry.
17567 Immediately scoring.
17571 If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
17572 the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
17573 in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
17577 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
17578 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
17579 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
17580 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
17582 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
17583 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
17584 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
17585 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
17586 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
17588 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
17589 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
17590 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
17591 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
17592 current score file.
17594 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
17595 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
17596 pretend they are keymaps or not.
17599 @node Group Score Commands
17600 @section Group Score Commands
17601 @cindex group score commands
17603 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
17608 @kindex W f (Group)
17609 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
17610 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
17611 all the time. This command will flush the cache
17612 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
17616 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
17618 @findex gnus-batch-score
17619 @cindex batch scoring
17621 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
17625 @node Score Variables
17626 @section Score Variables
17627 @cindex score variables
17631 @item gnus-use-scoring
17632 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
17633 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
17634 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
17636 @item gnus-kill-killed
17637 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
17638 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
17639 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
17640 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
17641 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
17642 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
17643 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
17645 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
17646 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
17647 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
17648 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
17649 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
17651 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
17652 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
17653 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
17654 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
17656 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17657 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
17658 @cindex score cache
17659 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
17660 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
17661 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
17662 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
17663 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
17664 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
17667 @item gnus-save-score
17668 @vindex gnus-save-score
17669 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
17670 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
17671 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
17673 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
17674 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
17675 across group visits.
17677 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17678 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
17679 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
17680 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
17681 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
17682 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
17683 manually entered data.
17685 @item gnus-summary-default-score
17686 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
17687 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
17689 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
17690 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
17691 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
17692 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
17693 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
17694 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
17696 @item gnus-score-over-mark
17697 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
17698 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
17699 default. Default is @samp{+}.
17701 @item gnus-score-below-mark
17702 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
17703 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
17704 default. Default is @samp{-}.
17706 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17707 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
17708 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
17709 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
17711 Predefined functions available are:
17714 @item gnus-score-find-single
17715 @findex gnus-score-find-single
17716 Only apply the group's own score file.
17718 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
17719 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
17720 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
17721 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
17722 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
17723 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
17724 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
17725 then a regexp match is done.
17727 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
17728 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
17730 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
17731 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
17732 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
17733 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
17735 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17736 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
17737 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
17738 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
17739 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
17743 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
17744 these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
17745 all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
17746 functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
17747 that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
17748 should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
17749 ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
17752 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
17753 overall score file, you could use the value
17755 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
17756 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
17759 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
17760 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
17761 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
17762 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
17763 are expired. It's 7 by default.
17765 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17766 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
17767 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
17768 been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
17769 controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
17770 matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
17771 variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
17772 have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
17774 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17775 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
17776 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
17778 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
17779 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
17780 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
17781 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
17782 threading---according to the current value of
17783 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
17784 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
17785 simplified in this manner.
17790 @node Score File Format
17791 @section Score File Format
17792 @cindex score file format
17794 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
17795 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
17796 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
17798 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
17802 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
17804 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
17806 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
17808 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
17813 (mark-and-expunge -10)
17817 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
17818 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
17819 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
17820 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
17824 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
17825 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
17827 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
17828 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
17829 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
17831 Six keys are supported by this alist:
17836 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
17837 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
17838 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
17839 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
17840 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
17841 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
17842 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
17843 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
17844 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
17845 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
17846 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
17847 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
17848 to articles that matches these score entries.
17850 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
17851 score entry has one to four elements.
17855 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
17856 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
17860 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
17861 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
17862 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
17863 is successful. If this element is not present, the
17864 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
17865 instead. This is 1000 by default.
17868 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
17869 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
17870 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
17871 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
17872 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
17875 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
17876 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
17877 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
17878 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
17881 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
17882 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
17883 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
17884 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
17885 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
17886 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
17887 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
17888 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
17889 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
17890 instead, if you feel like.
17893 Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
17894 gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
17895 case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
17896 header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
17897 @file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
17898 if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
17901 ("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
17905 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
17906 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
17908 These predicates are true if
17911 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
17914 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
17915 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
17922 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
17923 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
17924 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
17925 it's not. I think.)
17927 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
17928 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
17929 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
17930 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
17933 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
17934 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
17935 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
17936 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
17937 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
17938 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
17939 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
17943 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
17944 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
17945 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
17946 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
17947 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
17948 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
17949 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
17950 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
17953 @item Head, Body, All
17954 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
17958 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
17959 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
17960 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
17961 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
17962 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
17963 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
17964 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
17968 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
17969 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
17970 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
17971 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
17972 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
17973 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
17974 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
17975 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
17976 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
17977 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
17978 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
17982 @cindex Score File Atoms
17984 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17985 lower than this number will be marked as read.
17988 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17989 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
17991 @item mark-and-expunge
17992 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
17993 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
17996 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
17997 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
17998 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
17999 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
18000 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
18003 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
18004 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
18007 @item exclude-files
18008 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
18009 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
18013 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
18014 ignored when handling global score files.
18017 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
18018 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
18019 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
18020 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
18023 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
18024 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
18025 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
18026 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
18028 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
18032 (mark-and-expunge -100)
18035 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
18036 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
18037 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
18038 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
18039 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
18041 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
18042 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
18043 scoring rules exist.
18046 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
18047 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
18048 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
18049 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
18050 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
18051 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
18052 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18053 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
18054 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
18055 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
18056 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
18060 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
18061 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
18062 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
18063 file for a number of groups.
18066 @cindex local variables
18067 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
18068 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
18069 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
18070 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
18071 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
18075 @node Score File Editing
18076 @section Score File Editing
18078 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
18079 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
18080 with a mode for that.
18082 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
18083 additional commands:
18088 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
18089 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
18090 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
18091 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
18094 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
18095 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
18096 Insert the current date in numerical format
18097 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
18098 you were wondering.
18101 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
18102 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
18103 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
18104 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
18105 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
18110 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
18112 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
18113 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
18115 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
18116 e} to begin editing score files.
18119 @node Adaptive Scoring
18120 @section Adaptive Scoring
18121 @cindex adaptive scoring
18123 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
18124 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
18125 stupidity, to be precise.
18127 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
18128 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
18129 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
18130 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
18131 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
18132 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
18133 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
18134 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
18135 variable to @code{(word line)}.
18137 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18138 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
18139 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
18140 might look something like this:
18143 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
18144 '((gnus-unread-mark)
18145 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
18146 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
18147 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
18148 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
18149 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
18150 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
18151 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
18152 (gnus-ancient-mark)
18153 (gnus-low-score-mark)
18154 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
18157 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
18158 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
18159 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
18160 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
18161 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
18162 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
18165 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
18166 will be applied to each article.
18168 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
18169 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
18170 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
18171 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
18173 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
18174 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
18175 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
18176 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
18178 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
18179 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
18180 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
18181 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
18183 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
18184 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
18185 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
18186 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
18187 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
18188 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
18190 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
18191 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
18192 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
18193 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
18194 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
18195 aspirins afterwards.)
18197 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
18198 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
18199 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
18201 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
18202 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
18203 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
18205 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
18206 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
18207 let you use different rules in different groups.
18209 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
18210 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
18211 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
18214 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
18215 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
18216 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
18217 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
18218 the length of the match is less than
18219 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
18220 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
18223 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18224 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
18225 headers. If you adapt on words, the
18226 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
18227 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
18230 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
18231 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
18232 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
18233 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
18234 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
18237 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
18238 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
18239 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
18240 score with 30 points.
18242 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
18243 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
18244 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
18245 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
18246 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
18248 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
18249 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
18250 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
18251 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
18252 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
18254 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
18255 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
18256 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
18257 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
18259 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
18260 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
18261 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
18262 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
18264 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
18265 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
18266 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
18267 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
18268 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
18270 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
18271 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
18272 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
18274 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
18275 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
18276 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
18277 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
18280 @node Home Score File
18281 @section Home Score File
18283 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
18284 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
18285 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
18286 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
18288 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
18289 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
18290 could perhaps use the same home score file.
18292 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
18293 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
18298 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
18302 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
18303 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
18307 A list. The elements in this list can be:
18311 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
18312 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
18315 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
18316 the home score file.
18319 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
18322 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
18327 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
18330 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18331 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
18334 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
18335 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
18337 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
18339 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18340 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
18343 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
18344 Other functions include
18347 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
18348 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
18349 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
18350 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
18354 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
18355 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
18356 their own home score files:
18359 (setq gnus-home-score-file
18360 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
18361 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
18362 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
18363 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
18366 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
18367 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
18368 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
18369 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
18370 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
18372 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
18373 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
18374 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
18375 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
18376 precedence over this variable.
18379 @node Followups To Yourself
18380 @section Followups To Yourself
18382 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
18383 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
18384 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
18385 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
18386 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
18387 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
18391 @item gnus-score-followup-article
18392 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
18393 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
18396 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
18397 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
18398 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
18402 @vindex message-sent-hook
18403 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
18404 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
18406 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
18410 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
18411 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
18415 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18416 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
18419 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
18420 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
18425 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
18429 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
18430 is system-dependent.
18433 @node Scoring On Other Headers
18434 @section Scoring On Other Headers
18435 @cindex scoring on other headers
18437 Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
18438 headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
18439 other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
18440 that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
18441 matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
18443 Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
18444 mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
18445 Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
18446 this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
18447 how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
18449 Put the following in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18452 (setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
18453 nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
18456 Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
18457 @kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
18458 time if you have much mail.
18460 Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
18461 so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
18467 @section Scoring Tips
18468 @cindex scoring tips
18474 @cindex scoring crossposts
18475 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
18476 the @code{Xref} header.
18478 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
18481 @item Multiple crossposts
18482 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
18483 more than, say, 3 groups:
18486 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
18490 @item Matching on the body
18491 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
18492 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
18493 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
18494 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
18495 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
18496 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
18497 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
18500 @item Marking as read
18501 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
18502 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
18503 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
18507 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
18509 @item Negated character classes
18510 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
18511 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
18512 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
18516 @node Reverse Scoring
18517 @section Reverse Scoring
18518 @cindex reverse scoring
18520 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
18521 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
18522 like this in your score file:
18526 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
18531 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
18532 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
18535 @node Global Score Files
18536 @section Global Score Files
18537 @cindex global score files
18539 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
18540 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
18541 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
18543 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
18544 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
18545 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
18547 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
18548 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
18549 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
18550 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
18551 files are applicable to which group.
18553 To use the score file
18554 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
18555 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
18559 (setq gnus-global-score-files
18560 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
18561 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
18564 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
18566 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
18567 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
18568 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
18569 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
18571 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
18572 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
18574 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
18575 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
18576 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
18577 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
18578 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
18579 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
18581 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
18587 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
18589 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
18591 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
18593 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
18594 lowered out of existence.
18596 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
18597 articles completely.
18600 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
18601 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
18602 old articles for a long time.
18605 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
18606 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
18607 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
18608 holding our breath yet?
18612 @section Kill Files
18615 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
18616 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
18617 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
18619 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
18620 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
18621 files into score files.
18623 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
18624 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
18625 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
18626 that isn't a very good idea.
18628 Normal kill files look like this:
18631 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
18632 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
18636 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
18637 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
18639 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
18640 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
18643 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
18648 @kindex M-k (Summary)
18649 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
18650 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
18653 @kindex M-K (Summary)
18654 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
18655 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
18658 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
18663 @kindex M-k (Group)
18664 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
18665 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
18668 @kindex M-K (Group)
18669 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
18670 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
18673 Kill file variables:
18676 @item gnus-kill-file-name
18677 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
18678 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
18679 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
18680 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
18681 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
18682 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
18684 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18685 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
18686 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
18687 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
18690 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
18691 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
18692 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
18693 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
18694 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
18695 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
18696 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
18697 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
18698 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
18700 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18701 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
18702 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
18707 @node Converting Kill Files
18708 @section Converting Kill Files
18710 @cindex converting kill files
18712 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
18713 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
18714 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
18717 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
18718 You can fetch it from
18719 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
18721 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
18722 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
18723 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
18731 GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
18732 collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
18733 people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
18734 news articles generated every day.
18736 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
18737 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
18738 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
18739 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
18740 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
18741 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
18742 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
18743 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
18746 @sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
18747 so this section is mostly of historical interest.
18750 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
18751 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
18752 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
18753 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
18757 @node Using GroupLens
18758 @subsection Using GroupLens
18760 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
18762 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
18763 better bit in town at the moment.
18765 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
18769 @item gnus-use-grouplens
18770 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
18771 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
18772 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
18774 @item grouplens-pseudonym
18775 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
18776 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
18777 with the Better Bit Bureau.
18779 @item grouplens-newsgroups
18780 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
18781 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
18785 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
18786 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
18787 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
18788 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
18789 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
18790 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
18793 @node Rating Articles
18794 @subsection Rating Articles
18796 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
18797 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
18798 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
18799 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
18802 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
18807 @kindex r (GroupLens)
18808 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
18809 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
18812 @kindex k (GroupLens)
18813 @findex grouplens-score-thread
18814 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
18815 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
18816 threads in rec.humor.
18820 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
18821 the score of the article you're reading.
18826 @kindex n (GroupLens)
18827 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
18828 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
18831 @kindex , (GroupLens)
18832 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
18833 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
18837 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
18838 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
18841 @node Displaying Predictions
18842 @subsection Displaying Predictions
18844 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
18845 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
18846 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
18847 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
18848 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
18850 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
18851 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
18852 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
18853 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
18854 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
18855 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
18856 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
18857 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
18858 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
18859 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
18860 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
18861 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
18862 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
18864 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
18865 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
18866 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
18867 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
18869 The following are valid values for that variable.
18872 @item prediction-spot
18873 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
18876 @item confidence-interval
18877 A numeric confidence interval.
18879 @item prediction-bar
18880 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
18882 @item confidence-bar
18883 Numerical confidence.
18885 @item confidence-spot
18886 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
18888 @item prediction-num
18889 Plain-old numeric value.
18891 @item confidence-plus-minus
18892 Prediction +/- confidence.
18897 @node GroupLens Variables
18898 @subsection GroupLens Variables
18902 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
18903 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
18904 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
18905 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
18908 @item grouplens-bbb-host
18909 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
18912 @item grouplens-bbb-port
18913 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
18915 @item grouplens-score-offset
18916 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
18917 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
18920 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
18921 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
18922 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
18927 @node Advanced Scoring
18928 @section Advanced Scoring
18930 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
18931 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
18932 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
18933 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
18934 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
18936 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
18940 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
18941 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
18942 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
18946 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
18947 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
18949 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
18950 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
18951 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
18952 non-@code{nil} value.
18954 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
18955 operator, and various match operators.
18962 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18963 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
18964 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
18969 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
18970 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
18971 then this operator will return @code{false}.
18976 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
18977 logical negation of the value of its argument.
18981 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
18982 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
18983 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
18984 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
18985 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
18986 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
18987 the ancestry you want to go.
18989 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
18990 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
18991 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
18992 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
18993 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
18996 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
18997 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
18999 Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
19000 make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
19003 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
19004 when he's talking about Gnus:
19008 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19009 ("subject" "Gnus"))
19015 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
19019 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19026 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
19027 really don't want to read what he's written:
19031 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
19032 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
19036 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
19037 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
19038 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
19045 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
19046 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
19047 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
19048 ("body" "white.*socks"))
19052 The possibilities are endless.
19055 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
19056 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
19058 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
19059 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
19060 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
19061 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
19062 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
19063 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
19064 @samp{subject}) first.
19066 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
19067 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
19078 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
19079 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
19085 ("subject" "Gnus")))
19092 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
19093 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
19098 @section Score Decays
19099 @cindex score decays
19102 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
19103 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
19104 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
19105 use them in any sensible way.
19107 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
19108 @findex gnus-decay-score
19109 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
19110 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
19111 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
19112 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
19113 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
19114 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
19115 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
19116 definition of that function:
19119 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
19121 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
19122 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
19125 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
19127 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
19129 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
19132 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
19133 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
19134 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
19135 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
19139 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
19142 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
19145 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
19149 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
19150 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
19151 the new score, which should be an integer.
19153 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
19154 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
19159 @include message.texi
19160 @chapter Emacs MIME
19161 @include emacs-mime.texi
19163 @include sieve.texi
19165 @c @include pgg.texi
19173 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
19174 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
19175 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
19176 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
19177 * Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
19178 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
19179 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
19180 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
19181 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
19182 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
19183 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
19184 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
19185 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
19186 * Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
19187 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
19188 * Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
19189 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
19190 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
19191 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
19195 @node Process/Prefix
19196 @section Process/Prefix
19197 @cindex process/prefix convention
19199 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
19200 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
19202 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
19203 command to be performed on.
19207 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
19208 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
19209 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
19210 with the current one.
19212 @vindex transient-mark-mode
19213 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
19214 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
19216 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
19217 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
19220 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
19221 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
19223 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
19226 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
19227 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
19228 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
19229 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19231 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
19232 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
19233 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
19234 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
19235 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
19236 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
19237 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
19238 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
19240 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
19241 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
19242 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
19243 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
19244 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
19248 @section Interactive
19249 @cindex interaction
19253 @item gnus-novice-user
19254 @vindex gnus-novice-user
19255 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
19256 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
19257 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
19258 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
19261 @item gnus-expert-user
19262 @vindex gnus-expert-user
19263 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
19264 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
19265 matter how strange.
19267 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
19268 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
19269 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
19270 is @code{t} by default.
19272 @item gnus-interactive-exit
19273 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
19274 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
19279 @node Symbolic Prefixes
19280 @section Symbolic Prefixes
19281 @cindex symbolic prefixes
19283 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
19284 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
19285 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
19286 rule of 900 to the current article.
19288 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
19289 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
19290 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
19291 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
19292 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
19293 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
19294 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
19296 @kindex M-i (Summary)
19297 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
19298 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
19299 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
19300 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
19301 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
19302 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
19303 ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
19304 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
19306 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
19307 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
19308 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
19310 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
19314 @node Formatting Variables
19315 @section Formatting Variables
19316 @cindex formatting variables
19318 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
19319 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
19320 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
19321 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
19322 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
19325 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
19326 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
19327 lots of percentages everywhere.
19330 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
19331 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
19332 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
19333 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
19334 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
19335 * Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
19336 * Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
19337 * Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
19340 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
19341 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
19342 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
19343 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
19344 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
19345 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
19346 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
19347 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
19349 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
19350 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
19352 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
19353 @findex gnus-update-format
19354 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
19355 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
19356 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
19357 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
19361 @node Formatting Basics
19362 @subsection Formatting Basics
19364 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
19365 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
19366 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
19368 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
19369 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
19370 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
19371 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
19372 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
19375 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
19376 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
19377 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
19378 less than 4 characters wide.
19380 Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
19381 @samp{%&user-date;}.
19384 @node Mode Line Formatting
19385 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
19387 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
19388 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
19389 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
19390 with the following two differences:
19395 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
19398 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
19399 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
19400 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
19401 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
19402 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
19403 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
19404 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
19409 @node Advanced Formatting
19410 @subsection Advanced Formatting
19412 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
19413 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
19414 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
19415 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
19417 These are the valid modifiers:
19422 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
19426 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
19431 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
19434 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
19439 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
19442 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
19445 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
19448 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
19454 "~(form (current-time-string))@@"
19459 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
19460 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
19461 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
19462 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
19463 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
19464 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
19465 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
19467 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
19468 last operation, padding.
19470 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19471 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
19472 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
19473 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
19474 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
19475 the look of your lines.
19476 @xref{Compilation}.
19479 @node User-Defined Specs
19480 @subsection User-Defined Specs
19482 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
19483 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
19484 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
19485 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
19486 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
19487 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
19488 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
19489 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
19490 should protect against that.
19492 Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
19493 Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
19495 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
19496 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
19497 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
19498 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
19502 @node Formatting Fonts
19503 @subsection Formatting Fonts
19505 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
19506 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
19507 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
19508 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
19511 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
19512 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
19513 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
19514 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
19515 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
19516 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
19518 Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
19519 special @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}.
19520 If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on.
19521 The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
19522 symbols naming functions that return a string. When the mouse passes
19523 over text with this property set, a balloon window will appear and
19524 display the string. Please refer to @ref{(emacs)Help Echo} (in GNU
19525 Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in XEmacs) for
19526 more information on this. (For technical reasons, the guillemets have
19527 been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this paragraph.)
19529 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
19532 ;; Create three face types.
19533 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
19534 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
19536 ;; We want the article count to be in
19537 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
19538 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
19539 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
19541 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
19542 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
19544 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
19545 (setq gnus-group-line-format
19546 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
19549 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
19550 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
19552 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
19553 mode-line variables.
19555 @node Positioning Point
19556 @subsection Positioning Point
19558 Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
19559 buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
19560 line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
19562 You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
19564 @findex gnus-goto-colon
19565 You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
19566 function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
19568 But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
19569 to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%C} specifier. If you
19570 put a @samp{%C} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
19575 @subsection Tabulation
19577 You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
19578 strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
19579 can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
19580 about lining up the following text afterwards.
19582 To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
19583 different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
19585 @samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19586 50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
19587 This is the soft tabulator.
19589 @samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
19590 50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
19591 50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
19594 @node Wide Characters
19595 @subsection Wide Characters
19597 Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
19598 Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
19599 characters---most notable East Asian countries.
19601 The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
19602 characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
19603 these coutries, that's not true.
19605 @vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
19606 To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
19607 @code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
19608 prettieer. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
19612 @node Window Layout
19613 @section Window Layout
19614 @cindex window layout
19616 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
19618 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
19619 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
19620 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
19621 @code{t} by default.
19623 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
19624 glitches. Use at your own peril.
19626 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
19627 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
19628 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
19631 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
19632 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
19633 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19637 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
19638 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
19639 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
19640 possible names is listed below.
19642 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
19643 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
19646 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
19650 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
19651 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
19652 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
19653 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
19654 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
19655 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
19656 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
19657 size spec per split.
19659 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
19660 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
19661 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
19662 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
19663 present) gets focus.
19665 Here's a more complicated example:
19668 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
19669 (summary 0.25 point)
19670 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
19674 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
19675 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
19676 occupy, not a percentage.
19678 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
19679 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
19680 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
19681 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
19682 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
19685 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
19688 (article (horizontal 1.0
19693 (summary 0.25 point)
19698 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
19699 @code{horizontal} thingie?
19701 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
19702 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
19703 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
19704 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
19705 the screen is to be given to this strip.
19707 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
19708 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
19709 lines from the splits.
19711 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
19715 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
19716 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
19717 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
19718 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
19719 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
19720 size = number | frame-params
19721 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
19724 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
19725 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
19726 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
19727 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
19729 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
19730 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
19731 @cindex window height
19732 @cindex window width
19733 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
19734 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
19735 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
19736 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
19737 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
19738 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
19740 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
19741 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
19742 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
19743 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
19745 @findex gnus-configure-frame
19746 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
19747 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
19748 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
19749 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
19750 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
19751 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
19752 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
19753 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
19754 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
19755 configuration list.
19758 (gnus-configure-frame
19762 (article 0.3 point))
19770 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
19771 @code{frame} split:
19774 (gnus-configure-frame
19777 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
19779 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
19780 (user-position . t)
19781 (left . -1) (top . 1))
19786 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
19787 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
19788 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
19789 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
19790 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
19791 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
19792 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
19793 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
19795 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
19796 be found in its default value.
19798 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
19799 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
19800 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
19804 (message (horizontal 1.0
19805 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
19807 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
19812 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
19813 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
19814 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
19819 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
19820 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
19821 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
19822 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
19823 (name . "Message"))
19824 (message 1.0 point))))
19827 @findex gnus-add-configuration
19828 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
19829 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
19830 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
19831 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
19834 (gnus-add-configuration
19835 '(article (vertical 1.0
19837 (summary .25 point)
19841 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
19842 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
19843 Gnus has been loaded.
19845 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
19846 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
19847 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
19848 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
19849 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
19851 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
19852 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
19853 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
19856 @subsection Example Window Configurations
19860 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
19861 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
19876 (gnus-add-configuration
19879 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19881 (summary 0.16 point)
19884 (gnus-add-configuration
19887 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
19888 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
19894 @node Faces and Fonts
19895 @section Faces and Fonts
19900 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
19901 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
19902 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
19907 @section Compilation
19908 @cindex compilation
19909 @cindex byte-compilation
19911 @findex gnus-compile
19913 Remember all those line format specification variables?
19914 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
19915 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
19916 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
19917 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
19918 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
19919 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
19920 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
19923 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
19924 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
19925 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
19926 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
19927 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
19930 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
19931 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
19932 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
19933 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
19934 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
19939 @section Mode Lines
19942 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
19943 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
19944 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
19945 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
19946 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
19947 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
19948 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
19951 @cindex display-time
19953 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
19954 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
19955 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
19956 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
19957 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
19958 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
19959 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
19960 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
19963 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
19965 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
19966 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
19968 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
19969 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
19970 (length display-time-string)))))
19973 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
19974 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
19975 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
19976 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
19977 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
19980 @node Highlighting and Menus
19981 @section Highlighting and Menus
19983 @cindex highlighting
19986 @vindex gnus-visual
19987 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
19988 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
19989 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
19992 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
19993 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
19996 @item group-highlight
19997 Do highlights in the group buffer.
19998 @item summary-highlight
19999 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
20000 @item article-highlight
20001 Do highlights in the article buffer.
20003 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
20005 Create menus in the group buffer.
20007 Create menus in the summary buffers.
20009 Create menus in the article buffer.
20011 Create menus in the browse buffer.
20013 Create menus in the server buffer.
20015 Create menus in the score buffers.
20017 Create menus in all buffers.
20020 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
20021 buffers, you could say something like:
20024 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
20027 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
20030 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
20033 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
20034 in all Gnus buffers.
20036 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
20039 @item gnus-mouse-face
20040 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
20041 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
20042 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
20046 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
20050 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
20051 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
20052 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
20054 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
20055 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
20056 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
20058 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
20059 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
20060 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
20062 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
20063 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
20064 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
20066 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
20067 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
20068 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
20070 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
20071 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
20072 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
20083 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
20084 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
20085 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
20086 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
20087 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
20091 @vindex gnus-carpal
20092 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
20093 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
20094 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
20099 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20100 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
20101 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
20103 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
20104 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
20105 Face used on buttons.
20107 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
20108 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
20109 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
20111 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20112 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
20113 Buttons in the group buffer.
20115 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20116 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
20117 Buttons in the summary buffer.
20119 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20120 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
20121 Buttons in the server buffer.
20123 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20124 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
20125 Buttons in the browse buffer.
20128 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
20129 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
20130 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
20138 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
20139 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
20140 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
20141 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
20142 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
20144 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
20145 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
20146 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
20148 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
20149 been idle for thirty minutes:
20152 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
20155 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
20159 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
20162 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
20163 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
20164 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20166 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
20167 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
20168 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
20169 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
20171 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
20172 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
20173 @var{idle} minutes.
20175 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
20176 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
20179 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
20180 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
20181 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
20183 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
20184 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
20185 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
20186 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
20188 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
20189 your @file{.gnus} file:
20191 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
20193 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
20196 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
20197 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
20198 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
20199 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
20200 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
20201 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
20202 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
20203 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
20204 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
20205 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
20206 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
20208 @findex gnus-demon-init
20209 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
20210 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
20211 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
20212 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
20213 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
20215 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
20216 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
20217 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
20226 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
20227 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
20229 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
20230 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
20231 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
20232 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
20235 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
20236 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
20237 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
20238 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
20240 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
20241 this will make spam disappear.
20243 There are some variables to customize, of course:
20246 @item gnus-use-nocem
20247 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
20248 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
20251 @item gnus-nocem-groups
20252 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
20253 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
20254 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
20255 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
20257 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
20258 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
20259 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
20260 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
20261 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
20262 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
20264 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
20265 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
20267 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
20268 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
20269 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
20270 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
20271 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
20272 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
20273 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
20274 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
20275 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
20276 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
20278 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
20279 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
20282 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
20285 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
20286 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
20289 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
20292 The specs are applied left-to-right.
20295 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
20296 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
20298 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
20299 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
20300 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
20301 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
20303 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
20304 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
20307 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
20309 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
20317 This might be dangerous, though.
20319 @item gnus-nocem-directory
20320 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
20321 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
20322 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
20324 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20325 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
20326 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
20327 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
20328 might then see old spam.
20330 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
20331 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
20332 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
20333 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
20334 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
20337 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20338 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
20339 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
20340 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
20344 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
20345 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
20346 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
20347 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
20354 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
20355 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
20356 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
20358 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
20359 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
20360 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
20361 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
20362 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
20363 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
20364 @code{undo} function.
20366 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
20367 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
20368 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
20369 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
20370 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
20371 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
20372 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
20373 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
20374 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
20375 never be totally undoable.
20377 @findex gnus-undo-mode
20378 @vindex gnus-use-undo
20380 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
20381 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
20382 default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
20383 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
20387 @node Predicate Specifiers
20388 @section Predicate Specifiers
20389 @cindex predicate specifiers
20391 Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
20392 form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
20393 to type all that much.
20395 These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
20400 (or gnus-article-unseen-p
20401 gnus-article-unread-p)
20404 The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
20405 functions all take one parameter.
20407 @findex gnus-make-predicate
20408 Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
20409 to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
20410 function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
20415 @section Moderation
20418 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
20419 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
20420 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
20423 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
20427 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
20430 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
20432 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
20437 You split your incoming mail by matching on
20438 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
20439 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
20442 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
20443 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
20446 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
20447 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
20451 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
20454 (setq gnus-moderated-list
20455 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
20459 @node Image Enhancements
20460 @section Image Enhancements
20462 XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
20463 Gnus has taken advantage of that.
20466 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
20467 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
20468 * X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
20469 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
20470 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
20483 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
20484 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
20485 over your shoulder as you read news.
20488 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
20489 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
20490 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
20491 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
20492 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
20497 @subsubsection Picon Basics
20499 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
20508 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
20509 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
20510 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
20511 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
20512 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
20513 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
20514 @code{GIF} formats.
20517 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20518 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
20519 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
20520 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
20521 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
20523 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20524 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
20525 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
20526 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
20527 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
20528 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20530 If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
20531 picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
20534 @node Picon Requirements
20535 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
20537 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must have @code{x} support
20538 compiled into XEmacs. To display color picons which are much nicer
20539 than the black & white one, you also need one of @code{xpm} or
20540 @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
20542 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20543 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
20544 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
20545 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
20546 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
20547 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20550 @subsubsection Easy Picons
20552 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
20553 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
20556 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
20557 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
20560 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
20561 containing the Picons databases.
20563 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
20566 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20567 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
20572 @subsubsection Hard Picons
20580 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
20581 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
20582 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
20583 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
20584 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
20589 @item gnus-picons-database
20590 @vindex gnus-picons-database
20591 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
20592 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
20593 subdirectories. This is only useful if
20594 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
20595 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
20597 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20598 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
20599 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
20600 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
20601 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
20602 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
20603 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
20605 @item gnus-picons-display-where
20606 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20607 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
20608 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
20609 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
20610 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
20611 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
20612 routines---@pxref{Window Layout}.
20614 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20615 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
20616 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
20621 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
20622 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
20624 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
20625 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
20628 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
20630 @item gnus-article-display-picons
20631 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
20632 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
20633 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
20635 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20636 @findex gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
20637 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
20638 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the function name, not @code{xface})
20644 @node Picon Useless Configuration
20645 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
20653 The following variables offer further control over how things are
20654 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
20655 don't need to worry about.
20659 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
20660 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
20661 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20662 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
20664 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
20665 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
20666 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
20667 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
20669 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
20670 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
20671 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
20672 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
20673 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
20675 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20676 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
20677 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
20678 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
20679 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
20680 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
20681 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
20682 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20684 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20685 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
20686 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
20687 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
20688 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable name, not @code{xface})
20690 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20691 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
20692 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
20693 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
20694 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
20695 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
20696 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
20698 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20699 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
20700 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
20701 Defaults to @code{nil}.
20703 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
20704 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
20705 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
20706 Defaults to @code{t}.
20708 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20709 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
20710 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
20711 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
20713 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
20714 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
20715 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
20717 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20718 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
20719 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
20720 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
20722 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
20723 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
20725 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20726 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
20727 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
20728 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
20729 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
20730 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
20731 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
20732 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
20743 @subsection Smileys
20748 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
20753 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
20754 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
20756 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
20757 @file{.gnus.el} file:
20760 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
20763 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
20764 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
20765 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
20766 text and maps that to file names.
20768 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
20769 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
20770 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
20771 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
20772 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
20773 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
20775 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
20776 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
20778 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
20779 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
20780 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
20782 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
20783 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
20787 @item smiley-data-directory
20788 @vindex smiley-data-directory
20789 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
20791 @item smiley-flesh-color
20792 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
20793 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
20795 @item smiley-features-color
20796 @vindex smiley-features-color
20797 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20799 @item smiley-tongue-color
20800 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
20801 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
20803 @item smiley-circle-color
20804 @vindex smiley-circle-color
20805 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
20807 @item smiley-mouse-face
20808 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
20809 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
20818 @code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
20819 depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
20820 It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
20824 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
20825 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
20826 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
20827 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
20835 Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
20836 @samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
20837 have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
20838 Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
20840 The variable that controls this is the
20841 @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
20842 string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
20843 function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
20844 If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
20845 the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
20847 The default action under Emacs 20 is to fork off the @code{display}
20848 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For
20849 the @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
20850 like @code{compface} or @code{faces-xface} on a GNU/Linux system.} to
20853 Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image support, the default
20854 action is to display the face before the @code{From} header. (It's
20855 nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support---that
20856 will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{X-Face}
20857 support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
20858 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
20859 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
20860 like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
20862 (NOTE: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
20865 Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
20866 easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
20868 @findex gnus-random-x-face
20869 @code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files
20870 in @code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
20871 converts it to the X-Face format by using the
20872 @code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
20873 @samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big.
20875 @code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
20876 converts the file to X-Face format by using the
20877 @code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
20879 Here's how you would typically use the former function. Put something
20880 like the folllowing in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
20883 (setq message-required-news-headers
20884 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20885 (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
20888 Using the latter function would be something like this:
20891 (setq message-required-news-headers
20892 (nconc message-required-news-headers
20893 (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
20894 (gnus-x-face-from-file
20895 "~/My-face.gif"))))))
20900 @subsection Toolbar
20910 @item gnus-use-toolbar
20911 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
20912 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
20913 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
20914 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
20916 @item gnus-group-toolbar
20917 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
20918 The toolbar in the group buffer.
20920 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
20921 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
20922 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
20924 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20925 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
20926 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
20932 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
20935 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20936 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
20937 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
20938 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
20939 unusual directory structure.
20941 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20942 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
20943 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
20944 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
20946 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20947 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
20948 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
20949 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
20950 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
20951 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
20953 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20954 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
20955 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
20969 @node Fuzzy Matching
20970 @section Fuzzy Matching
20971 @cindex fuzzy matching
20973 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
20974 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
20976 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
20977 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
20978 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
20980 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
20981 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
20982 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
20983 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
20984 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
20987 @node Thwarting Email Spam
20988 @section Thwarting Email Spam
20992 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
20994 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
20995 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
20996 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
20997 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
20998 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
20999 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
21000 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
21001 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
21004 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
21005 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
21006 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
21007 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
21008 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
21009 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
21011 This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
21014 * The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
21015 * Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
21016 * SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
21017 * Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
21018 * Filtering Spam Using spam.el::
21019 * Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)::
21022 @node The problem of spam
21023 @subsection The problem of spam
21025 @cindex spam filtering approaches
21026 @cindex filtering approaches, spam
21028 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21030 First, some background on spam.
21032 If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
21033 termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
21034 because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
21035 a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
21036 worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
21037 spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
21038 spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
21039 @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
21041 Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
21042 dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
21043 example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
21044 unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
21045 their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
21046 of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
21047 be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
21048 through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
21049 requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
21052 The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
21053 spam messages per day from @email{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
21054 block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
21055 @samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
21056 message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
21057 e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
21058 has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
21059 @strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
21060 Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
21061 mail can be useful.
21063 Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
21064 processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
21065 @code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
21066 China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
21067 @code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
21068 a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
21069 number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
21070 a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
21071 message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
21073 Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
21074 a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
21075 fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
21076 spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
21077 well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
21078 sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
21079 because of the incident.
21081 The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
21082 based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
21083 the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
21084 words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
21085 analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
21086 classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
21087 run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
21088 to store the database of spam analyses.
21090 @node Anti-Spam Basics
21091 @subsection Anti-Spam Basics
21095 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
21097 One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
21098 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
21100 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
21101 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
21102 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
21103 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
21104 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
21105 part of the mail address.)
21108 (setq message-default-news-headers
21109 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
21112 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21113 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21118 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
21119 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
21120 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
21126 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
21127 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
21128 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
21129 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
21131 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
21132 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
21133 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
21134 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
21135 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
21136 your fancy split rule in this way:
21141 (to "larsi" "misc")
21145 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
21146 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
21147 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
21148 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
21149 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
21151 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
21152 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
21153 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
21154 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
21155 cosmic balance somewhat.
21157 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
21158 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
21159 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
21160 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
21165 @subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
21166 @cindex SpamAssassin
21167 @cindex Vipul's Razor
21170 The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
21171 avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
21172 that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
21173 easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
21174 fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
21175 though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
21176 easy to adapt it to most other tools.
21178 If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
21179 need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
21180 @code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
21181 Specifiers}) follows.
21185 '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
21188 :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
21191 Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
21192 the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
21193 filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
21196 (setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
21200 Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
21203 (setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
21204 nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
21208 Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
21209 programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
21210 might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
21211 call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
21214 (setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
21216 (defun kevin-spamassassin ()
21218 (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
21219 (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
21221 (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
21223 (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
21224 "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
21228 That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
21229 might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
21230 spam. And here is the nifty function:
21233 (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
21234 "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
21236 (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
21237 (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
21238 (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
21242 @subsection Hashcash
21245 A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
21246 costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
21247 you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
21248 since it is not part of the internet standards, but it may be useful
21249 in smaller communities.
21251 While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
21252 work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
21253 new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
21254 will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
21255 to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
21256 instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
21257 scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
21258 The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
21259 often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
21260 one of them separately.
21263 The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
21264 compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
21265 resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
21266 header. For more details, and for the external application
21267 @code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
21268 @uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
21269 information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
21271 If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
21275 (require 'hashcash)
21276 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
21279 The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
21280 @uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
21281 development contrib directory.
21283 You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
21287 @item hashcash-default-payment
21288 @vindex hashcash-default-payment
21289 This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
21290 should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
21291 done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
21293 @item hashcash-payment-alist
21294 @vindex hashcash-payment-alist
21295 Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
21296 default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(ADDR AMOUNT)} cells,
21297 where ADDR is the receiver (email address or newsgroup) and AMOUNT is
21298 the number of bits in the collision that is needed. It can also
21299 contain @samp{(ADDR STRING AMOUNT)} cells, where the STRING is the
21300 string to use (normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
21304 Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
21308 Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
21309 hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
21310 customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
21311 a useful contribution, however.
21313 @node Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21314 @subsection Filtering Spam Using spam.el
21315 @cindex spam filtering
21318 The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
21319 and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
21320 filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam.
21322 So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
21323 the following keyboard commands:
21333 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
21334 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam})
21336 Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{H} mark.
21337 Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
21338 with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group.
21344 @findex spam-bogofilter-score
21345 (@code{spam-bogofilter-score}
21347 You must have bogofilter processing enabled for that command to work
21354 Gnus can learn from the spam you get. All you have to do is collect
21355 your spam in one or more spam groups, and set the variable
21356 @code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. In these groups, all messages
21357 are considered to be spam by default: they get the @samp{H} mark. You must
21358 review these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{H} mark for
21359 every message that is not spam after all. When you leave a spam
21360 group, all messages that continue with the @samp{H} mark, are passed on to
21361 the spam-detection engine (bogofilter, ifile, and others). To remove
21362 the @samp{H} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to "unread" the article, or @kbd{d} for
21363 declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all @samp{H}
21364 marked articles, saved or unsaved, are sent to Bogofilter or ifile
21365 (depending on @code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-ifile}), which will study
21366 them as spam samples.
21368 Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
21369 @code{spam-ham-marks-form} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and @samp{r} for
21370 default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and @samp{K} for automatic or
21371 explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for low scores, are all considered
21372 to be associated with articles which are not spam. This assumption
21373 might be false, in particular if you use kill files or score files as
21374 means for detecting genuine spam, you should then adjust
21375 @code{spam-ham-marks-form}. When you leave a group, all _unsaved_ articles
21376 bearing any the above marks are sent to Bogofilter or ifile, which
21377 will study these as not-spam samples. If you explicit kill a lot, you
21378 might sometimes end up with articles marked @samp{K} which you never saw,
21379 and which might accidentally contain spam. Best is to make sure that
21380 real spam is marked with @samp{H}, and nothing else.
21382 All other marks do not contribute to Bogofilter or ifile
21383 pre-conditioning. In particular, ticked, dormant or souped articles
21384 are likely to contribute later, when they will get deleted for real,
21385 so there is no need to use them prematurely. Explicitly expired
21386 articles do not contribute, command @kbd{E} is a way to get rid of an
21387 article without Bogofilter or ifile ever seeing it.
21389 @strong{TODO: @code{spam-use-ifile} does not process spam articles on group exit.
21390 I'm waiting for info from the author of @code{ifile-gnus.el}, because I think
21391 that functionality should go in @code{ifile-gnus.el} rather than @code{spam.el}.}
21393 To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
21394 must add the following to your fancy split list
21395 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
21401 Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
21402 @code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
21403 nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
21405 The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the mail
21406 considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
21407 @code{spam-split-group}. Usually that group name is @samp{spam}.
21409 The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
21413 * Blacklists and Whitelists::
21414 * BBDB Whitelists::
21417 * Ifile spam filtering::
21418 * Extending spam.el::
21421 @node Blacklists and Whitelists
21422 @subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
21423 @cindex spam filtering
21424 @cindex whitelists, spam filtering
21425 @cindex blacklists, spam filtering
21428 @defvar spam-use-blacklist
21429 Set this variables to t (the default) if you want to use blacklists.
21432 @defvar spam-use-whitelist
21433 Set this variables to t if you want to use whitelists.
21436 Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
21437 consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
21438 sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
21439 blacklist. Since you start out with an empty blacklist, no harm is
21440 done by having the @code{spam-use-blacklist} variable set, so it is
21441 set by default. Blacklist entries use the Emacs regular expression
21444 Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
21445 legitimate. All non-whitelisted addresses are considered spammers.
21446 This option is probably not useful for most Gnus users unless the
21447 whitelists is very comprehensive. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}.
21448 Whitelist entries use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
21450 The Blacklist and whitelist location can be customized with the
21451 @code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default). The whitelist
21452 and blacklist files will be in that directory, named @file{whitelist} and
21453 @file{blacklist} respectively.
21455 @node BBDB Whitelists
21456 @subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
21457 @cindex spam filtering
21458 @cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
21459 @cindex BBDB, spam filtering
21462 @defvar spam-use-bbdb
21464 Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
21465 Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted addresses,
21466 without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded for
21467 @code{spam-use-bbdb} to work properly. Only addresses in the BBDB
21468 will be allowed through; all others will be classified as spam.
21473 @subsubsection Blackholes
21474 @cindex spam filtering
21475 @cindex blackholes, spam filtering
21478 @defvar spam-use-blackholes
21480 You can let Gnus consult the blackhole-type distributed spam
21481 processing systems (DCC, for instance) when you set this option. The
21482 variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers} holds the list of blackhole servers
21485 This variable is disabled by default. It is not recommended at this
21486 time because of bugs in the @code{dns.el} code.
21491 @subsubsection Bogofilter
21492 @cindex spam filtering
21493 @cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
21496 @defvar spam-use-bogofilter
21498 Set this variable if you want to use Eric Raymond's speedy Bogofilter.
21499 This has been tested with a locally patched copy of version 0.4. Make
21500 sure to read the installation comments in @code{spam.el}.
21502 With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{H} mark for spam
21503 articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
21504 should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
21505 category, spam or not. The shell command @command{head -1
21506 ~/.bogofilter/*} shows both article counts. The command @kbd{S t} in
21507 summary mode, either for debugging or for curiosity, triggers
21508 Bogofilter into displaying in another buffer the @emph{spamicity}
21509 score of the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0), together with the
21510 article words which most significantly contribute to the score.
21514 @node Ifile spam filtering
21515 @subsubsection Ifile spam filtering
21516 @cindex spam filtering
21517 @cindex ifile, spam filtering
21520 @defvar spam-use-ifile
21522 Enable this variable if you want to use Ifile, a statistical analyzer
21523 similar to Bogofilter. Currently you must have @code{ifile-gnus.el}
21524 loaded. The integration of Ifile with @code{spam.el} is not finished
21525 yet, but you can use @code{ifile-gnus.el} on its own if you like.
21529 @node Extending spam.el
21530 @subsubsection Extending spam.el
21531 @cindex spam filtering
21532 @cindex spam.el, extending
21533 @cindex extending spam.el
21535 Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. Provide the following:
21545 (defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
21546 "True if blackbox should be used.")
21551 (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
21553 to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
21558 Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
21559 @samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
21560 @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
21563 @node Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21564 @subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics (spam-stat.el)
21565 @cindex Paul Graham
21566 @cindex Graham, Paul
21567 @cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
21568 @cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
21569 @cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
21571 Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
21572 statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
21573 Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
21574 filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
21575 the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
21576 always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
21577 on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
21578 this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
21579 that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
21582 The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
21583 with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
21584 either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
21585 collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
21586 word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
21587 non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
21588 probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
21589 than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
21591 Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
21592 First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
21593 non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
21594 collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
21595 this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
21598 * Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
21599 * Splitting mail using spam-stat::
21600 * Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
21603 @node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21604 @subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
21606 Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
21607 create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
21608 one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
21609 for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
21610 need several hundred emails in both collections.
21612 Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
21613 creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
21614 per mail. Use the following:
21616 @defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
21617 Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
21618 is treated as one spam mail.
21621 @defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
21622 Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
21623 file is treated as one non-spam mail.
21626 Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
21627 directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
21628 the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
21629 @code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
21630 @file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
21631 @samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
21634 This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
21635 dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
21636 collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
21637 word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
21639 If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
21640 reset the dictionary.
21644 @defun spam-stat-reset
21645 Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
21647 When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
21648 be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
21649 (instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
21650 can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
21651 not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
21652 only non-spam mails.
21655 @defun spam-stat-reduce-size
21656 Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
21657 to update the dictionary incrementally.
21660 @defun spam-stat-save
21661 Save the dictionary.
21664 @defvar spam-stat-file
21665 The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
21666 @file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
21669 @node Splitting mail using spam-stat
21670 @subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
21672 In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
21673 following to your @file{~/.gnus} file:
21676 (require 'spam-stat)
21680 This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
21683 Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
21684 determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. In the simplest case, you only have
21685 two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and @samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says
21686 that mail is either spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is
21687 spam, then @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
21690 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21691 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21695 @defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
21696 The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
21699 If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
21700 the following expression. It only the mails not matching the regular
21701 expression are considered potential spam.
21704 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21705 `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21706 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21710 If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
21711 creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
21712 consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
21713 non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
21714 mails, when creating the dictionary!
21717 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21718 `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21719 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21723 You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
21724 HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
21725 @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
21726 @samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
21727 nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
21731 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
21732 `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
21733 (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
21734 ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
21739 @node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
21740 @subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
21742 The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
21744 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
21745 called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail;
21746 use this for new mail that has not been processed before
21750 @defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
21751 called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
21752 mail; use this for new mail that has not been processed before
21756 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
21757 called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
21758 mail but spam; use this to change the status of a mail that has
21759 already been processed as non-spam
21763 @defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
21764 called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
21765 normal mail; use this to change the status of a mail that has already
21766 been processed as spam
21770 @defun spam-stat-save
21771 save the hash table to the file; the filename used is stored in the
21772 variable @code{spam-stat-file}
21776 @defun spam-stat-load
21777 load the hash table from a file; the filename used is stored in the
21778 variable @code{spam-stat-file}
21782 @defun spam-stat-score-word
21783 return the spam score for a word
21787 @defun spam-stat-score-buffer
21788 return the spam score for a buffer
21792 @defun spam-stat-split-fancy
21793 for fancy mail splitting; add the rule @samp{(: spam-stat-split-fancy)} to
21794 @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
21796 This requires the following in your @file{~/.gnus} file:
21799 (require 'spam-stat)
21805 Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
21808 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
21809 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
21810 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
21811 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
21812 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
21813 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
21814 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
21815 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
21816 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
21817 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
21818 File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
21819 Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
21820 Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
21821 Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
21824 Here is how you would create your dictionary:
21827 Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
21828 Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
21829 Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
21830 Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
21831 Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
21832 Save table: (spam-stat-save)
21835 @node Various Various
21836 @section Various Various
21842 @item gnus-home-directory
21843 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
21844 defaults to @file{~/}.
21846 @item gnus-directory
21847 @vindex gnus-directory
21848 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
21849 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
21850 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
21852 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
21853 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
21854 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
21855 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
21857 @item gnus-default-directory
21858 @vindex gnus-default-directory
21859 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
21860 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
21861 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
21862 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
21863 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
21864 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
21867 @vindex gnus-verbose
21868 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
21869 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
21870 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
21871 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
21872 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
21874 @item gnus-verbose-backends
21875 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
21876 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
21877 to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
21879 @item nnheader-max-head-length
21880 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
21881 When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
21882 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
21883 the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
21884 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
21885 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
21886 @code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
21887 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
21888 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
21890 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
21891 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
21892 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
21893 read when doing the operation described above.
21895 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21896 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21898 @cindex invalid characters in file names
21899 @cindex characters in file names
21900 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
21901 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
21902 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
21905 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
21909 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
21910 Windows (phooey) systems.
21912 @item gnus-hidden-properties
21913 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
21914 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
21915 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
21916 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
21918 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
21919 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
21920 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
21921 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
21922 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
21924 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
21925 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
21926 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
21928 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21929 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
21931 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
21932 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
21933 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
21934 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
21937 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
21945 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
21946 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
21948 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
21950 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
21956 Not because of victories @*
21959 but for the common sunshine,@*
21961 the largess of the spring.
21965 but for the day's work done@*
21966 as well as I was able;@*
21967 not for a seat upon the dais@*
21968 but at the common table.@*
21973 @chapter Appendices
21976 * XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
21977 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
21978 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
21979 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
21980 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
21981 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
21982 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
21983 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
21984 * Frequently Asked Questions::
21991 @cindex Installing under XEmacs
21993 XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
21994 whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
21995 requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
21996 @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
21997 @samp{xemacs-base}, and @samp{fsf-compat}. The @samp{misc-games}
21998 package is required for Morse decoding.
22005 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
22006 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
22008 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
22009 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
22010 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
22011 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
22012 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
22014 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
22015 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
22016 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
22017 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
22018 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
22019 appropriate name, don't you think?)
22021 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
22022 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
22023 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
22024 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
22027 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
22028 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
22029 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
22030 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
22031 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
22032 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
22033 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
22034 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
22035 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
22039 @node Gnus Versions
22040 @subsection Gnus Versions
22042 @cindex September Gnus
22044 @cindex Quassia Gnus
22045 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
22049 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
22050 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
22051 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
22053 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
22054 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
22056 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
22057 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
22059 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
22060 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
22062 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
22063 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
22066 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
22068 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
22069 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
22070 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
22071 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
22072 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
22073 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
22076 @node Other Gnus Versions
22077 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
22080 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
22081 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
22082 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
22083 @sc{mime} capabilities.
22085 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
22086 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
22087 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
22088 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
22095 What's the point of Gnus?
22097 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
22098 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
22099 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
22100 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
22101 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
22102 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
22103 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
22104 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
22105 keep track of millions of people who post?
22107 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
22108 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
22109 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
22110 to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
22111 interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
22112 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
22113 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
22114 every one of you to explore and invent.
22116 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
22117 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
22120 @node Compatibility
22121 @subsection Compatibility
22123 @cindex compatibility
22124 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
22125 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
22126 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
22131 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
22135 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
22138 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
22141 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
22142 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
22143 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
22144 important variables have their values copied into their global
22145 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
22146 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
22148 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
22149 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
22150 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
22151 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
22152 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
22156 @cindex highlighting
22157 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
22158 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
22159 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
22160 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
22161 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
22162 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
22165 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
22166 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
22167 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
22168 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
22170 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
22171 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
22172 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
22173 to stop doing it the old way.
22175 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
22177 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
22179 @cindex reporting bugs
22181 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
22182 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
22183 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
22185 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
22186 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
22187 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
22188 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
22193 @subsection Conformity
22195 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
22196 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
22204 There are no known breaches of this standard.
22208 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
22210 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
22211 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
22212 We do have some breaches to this one.
22218 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
22219 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
22220 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
22221 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
22222 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
22227 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
22228 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
22229 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
22230 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
22232 @item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
22234 All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
22236 @item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
22237 Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
22239 @item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
22242 RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
22243 Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
22244 put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
22245 format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
22246 decoding (verification and decryption).
22248 @item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
22249 RFC 2015 (superceded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
22250 1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
22251 Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
22253 @item S/MIME - RFC 2633
22254 RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
22256 @item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
22257 RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
22258 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
22259 2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
22260 describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
22261 TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
22262 GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
22266 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
22267 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
22272 @subsection Emacsen
22278 Gnus should work on :
22286 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
22290 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
22291 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
22292 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
22293 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
22294 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
22296 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
22297 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
22298 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
22302 @node Gnus Development
22303 @subsection Gnus Development
22305 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
22306 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
22307 propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
22308 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
22309 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
22310 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
22311 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
22312 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
22314 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
22315 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
22316 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
22317 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
22318 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
22321 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
22322 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
22323 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
22324 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
22325 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
22327 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
22328 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
22329 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
22330 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
22331 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
22332 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
22333 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
22334 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
22335 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
22336 can't be assumed to do so.
22341 @subsection Contributors
22342 @cindex contributors
22344 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
22345 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
22346 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
22347 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
22348 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
22349 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
22350 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
22351 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
22352 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
22353 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
22355 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
22361 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
22364 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
22365 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
22366 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
22367 functionality and stuff.
22370 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
22371 well as numerous other things).
22374 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
22377 Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
22380 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
22383 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
22386 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
22387 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
22390 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
22393 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
22394 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22397 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
22400 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
22403 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
22406 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
22409 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
22410 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
22413 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
22416 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
22419 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
22422 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
22426 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
22429 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
22432 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
22435 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
22436 well as autoconf support.
22440 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
22441 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
22443 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
22452 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
22456 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
22466 Alexei V. Barantsev,
22481 Massimo Campostrini,
22486 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
22487 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
22491 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
22494 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
22500 Michael Welsh Duggan,
22505 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
22509 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
22517 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
22519 Michelangelo Grigni,
22523 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
22525 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
22527 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
22534 François Felix Ingrand,
22535 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
22536 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
22538 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
22549 Peter Skov Knudsen,
22550 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
22552 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
22553 Thor Kristoffersen,
22556 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
22574 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
22575 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
22582 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
22587 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
22591 John McClary Prevost,
22597 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
22602 Christian von Roques,
22605 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
22612 Philippe Schnoebelen,
22614 Randal L. Schwartz,
22628 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
22633 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
22649 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
22654 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
22655 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
22656 (550kB and counting).
22658 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
22661 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
22662 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
22666 @subsection New Features
22667 @cindex new features
22670 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
22671 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
22672 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
22673 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
22674 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
22677 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
22678 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
22679 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
22682 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
22684 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
22689 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
22690 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
22693 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
22694 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
22697 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
22700 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
22701 All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
22702 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
22705 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
22706 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
22707 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
22708 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22711 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
22712 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22715 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
22716 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
22717 (@pxref{The Active File}).
22720 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
22721 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
22724 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
22725 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
22726 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
22729 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
22730 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
22731 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
22734 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
22735 the @file{.emacs} file.
22738 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
22739 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
22742 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
22743 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
22746 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
22747 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22750 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
22751 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
22754 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
22755 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
22758 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
22761 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
22762 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
22765 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
22766 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
22769 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
22770 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
22773 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
22776 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
22777 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22780 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
22784 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
22788 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
22789 configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
22792 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
22798 @node September Gnus
22799 @subsubsection September Gnus
22803 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
22807 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
22812 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
22813 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
22817 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
22818 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
22822 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
22826 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
22827 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
22830 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
22834 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
22837 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
22840 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
22843 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
22847 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
22848 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
22851 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
22855 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
22859 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
22863 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
22867 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
22870 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
22871 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
22874 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
22878 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
22879 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
22882 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
22885 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
22886 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
22887 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
22890 Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
22894 The Gnus cache is much faster.
22897 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
22901 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
22902 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
22905 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
22906 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
22909 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
22910 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
22913 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
22914 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
22915 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
22918 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
22919 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
22922 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
22925 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
22928 All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
22931 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
22934 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
22935 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
22938 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
22942 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
22945 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
22950 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
22953 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
22957 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
22960 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
22964 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
22967 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
22970 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
22971 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
22974 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
22975 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
22979 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
22980 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
22983 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
22987 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
22988 buffer to allow easier treatment.
22991 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
22994 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
22998 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
23002 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
23003 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
23006 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
23010 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
23011 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
23014 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
23015 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23018 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
23022 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
23025 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
23028 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
23034 @subsubsection Red Gnus
23036 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
23040 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
23047 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
23050 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
23051 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
23054 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
23055 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
23059 Article washing status can be displayed in the
23060 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
23063 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
23066 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
23067 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
23070 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
23074 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
23075 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
23079 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
23080 Server Internals}).
23083 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
23087 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
23090 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
23091 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
23094 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
23095 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
23096 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
23099 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
23100 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23103 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
23104 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
23107 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
23111 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
23112 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23115 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
23116 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
23119 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
23123 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
23126 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
23130 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
23131 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
23134 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
23135 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
23138 A new command for reading collections of documents
23139 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
23140 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
23143 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
23147 A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
23148 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
23151 A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
23152 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
23153 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
23156 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
23157 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
23161 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
23165 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
23169 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
23174 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
23178 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
23182 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
23183 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
23186 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
23192 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
23194 New features in Gnus 5.6:
23199 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
23200 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
23201 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
23204 The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
23205 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
23206 group, which is created automatically.
23209 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
23213 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
23216 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
23217 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
23220 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
23224 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
23227 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
23228 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
23231 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
23234 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
23235 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
23238 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
23239 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
23242 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
23243 control over simplification.
23246 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
23249 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
23253 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
23256 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
23259 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
23260 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
23261 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
23264 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
23265 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
23268 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
23272 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
23273 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
23276 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
23277 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
23280 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
23284 A history of where mails have been split is available.
23287 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
23290 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
23291 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
23294 A new function for citing in Message has been
23295 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
23298 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
23301 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
23305 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
23306 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
23309 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
23310 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
23313 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
23316 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
23320 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
23321 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
23323 New features in Gnus 5.8:
23328 The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
23329 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
23331 If you used procmail like in
23334 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
23335 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
23336 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
23337 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
23340 this now has changed to
23344 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
23348 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
23349 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
23352 Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
23353 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
23356 Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
23357 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
23360 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
23361 called to position point.
23364 The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
23365 summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
23368 @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
23369 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
23372 The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
23373 subtly different manner.
23376 New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
23377 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
23378 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
23381 Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
23389 @section The Manual
23393 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
23394 either @code{texi2dvi}
23396 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
23397 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
23399 to get what you hold in your hands now.
23401 The following conventions have been used:
23406 This is a @samp{string}
23409 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
23412 This is a @file{file}
23415 This is a @code{symbol}
23419 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
23423 (setq flargnoze "yes")
23426 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
23429 (setq flumphel 'yes)
23432 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
23433 ever get them confused.
23437 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
23438 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
23439 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
23440 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
23441 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
23442 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
23443 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
23449 @node On Writing Manuals
23450 @section On Writing Manuals
23452 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
23453 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
23454 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
23455 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
23456 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
23457 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
23460 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
23461 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
23462 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
23465 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
23466 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
23471 @section Terminology
23473 @cindex terminology
23478 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
23479 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
23480 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
23481 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
23482 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
23486 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
23487 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
23488 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
23489 not posting, and replying is not following up.
23493 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
23497 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
23502 Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
23503 difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
23504 commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
23505 read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
23506 thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
23507 when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
23508 a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
23509 back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
23510 group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
23512 So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
23513 accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
23514 IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
23515 accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
23516 back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
23519 Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
23520 done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
23521 access the articles.
23523 However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
23524 would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
23525 method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
23530 Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
23531 default, way of getting news.
23535 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
23536 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
23541 Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
23542 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
23546 A message that has been posted as news.
23549 @cindex mail message
23550 A message that has been mailed.
23554 A mail message or news article
23558 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
23563 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
23568 A line from the head of an article.
23572 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
23573 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
23577 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
23578 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
23579 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
23580 normal @sc{head} format.
23584 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
23585 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
23586 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
23587 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
23588 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
23589 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
23591 @item killed groups
23592 @cindex killed groups
23593 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
23594 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
23596 @item zombie groups
23597 @cindex zombie groups
23598 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
23601 @cindex active file
23602 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
23603 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
23604 is rather large, as you might surmise.
23607 @cindex bogus groups
23608 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
23609 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
23610 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
23613 @cindex activating groups
23614 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
23615 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
23616 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
23620 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
23622 @item select method
23623 @cindex select method
23624 A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
23627 @item virtual server
23628 @cindex virtual server
23629 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
23630 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
23631 whole is a virtual server.
23635 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
23636 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
23639 @item ephemeral groups
23640 @cindex ephemeral groups
23641 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
23642 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
23643 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
23646 @cindex solid groups
23647 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
23648 group buffer are solid groups.
23650 @item sparse articles
23651 @cindex sparse articles
23652 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
23653 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
23657 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
23658 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
23662 @cindex thread root
23663 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
23664 articles in the thread.
23668 An article that has responses.
23672 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
23676 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
23677 specified by RFC 1153.
23683 @node Customization
23684 @section Customization
23685 @cindex general customization
23687 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
23688 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
23689 for some quite common situations.
23692 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
23693 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
23694 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
23695 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
23699 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
23700 @subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
23702 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
23703 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
23704 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
23708 @item gnus-read-active-file
23709 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
23710 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
23711 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
23712 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
23713 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
23715 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
23716 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
23717 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
23718 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
23722 @node Slow Terminal Connection
23723 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
23725 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
23726 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
23727 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
23731 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
23732 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
23733 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
23734 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
23735 horizontal and vertical recentering.
23737 @item gnus-visible-headers
23738 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
23739 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
23740 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
23741 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
23743 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
23745 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
23746 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
23747 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
23750 @item gnus-use-full-window
23751 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
23752 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
23753 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
23754 want to read them anyway.
23756 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
23757 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
23761 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
23762 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
23763 lines, which might save some time.
23767 @node Little Disk Space
23768 @subsection Little Disk Space
23771 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
23772 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
23776 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
23777 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
23778 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
23779 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
23782 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
23783 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
23784 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
23785 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
23788 @item gnus-save-killed-list
23789 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
23790 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
23791 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
23792 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
23798 @subsection Slow Machine
23799 @cindex slow machine
23801 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
23802 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
23804 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
23805 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
23807 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
23808 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
23809 summary buffer faster.
23813 @node Troubleshooting
23814 @section Troubleshooting
23815 @cindex troubleshooting
23817 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
23825 Make sure your computer is switched on.
23828 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
23829 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
23833 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
23834 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
23835 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
23836 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
23837 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
23840 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
23844 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
23845 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
23846 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
23847 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
23848 something like that.
23851 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
23854 @cindex reporting bugs
23856 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
23858 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
23859 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
23860 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
23861 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
23863 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
23864 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
23865 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
23866 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
23869 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
23870 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
23871 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
23872 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
23873 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
23874 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
23876 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
23877 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
23878 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
23882 If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
23883 improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
23886 If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
23887 in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
23888 edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
23889 (@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
23890 Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
23891 you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
23892 step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
23893 the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
23894 then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
23895 return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
23896 placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
23897 evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
23898 @kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
23899 @kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
23901 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
23902 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
23904 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
23905 @cindex ding mailing list
23906 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
23907 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
23911 @node Gnus Reference Guide
23912 @section Gnus Reference Guide
23914 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
23915 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
23916 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
23917 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
23920 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
23921 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
23922 back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
23923 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
23924 and general methods of operation.
23927 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
23928 * Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
23929 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
23930 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
23931 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
23932 * Group Info:: The group info format.
23933 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
23934 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
23935 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
23939 @node Gnus Utility Functions
23940 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
23941 @cindex Gnus utility functions
23942 @cindex utility functions
23944 @cindex internal variables
23946 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
23947 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
23948 Below is a list of the most common ones.
23952 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
23953 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
23954 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
23956 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
23957 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
23958 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
23960 @item gnus-group-real-name
23961 @findex gnus-group-real-name
23962 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
23965 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
23966 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
23967 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
23968 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
23970 @item gnus-get-info
23971 @findex gnus-get-info
23972 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
23974 @item gnus-group-unread
23975 @findex gnus-group-unread
23976 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
23980 @findex gnus-active
23981 The active entry for @var{group}.
23983 @item gnus-set-active
23984 @findex gnus-set-active
23985 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
23987 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23988 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
23989 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
23992 @item gnus-continuum-version
23993 @findex gnus-continuum-version
23994 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
23995 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
23998 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
23999 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
24000 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
24002 @item gnus-news-group-p
24003 @findex gnus-news-group-p
24004 Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
24006 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24007 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
24008 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
24010 @item gnus-server-to-method
24011 @findex gnus-server-to-method
24012 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
24014 @item gnus-server-equal
24015 @findex gnus-server-equal
24016 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
24018 @item gnus-group-native-p
24019 @findex gnus-group-native-p
24020 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
24022 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
24023 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
24024 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
24026 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
24027 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
24028 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
24030 @item group-group-find-parameter
24031 @findex group-group-find-parameter
24032 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
24033 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
24035 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
24036 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
24037 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
24039 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
24040 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
24041 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
24043 @item gnus-check-backend-function
24044 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
24045 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
24046 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
24049 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
24053 @item gnus-read-method
24054 @findex gnus-read-method
24055 Prompts the user for a select method.
24060 @node Back End Interface
24061 @subsection Back End Interface
24063 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
24064 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
24065 server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
24066 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
24067 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
24068 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
24070 When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
24071 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
24072 function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
24073 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
24074 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
24075 been opened, the function should fail.
24077 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
24078 name. Take this example:
24082 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
24083 (nntp-port-number 4324))
24086 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
24087 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
24089 The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
24090 The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
24091 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
24093 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
24094 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
24095 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
24097 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
24098 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
24099 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
24100 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
24101 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
24102 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
24105 Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
24106 some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
24107 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
24108 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
24111 Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
24112 few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
24113 the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
24114 possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
24115 confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
24116 numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
24117 mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
24118 @code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
24119 Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
24120 group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
24122 The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
24123 article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
24124 assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
24125 if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
24126 the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
24127 also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
24128 of numbers as long as possible.
24130 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
24133 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
24136 * Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
24137 * Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
24138 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
24139 * Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
24140 * Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
24141 * Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
24145 @node Required Back End Functions
24146 @subsubsection Required Back End Functions
24150 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
24152 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
24153 @code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
24154 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
24155 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
24157 The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
24158 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
24159 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
24160 of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
24162 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
24163 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
24164 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
24165 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
24166 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
24167 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
24168 number, do maximum fetches.
24170 Here's an example HEAD:
24173 221 1056 Article retrieved.
24174 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
24175 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
24176 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
24177 Subject: Re: Something very droll
24178 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
24179 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
24181 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
24182 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
24183 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
24187 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
24188 these in the data buffer.
24190 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
24194 head = error / valid-head
24195 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
24196 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
24197 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
24198 header = <text> eol
24201 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
24202 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
24206 nov-buffer = *nov-line
24207 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
24208 field = <text except TAB>
24211 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
24215 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
24217 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
24218 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
24220 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
24221 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
24222 server. In fact, it should do so.
24224 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
24225 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
24228 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
24230 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
24231 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
24234 There should be no data returned.
24237 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
24239 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
24240 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
24241 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
24242 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
24244 There should be no data returned.
24247 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
24249 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
24250 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
24251 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
24252 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
24254 There should be no data returned.
24257 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
24259 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
24261 There should be no data returned.
24264 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
24266 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
24267 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
24268 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
24269 it would be nice if that were possible.
24271 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
24272 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
24273 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
24274 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
24275 into its article buffer.
24277 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
24278 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
24279 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
24280 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
24281 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
24282 on successful article retrieval.
24285 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
24287 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
24288 making @var{group} the current group.
24290 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
24293 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
24296 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
24299 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
24300 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
24301 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
24302 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
24303 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
24304 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
24305 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
24306 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
24307 articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
24311 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
24312 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
24313 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
24317 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24319 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
24320 a no-op on most back ends.
24322 There should be no data returned.
24325 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
24327 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
24330 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
24333 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
24334 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
24337 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
24338 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
24339 contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
24340 and the highest as 0.
24343 active-file = *active-line
24344 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
24346 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
24349 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
24350 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
24351 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
24354 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
24356 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
24357 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
24358 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
24359 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
24360 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
24361 clear if the posting could not be completed.
24363 There should be no result data from this function.
24368 @node Optional Back End Functions
24369 @subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
24373 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
24375 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
24376 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
24377 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
24379 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
24380 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
24381 former is in the same format as the data from
24382 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
24383 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
24386 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
24390 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
24392 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
24393 alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
24394 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
24395 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
24396 should return the (altered) group info.
24398 There should be no result data from this function.
24401 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
24403 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
24404 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
24405 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
24406 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
24407 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
24408 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
24409 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
24410 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
24412 There should be no result data from this function.
24415 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
24417 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
24418 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
24419 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
24420 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
24421 propagate the mark information to the server.
24423 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
24426 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
24429 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
24430 @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove marks
24431 (preserving all marks not mentioned). MARK is a list of marks; where
24432 each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read},
24433 @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
24434 @code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
24435 @code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
24436 possible, not limit itself to these.
24438 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
24439 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
24440 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
24441 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
24443 An example action list:
24446 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
24447 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
24448 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
24451 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
24452 mark on (currently not used for anything).
24454 There should be no result data from this function.
24456 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
24458 If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
24459 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
24460 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
24461 @var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
24462 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
24464 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
24465 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
24466 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
24469 There should be no result data from this function.
24472 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
24474 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
24475 request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
24476 another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
24477 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
24478 to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
24479 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
24480 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
24482 There should be no result data from this function.
24485 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
24487 The result data from this function should be a description of
24491 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
24493 description = <text>
24496 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
24498 The result data from this function should be the description of all
24499 groups available on the server.
24502 description-buffer = *description-line
24506 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
24508 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
24509 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
24510 (i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
24511 the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
24512 in the active buffer format.
24514 It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
24515 might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
24516 just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
24517 Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
24518 many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
24519 back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
24520 server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
24523 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
24525 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
24527 There should be no return data.
24530 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
24532 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
24533 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
24534 numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
24535 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
24536 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
24539 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
24542 There should be no result data returned.
24545 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
24548 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
24549 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
24551 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
24552 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
24553 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
24554 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
24555 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
24556 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
24558 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
24559 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
24562 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24563 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24565 There should be no data returned.
24568 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
24570 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
24571 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
24572 this function in short order.
24574 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
24575 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
24577 There should be no data returned.
24580 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
24582 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
24583 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
24585 There should be no data returned.
24588 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
24590 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
24591 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
24592 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
24594 There should be no data returned.
24597 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
24599 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
24600 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
24602 There should be no data returned.
24607 @node Error Messaging
24608 @subsubsection Error Messaging
24610 @findex nnheader-report
24611 @findex nnheader-get-report
24612 The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
24613 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
24614 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
24615 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
24616 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
24617 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
24620 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
24622 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
24625 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
24626 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
24627 recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
24628 takes one argument---the server symbol.
24630 Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
24631 so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
24632 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
24635 @node Writing New Back Ends
24636 @subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
24638 Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
24639 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
24640 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
24641 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
24642 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
24645 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
24646 back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
24647 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
24649 All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
24650 package called @code{nnoo}.
24652 To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
24653 inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
24659 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
24660 parameters. For instance:
24663 (nnoo-declare nndir
24667 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
24668 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
24671 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
24672 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
24673 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
24675 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
24676 variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
24677 a function in those back ends.
24680 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24681 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24682 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24685 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
24686 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
24687 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
24689 @item nnoo-define-basics
24690 This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
24694 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
24698 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
24699 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
24700 function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
24702 @item nnoo-map-functions
24703 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
24704 functions from the parent back ends.
24707 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
24708 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24709 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
24712 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
24713 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
24714 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
24715 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
24718 This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
24719 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
24720 haven't already been defined.
24726 nnmh-request-newgroups)
24730 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
24731 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
24732 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
24737 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
24740 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
24741 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
24745 (require 'nnheader)
24749 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
24751 (nnoo-declare nndir
24754 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
24755 "Where nndir will look for groups."
24756 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
24758 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
24759 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
24762 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
24764 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
24765 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
24766 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
24768 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
24769 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
24771 ;;; Interface functions.
24773 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
24775 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
24776 (setq nndir-directory
24777 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
24779 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
24780 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
24781 (push `(nndir-current-group
24782 ,(file-name-nondirectory
24783 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
24785 (push `(nndir-top-directory
24786 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
24788 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
24790 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
24791 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24792 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
24793 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
24794 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
24798 nnmh-status-message
24800 nnmh-request-newgroups))
24806 @node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
24807 @subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
24809 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
24810 @findex gnus-declare-backend
24811 Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
24812 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
24813 enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
24815 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
24816 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
24821 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
24824 The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
24826 The abilities can be:
24830 This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
24832 This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
24834 This back end supports both mail and news.
24836 This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
24839 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
24840 articles and groups.
24842 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
24843 true for almost all back ends.
24844 @item prompt-address
24845 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
24846 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
24847 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
24851 @node Mail-like Back Ends
24852 @subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
24854 One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
24855 back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
24856 common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
24857 definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
24860 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
24861 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
24862 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
24865 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
24866 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
24869 This function takes four parameters.
24873 This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
24876 @item exit-function
24877 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
24879 @item temp-directory
24880 Where the temporary files should be stored.
24883 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
24884 performed for one group only.
24887 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
24888 save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
24889 find the article number assigned to this article.
24891 The function also uses the following variables:
24892 @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
24893 this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
24894 @var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
24895 @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
24899 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
24900 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
24904 @node Score File Syntax
24905 @subsection Score File Syntax
24907 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
24908 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
24909 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
24911 Here's a typical score file:
24915 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
24922 BNF definition of a score file:
24925 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
24926 element = rule / atom
24927 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
24928 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
24929 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
24930 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
24932 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
24933 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
24934 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
24935 date-header = "date"
24936 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24937 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24938 score = "nil" / <integer>
24939 date = "nil" / <natural number>
24940 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
24941 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
24942 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
24943 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
24944 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24945 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
24946 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
24947 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
24948 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
24949 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
24950 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
24951 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
24952 exclude-files / read-only / touched
24953 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
24954 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
24955 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
24956 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
24957 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
24958 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
24959 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
24960 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
24961 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
24962 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
24963 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
24964 eval = "eval" space <form>
24965 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
24968 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
24971 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
24972 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
24973 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
24974 one looong line, then that's ok.
24976 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
24977 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
24981 @subsection Headers
24983 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
24984 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
24985 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
24986 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
24988 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
24989 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
24990 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
24991 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
24992 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
24993 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
24994 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
24996 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
24997 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
24998 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
24999 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
25000 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
25002 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
25003 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
25009 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
25010 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
25012 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
25013 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
25014 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
25015 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
25017 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
25021 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
25024 is transformed into
25027 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
25030 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
25031 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
25034 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
25037 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
25038 is slightly tricky:
25041 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
25047 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
25050 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
25056 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
25063 and is equal to the previous range.
25065 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
25066 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
25067 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
25071 range = simple-range / normal-range
25072 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
25073 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
25074 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
25075 number *[ " " contents ]
25078 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
25079 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
25080 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
25081 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
25082 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
25087 @subsection Group Info
25089 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
25090 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
25091 describes the group.
25093 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
25094 second is a more complex one:
25097 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
25099 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
25100 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
25102 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
25105 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
25106 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
25107 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
25108 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
25109 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
25110 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
25111 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
25112 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
25113 this section is about.
25115 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
25116 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
25117 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
25119 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
25122 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
25123 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
25124 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
25125 group = quote <string> quote
25126 ralevel = rank / level
25127 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25128 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
25129 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
25131 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
25132 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
25133 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
25134 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
25137 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
25138 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
25141 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
25142 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
25145 @item gnus-info-group
25146 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
25147 @findex gnus-info-group
25148 @findex gnus-info-set-group
25149 Get/set the group name.
25151 @item gnus-info-rank
25152 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
25153 @findex gnus-info-rank
25154 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
25155 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
25157 @item gnus-info-level
25158 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
25159 @findex gnus-info-level
25160 @findex gnus-info-set-level
25161 Get/set the group level.
25163 @item gnus-info-score
25164 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
25165 @findex gnus-info-score
25166 @findex gnus-info-set-score
25167 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
25169 @item gnus-info-read
25170 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
25171 @findex gnus-info-read
25172 @findex gnus-info-set-read
25173 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
25175 @item gnus-info-marks
25176 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
25177 @findex gnus-info-marks
25178 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
25179 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
25181 @item gnus-info-method
25182 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
25183 @findex gnus-info-method
25184 @findex gnus-info-set-method
25185 Get/set the group select method.
25187 @item gnus-info-params
25188 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
25189 @findex gnus-info-params
25190 @findex gnus-info-set-params
25191 Get/set the group parameters.
25194 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
25195 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
25197 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
25198 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
25199 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
25200 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
25203 @node Extended Interactive
25204 @subsection Extended Interactive
25205 @cindex interactive
25206 @findex gnus-interactive
25208 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
25209 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
25210 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
25213 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
25214 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
25219 The best thing to do would have been to implement
25220 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
25221 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
25222 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
25223 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
25224 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
25225 @code{interactive}.
25227 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
25232 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
25233 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
25237 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
25238 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
25239 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
25242 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
25246 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
25250 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
25256 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
25257 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
25261 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
25262 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
25263 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
25265 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
25266 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
25267 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
25268 Gnus, that's very useful.
25270 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
25271 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
25272 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
25273 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
25274 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
25275 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
25276 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
25277 following function:
25280 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
25284 (,function ,@@args))
25288 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
25289 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
25290 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
25293 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
25294 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
25295 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
25297 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
25298 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
25299 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
25302 @node Various File Formats
25303 @subsection Various File Formats
25306 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
25307 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
25311 @node Active File Format
25312 @subsubsection Active File Format
25314 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
25315 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
25318 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
25321 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
25322 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
25323 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
25324 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
25325 no.general 1000 900 y
25328 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
25331 active = *group-line
25332 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
25333 group = <non-white-space string>
25335 high-number = <non-negative integer>
25336 low-number = <positive integer>
25337 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
25340 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
25341 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
25344 @node Newsgroups File Format
25345 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
25347 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
25348 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
25349 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
25352 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
25353 Here's the definition:
25357 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
25358 group = <non-white-space string>
25360 description = <string>
25365 @node Emacs for Heathens
25366 @section Emacs for Heathens
25368 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
25369 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
25370 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
25371 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
25372 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
25373 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
25374 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
25378 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
25379 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
25384 @subsection Keystrokes
25388 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
25391 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
25394 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
25395 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
25396 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
25397 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
25398 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
25399 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
25401 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
25402 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
25403 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
25404 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
25405 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
25406 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
25407 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
25409 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
25410 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
25411 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
25412 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
25413 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
25414 ``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
25415 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
25417 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
25418 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
25419 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
25420 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
25421 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
25427 @subsection Emacs Lisp
25429 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
25430 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
25431 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
25432 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
25434 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
25435 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
25436 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
25437 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
25438 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
25439 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
25440 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
25443 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
25444 write the following:
25447 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
25450 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
25451 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
25452 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
25455 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
25456 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
25457 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
25458 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
25459 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
25461 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
25462 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
25463 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
25467 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
25471 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
25474 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
25475 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
25478 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
25481 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
25482 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
25485 @include gnus-faq.texi
25505 @c Local Variables:
25507 @c coding: iso-8859-1
25509 % LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
25510 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
25511 % LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
25512 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
25513 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref