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4 @settitle T-gnus 6.13 Manual
9 @c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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265 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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274 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
276 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
277 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
278 are preserved on all copies.
280 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
281 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
282 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
283 permission notice identical to this one.
285 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
286 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
295 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
297 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
299 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
300 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
301 are preserved on all copies.
304 Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
305 results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
306 notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
307 (this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
310 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
311 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
312 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
313 permission notice identical to this one.
315 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
316 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
322 @title T-gnus 6.13 Manual
324 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
327 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
328 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
330 Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
331 this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
332 are preserved on all copies.
334 Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
335 manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
336 entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
337 permission notice identical to this one.
339 Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
340 into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
349 @top The gnus Newsreader
353 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
354 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
355 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
358 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
359 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
360 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
361 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
362 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
363 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
365 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.13.
376 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
377 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
379 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
380 being accused of plagiarism:
382 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
383 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
384 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
385 even read news with it!
387 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
388 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
389 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
390 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
391 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
398 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
399 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
400 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
401 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
402 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
403 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
404 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
405 * Various:: General purpose settings.
406 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
407 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
408 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
409 * Key Index:: Key Index.
413 @chapter Starting gnus
418 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
419 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
422 @findex gnus-other-frame
423 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
424 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
425 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
427 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
428 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
429 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
431 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
432 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
435 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
436 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
437 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
438 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
439 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
440 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
441 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
442 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
443 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
444 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
445 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
449 @node Finding the News
450 @section Finding the News
453 @vindex gnus-select-method
455 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
456 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
457 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
458 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
461 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
462 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
465 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
468 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
471 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
474 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
475 certainly be much faster.
477 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
479 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
480 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
481 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
482 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
483 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
484 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
486 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
487 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
488 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
489 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
491 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
492 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
493 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
494 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
495 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
496 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
497 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
498 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
499 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
502 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
504 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
505 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
506 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
507 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
508 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
509 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
511 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
513 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
514 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
515 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
516 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
517 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
518 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
521 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
522 would typically set this variable to
525 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
530 @section The First Time
531 @cindex first time usage
533 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
534 be subscribed by default.
536 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
537 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
538 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
539 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
542 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
543 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
544 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
546 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
547 help you with most common problems.
549 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
550 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
554 @node The Server is Down
555 @section The Server is Down
556 @cindex server errors
558 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
559 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
560 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
562 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
563 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
564 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
565 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
566 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
567 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
568 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
570 @findex gnus-no-server
571 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
573 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
574 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
575 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
576 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
577 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
578 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
583 @section Slave Gnusae
586 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
587 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
588 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
589 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
591 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
594 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
595 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
596 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
597 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
598 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
599 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
600 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
602 Anyways, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
603 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
604 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
605 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
606 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
607 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
608 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
609 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
611 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
612 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
615 @node Fetching a Group
616 @section Fetching a Group
617 @cindex fetching a group
619 @findex gnus-fetch-group
620 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
621 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
622 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
623 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
624 It takes the group name as a parameter.
632 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
633 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
634 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
635 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
636 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
637 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
638 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
639 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
640 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
643 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
644 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
645 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
649 @node Checking New Groups
650 @subsection Checking New Groups
652 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
653 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
654 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
655 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
656 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
657 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
658 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
659 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
660 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
661 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
663 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
664 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
665 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
666 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
667 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
668 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
669 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
670 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
671 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
672 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
673 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
675 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
676 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
677 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
678 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
679 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
680 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
683 @node Subscription Methods
684 @subsection Subscription Methods
686 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
687 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
688 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
690 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
691 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
693 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
697 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
698 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
699 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
700 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
701 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
703 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
704 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
705 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
706 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
708 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
709 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
710 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
712 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
713 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
714 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
715 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
716 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
717 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
718 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
719 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
720 up. Or something like that.
722 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
723 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
724 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
725 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
726 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
728 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
729 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
732 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
733 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
734 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
735 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
736 topic parameter that looks like
742 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
745 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
750 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
751 A closely related variable is
752 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
753 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
754 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
755 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
758 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
759 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
760 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
761 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
764 @node Filtering New Groups
765 @subsection Filtering New Groups
767 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
768 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
769 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
772 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
775 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
776 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
777 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
778 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
779 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
780 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
781 subscribing these groups.
782 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
783 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
785 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
786 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
787 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
788 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
789 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
790 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
791 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
792 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
794 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
795 Yet another variable that meddles here is
796 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
797 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
798 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
799 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
800 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
801 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
802 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
803 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
805 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
806 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
809 @node Changing Servers
810 @section Changing Servers
811 @cindex changing servers
813 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
814 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
815 very flaky and you want to use another.
817 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
818 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
822 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
823 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
824 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
825 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
828 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
829 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
830 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
831 functions more than absolutely necessary.
833 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
834 @findex gnus-change-server
835 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
836 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
837 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
838 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
839 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
841 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
842 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
843 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
844 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
845 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
847 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
848 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
849 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
850 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
851 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
852 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
854 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
855 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
856 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
860 @section Startup Files
861 @cindex startup files
866 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
867 information is traditionally stored in this file.
869 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{GNUS}. In addition to
870 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
871 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
872 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
873 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{GNUS} would read whichever one of these
874 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
875 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
877 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
878 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
879 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
880 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
881 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
882 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
884 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
885 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
886 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
887 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
888 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
889 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
890 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
891 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
892 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
893 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
895 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
896 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
897 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
898 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
899 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
900 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
901 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
902 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
903 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
904 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
905 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
906 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
908 @vindex gnus-startup-file
909 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
910 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
911 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
913 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
914 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
915 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
916 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
917 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
918 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
919 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
920 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
921 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
922 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
925 (defun turn-off-backup ()
926 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
928 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
929 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
932 @vindex gnus-init-file
933 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
934 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
935 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
936 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
937 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
938 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
939 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
940 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
941 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
950 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
951 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
952 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
953 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
954 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
957 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
958 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
961 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
962 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
963 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
965 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
966 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
967 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
968 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
969 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
970 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
972 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
973 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
974 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
977 @node The Active File
978 @section The Active File
980 @cindex ignored groups
982 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
983 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
984 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
986 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
987 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
988 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
989 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
990 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
991 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
992 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
995 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
996 @c if you set it to anything else.
998 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1000 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1001 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1002 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1004 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1005 you actually subscribe to.
1007 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1008 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1009 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1010 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1012 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1013 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1014 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1015 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1016 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1017 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1019 Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
1020 not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
1021 is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
1023 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1024 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1025 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1026 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1027 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1028 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1030 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1031 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1033 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1034 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1036 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1037 secondary select methods.
1040 @node Startup Variables
1041 @section Startup Variables
1045 @item gnus-load-hook
1046 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1047 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1048 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1049 times you start gnus.
1051 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1052 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1053 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1055 @item gnus-startup-hook
1056 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1057 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1059 @item gnus-started-hook
1060 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1061 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1064 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1065 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1066 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1067 generating the group buffer.
1069 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1070 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1071 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1072 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1073 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1074 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1075 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1076 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1078 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1079 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1080 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1081 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1082 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1083 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1085 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1086 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1087 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1089 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1090 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1091 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1093 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1094 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1095 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1096 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1101 @node The Group Buffer
1102 @chapter The Group Buffer
1103 @cindex group buffer
1105 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1106 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1107 long as gnus is active.
1111 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1112 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1113 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1114 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1115 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1116 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1117 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1118 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1124 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1125 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1126 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1127 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1128 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1129 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1130 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1131 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1132 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1133 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1134 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1135 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1136 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1137 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1138 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1139 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1140 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1144 @node Group Buffer Format
1145 @section Group Buffer Format
1148 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1149 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1150 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1154 @node Group Line Specification
1155 @subsection Group Line Specification
1156 @cindex group buffer format
1158 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1159 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1161 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1164 25: news.announce.newusers
1165 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1170 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1171 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1172 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1173 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1175 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1176 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1177 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1178 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1179 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1180 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1182 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1184 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1185 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1186 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1187 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1190 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1191 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1192 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1194 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1199 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1202 Whether the group is subscribed.
1205 Level of subscribedness.
1208 Number of unread articles.
1211 Number of dormant articles.
1214 Number of ticked articles.
1217 Number of read articles.
1220 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1221 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1224 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1227 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1236 Newsgroup description.
1239 @samp{m} if moderated.
1242 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1251 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1255 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1258 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1259 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1260 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1261 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1262 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1265 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1267 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1271 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1275 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1276 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1277 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1278 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1279 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1280 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1285 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1286 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1287 group, or a bogus native group.
1290 @node Group Modeline Specification
1291 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1292 @cindex group modeline
1294 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1295 The mode line can be changed by setting
1296 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1297 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1301 The native news server.
1303 The native select method.
1307 @node Group Highlighting
1308 @subsection Group Highlighting
1309 @cindex highlighting
1310 @cindex group highlighting
1312 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1313 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1314 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1315 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1316 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1318 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1322 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1
1323 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
1324 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2
1325 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
1326 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3
1327 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
1328 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4
1329 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
1330 (face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5
1331 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
1333 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1334 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1335 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1336 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1337 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1338 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1341 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1343 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1350 The number of unread articles in the group.
1354 Whether the group is a mail group.
1356 The level of the group.
1358 The score of the group.
1360 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1362 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1363 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1365 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1366 topic being inserted.
1369 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1370 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1371 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1373 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1374 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1375 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1376 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1377 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1380 @node Group Maneuvering
1381 @section Group Maneuvering
1382 @cindex group movement
1384 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1385 expected, hopefully.
1391 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1392 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1393 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1399 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1400 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1401 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1405 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1406 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1410 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1411 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1415 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1416 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1417 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1421 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1422 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1423 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1426 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1432 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1433 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1434 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1439 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1440 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1441 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1445 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1446 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1447 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1450 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1451 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1452 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1453 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1457 @node Selecting a Group
1458 @section Selecting a Group
1459 @cindex group selection
1464 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1465 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1466 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1467 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1468 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1469 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1470 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1471 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1472 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1473 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1477 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1478 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1479 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1480 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1481 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1485 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1486 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1487 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1488 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1489 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1490 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1491 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1492 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1493 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1494 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1497 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1498 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1499 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1500 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1501 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1504 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1505 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1506 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1507 doing any processing of its contents
1508 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1509 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1510 manner will have no permanent effects.
1514 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1515 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
1516 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1517 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
1518 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1519 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1520 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1521 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1524 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1525 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1526 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1527 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1532 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1533 full summary buffer.
1536 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
1539 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
1544 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
1545 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
1546 Useful functions include:
1549 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
1550 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
1551 don't select the article.
1553 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
1554 Select the first unread article.
1556 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
1557 Select the highest-scored unread article.
1561 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
1562 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
1563 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
1567 @node Subscription Commands
1568 @section Subscription Commands
1569 @cindex subscription
1577 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
1578 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
1579 Toggle subscription to the current group
1580 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
1586 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
1587 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
1588 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
1589 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
1595 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
1596 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
1597 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
1603 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
1604 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
1607 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
1608 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
1609 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
1610 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
1611 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
1617 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
1618 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
1622 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
1623 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
1626 @kindex S C-k (Group)
1627 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
1628 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
1629 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
1630 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
1631 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
1632 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
1633 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
1634 @file{.newsrc} file.
1638 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1648 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
1649 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
1650 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
1651 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
1652 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
1653 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
1658 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
1659 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
1660 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
1664 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
1665 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
1666 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
1668 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1669 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1670 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1671 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
1672 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
1673 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
1680 @section Group Levels
1684 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
1685 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
1686 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
1687 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
1688 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1690 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
1696 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
1697 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
1698 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
1699 prompted for a level.
1702 @vindex gnus-level-killed
1703 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
1704 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
1705 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
1706 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
1707 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
1708 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
1709 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
1710 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
1711 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
1712 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
1713 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
1714 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
1715 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
1716 reasons of efficiency.
1718 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
1719 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
1721 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
1722 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
1723 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
1725 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
1726 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
1727 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
1728 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
1729 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
1730 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
1731 relevant valid ranges.
1733 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
1734 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
1735 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
1736 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
1737 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
1738 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
1741 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
1742 All groups with a level less than or equal to
1743 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
1746 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
1747 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
1748 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
1749 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
1752 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
1753 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
1754 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
1755 use this level as the ``work'' level.
1757 @vindex gnus-activate-level
1758 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
1759 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
1760 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
1761 to 5. The default is 6.
1765 @section Group Score
1770 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
1771 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
1772 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
1775 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
1776 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
1777 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
1778 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
1779 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
1780 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
1781 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
1782 least significant part.))
1784 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
1785 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
1786 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
1787 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
1788 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
1789 action after each summary exit, you can add
1790 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
1791 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
1792 slow things down somewhat.
1795 @node Marking Groups
1796 @section Marking Groups
1797 @cindex marking groups
1799 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
1800 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
1801 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
1802 bidding on those groups.
1804 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
1805 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
1806 with the process mark and then execute the command.
1814 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
1815 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
1821 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
1822 Remove the mark from the current group
1823 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
1827 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
1828 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
1832 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
1833 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
1837 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
1838 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
1842 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
1843 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
1844 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
1847 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
1849 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
1850 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
1851 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
1852 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
1853 the command to be executed.
1856 @node Foreign Groups
1857 @section Foreign Groups
1858 @cindex foreign groups
1860 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
1861 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
1862 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
1863 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
1870 @findex gnus-group-make-group
1871 @cindex making groups
1872 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
1873 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
1874 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
1878 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
1879 @cindex renaming groups
1880 Rename the current group to something else
1881 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
1882 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
1888 @findex gnus-group-customize
1889 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
1893 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
1894 @cindex renaming groups
1895 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
1896 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
1900 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
1901 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
1902 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
1906 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
1907 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
1908 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
1912 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
1914 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
1915 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
1920 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
1921 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
1925 @cindex (ding) archive
1926 @cindex archive group
1927 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
1928 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
1929 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
1930 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
1931 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
1932 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
1933 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
1937 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
1939 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
1940 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
1941 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
1942 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
1946 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
1948 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
1949 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
1950 @xref{Anything Groups}.
1954 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
1955 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
1957 Make a group based on some file or other
1958 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1959 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
1960 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
1961 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
1962 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
1963 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
1964 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
1968 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
1969 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
1970 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
1971 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
1975 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
1980 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
1981 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
1982 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
1983 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
1984 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
1985 @xref{Web Searches}.
1987 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
1988 to a particular group by using a match string like
1989 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
1992 @kindex G DEL (Group)
1993 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
1994 This function will delete the current group
1995 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
1996 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
1997 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
1998 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
1999 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2003 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2004 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2005 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2009 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2010 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2011 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2014 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2017 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2018 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2019 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2020 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2021 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2022 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2026 @node Group Parameters
2027 @section Group Parameters
2028 @cindex group parameters
2030 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2031 Here's an example group parameter list:
2034 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2038 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2039 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2040 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2041 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2043 The following group parameters can be used:
2048 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2051 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2054 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2055 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2056 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2057 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2058 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2060 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2061 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2062 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2063 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2064 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2065 list address instead.
2069 Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
2072 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2075 It is totally ignored
2076 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2077 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2079 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2080 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2081 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2082 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2083 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2085 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2086 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2087 sending the message.
2091 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2092 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2093 of whether it has any unread articles.
2095 @item broken-reply-to
2096 @cindex broken-reply-to
2097 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2098 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2099 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2100 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2101 broken behavior. So there!
2105 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2106 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2110 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2111 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2112 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2117 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2118 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2119 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2120 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2121 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2122 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2123 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2127 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2128 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2129 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2132 @cindex total-expire
2133 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2134 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2135 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2136 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2141 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2142 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2143 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2144 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2145 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2146 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2149 @cindex score file group parameter
2150 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2151 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2152 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2155 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2156 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2157 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2158 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2161 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2162 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2163 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2164 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2167 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2168 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2172 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2175 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2180 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2181 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2182 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2186 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2187 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2188 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2190 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2191 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2192 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2193 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2194 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2195 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2196 @code{eval}ed there.
2198 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2199 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2200 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2201 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2202 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2205 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2206 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2207 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2208 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2209 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2211 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2212 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2213 like this in the group parameters:
2218 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2223 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2224 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2228 @node Listing Groups
2229 @section Listing Groups
2230 @cindex group listing
2232 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2240 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2241 List all groups that have unread articles
2242 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2243 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2244 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2245 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2252 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2253 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2254 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2255 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2256 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2257 unsubscribed groups).
2261 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2262 List all unread groups on a specific level
2263 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2264 with no unread articles.
2268 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2269 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2270 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2271 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2276 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2277 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2281 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2282 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2283 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2287 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2288 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2292 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2293 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2294 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2295 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2296 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2297 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2298 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2299 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2303 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2304 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2305 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2309 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2310 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2311 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2315 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2316 @cindex visible group parameter
2317 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2318 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2319 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2320 get the same effect.
2322 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2323 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2324 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2325 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2326 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2329 @node Sorting Groups
2330 @section Sorting Groups
2331 @cindex sorting groups
2333 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2334 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2335 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2336 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2337 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2338 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2343 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2344 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2345 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2347 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2348 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2349 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2351 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2352 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2353 Sort by group level.
2355 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2356 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2357 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2359 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2360 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2361 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2362 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2364 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2365 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2366 Sort by number of unread articles.
2368 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2369 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2370 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2375 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2376 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2380 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2381 some sorting criteria:
2385 @kindex G S a (Group)
2386 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2387 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2388 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2391 @kindex G S u (Group)
2392 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2393 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2394 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2397 @kindex G S l (Group)
2398 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2399 Sort the group buffer by group level
2400 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2403 @kindex G S v (Group)
2404 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2405 Sort the group buffer by group score
2406 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2409 @kindex G S r (Group)
2410 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2411 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2412 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2415 @kindex G S m (Group)
2416 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2417 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2418 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2422 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2423 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2425 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2426 commands will sort in reverse order.
2428 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2432 @kindex G P a (Group)
2433 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2434 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2435 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2438 @kindex G P u (Group)
2439 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2440 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2441 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2444 @kindex G P l (Group)
2445 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2446 Sort the groups by group level
2447 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2450 @kindex G P v (Group)
2451 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2452 Sort the groups by group score
2453 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2456 @kindex G P r (Group)
2457 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2458 Sort the groups by group rank
2459 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2462 @kindex G P m (Group)
2463 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2464 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2465 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2471 @node Group Maintenance
2472 @section Group Maintenance
2473 @cindex bogus groups
2478 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2479 Find bogus groups and delete them
2480 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2484 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2485 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2486 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2487 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2488 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2492 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2493 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2494 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2495 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
2498 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
2499 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
2500 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
2501 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
2506 @node Browse Foreign Server
2507 @section Browse Foreign Server
2508 @cindex foreign servers
2509 @cindex browsing servers
2514 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
2515 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
2516 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
2517 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
2520 @findex gnus-browse-mode
2521 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
2522 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
2523 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
2525 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
2530 @findex gnus-group-next-group
2531 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
2535 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
2536 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
2539 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
2540 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
2541 Enter the current group and display the first article
2542 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
2545 @kindex RET (Browse)
2546 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
2547 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
2551 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
2552 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
2553 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2559 @findex gnus-browse-exit
2560 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
2564 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
2565 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
2566 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
2571 @section Exiting gnus
2572 @cindex exiting gnus
2574 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
2579 @findex gnus-group-suspend
2580 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
2581 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
2582 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
2586 @findex gnus-group-exit
2587 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
2588 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
2592 @findex gnus-group-quit
2593 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
2594 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
2597 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
2598 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
2599 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
2600 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
2601 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
2606 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
2607 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
2608 trying to customize meta-variables.
2613 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
2614 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
2615 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
2621 @section Group Topics
2624 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
2625 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
2626 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
2627 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
2628 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
2629 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
2633 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
2634 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
2645 2: alt.religion.emacs
2648 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2650 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2651 13: comp.sources.unix
2654 @findex gnus-topic-mode
2656 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
2657 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
2658 is a toggling command.)
2660 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
2661 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
2662 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
2663 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
2666 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
2667 the hook for the group mode:
2670 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
2674 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
2675 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
2676 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
2677 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
2678 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
2682 @node Topic Variables
2683 @subsection Topic Variables
2684 @cindex topic variables
2686 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
2687 really neat, I think.
2689 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
2690 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
2691 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
2704 Number of groups in the topic.
2706 Number of unread articles in the topic.
2708 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
2711 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
2712 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
2713 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
2716 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
2717 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
2719 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
2720 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
2721 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
2724 @node Topic Commands
2725 @subsection Topic Commands
2726 @cindex topic commands
2728 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
2729 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
2730 definitions slightly.
2736 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
2737 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
2738 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
2742 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
2743 Move the current group to some other topic
2744 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2745 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2749 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
2750 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
2754 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
2755 Copy the current group to some other topic
2756 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
2757 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2761 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
2762 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
2763 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
2764 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
2765 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
2766 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
2767 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
2770 This command uses the process/prefix convention
2771 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2775 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
2776 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2777 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
2781 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
2782 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
2783 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
2787 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
2788 Toggle hiding empty topics
2789 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
2793 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
2794 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
2795 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
2798 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
2799 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
2800 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
2801 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
2805 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
2807 @findex gnus-topic-indent
2808 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2809 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
2810 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
2813 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
2814 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
2815 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
2816 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
2820 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
2822 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
2823 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
2824 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
2825 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
2826 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
2827 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
2830 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
2831 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
2832 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
2833 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
2837 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
2838 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
2839 topic will be removed along with the topic.
2843 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
2844 Yank the previously killed group or topic
2845 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
2850 @findex gnus-topic-rename
2851 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
2854 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
2855 @findex gnus-topic-delete
2856 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
2860 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
2861 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
2862 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
2866 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
2867 @cindex group parameters
2868 @cindex topic parameters
2870 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
2871 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
2877 @subsection Topic Sorting
2878 @cindex topic sorting
2880 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
2886 @kindex T S a (Topic)
2887 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2888 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
2889 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2892 @kindex T S u (Topic)
2893 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
2894 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
2895 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2898 @kindex T S l (Topic)
2899 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
2900 Sort the current topic by group level
2901 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
2904 @kindex T S v (Topic)
2905 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
2906 Sort the current topic by group score
2907 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2910 @kindex T S r (Topic)
2911 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
2912 Sort the current topic by group rank
2913 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2916 @kindex T S m (Topic)
2917 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
2918 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
2919 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
2923 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
2926 @node Topic Topology
2927 @subsection Topic Topology
2928 @cindex topic topology
2931 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
2937 2: alt.religion.emacs
2940 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
2942 8: comp.binaries.fractals
2943 13: comp.sources.unix
2946 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
2947 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
2948 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
2953 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
2954 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
2958 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
2959 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
2960 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
2961 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
2962 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
2963 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
2965 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
2966 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
2967 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
2970 @node Topic Parameters
2971 @subsection Topic Parameters
2972 @cindex topic parameters
2974 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
2975 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
2976 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
2978 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
2983 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
2984 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
2985 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
2990 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
2991 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
2992 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
2993 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
2999 2: alt.religion.emacs
3003 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3005 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3006 13: comp.sources.unix
3010 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3011 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3012 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3013 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3014 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3015 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3017 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3018 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3019 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3020 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3021 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3023 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3024 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3025 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3026 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3027 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3028 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3029 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3030 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3033 @node Misc Group Stuff
3034 @section Misc Group Stuff
3037 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3038 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3039 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3040 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3047 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3048 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3049 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3053 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3054 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3055 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3059 @findex gnus-group-mail
3060 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3064 Variables for the group buffer:
3068 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3069 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3070 is called after the group buffer has been
3073 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3074 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3075 is called after the group buffer is
3076 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3079 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3080 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3081 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3082 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3084 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3085 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3086 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3087 whether they are empty or not.
3092 @node Scanning New Messages
3093 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3094 @cindex new messages
3095 @cindex scanning new news
3101 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3102 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3103 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3104 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3105 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3106 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3111 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3112 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3113 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3114 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3115 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3116 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3117 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3119 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3120 @cindex activating groups
3122 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3123 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3128 @findex gnus-group-restart
3129 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3130 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3131 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3135 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3136 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3138 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3139 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3143 @node Group Information
3144 @subsection Group Information
3145 @cindex group information
3146 @cindex information on groups
3153 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3154 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3157 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3158 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3159 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3160 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3161 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3162 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3163 for fetching the file.
3165 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3166 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3170 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3172 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3173 @cindex describing groups
3174 @cindex group description
3175 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3176 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3177 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3181 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3182 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3183 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3190 @findex gnus-version
3191 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3195 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3196 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3199 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3202 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3203 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3207 @node Group Timestamp
3208 @subsection Group Timestamp
3210 @cindex group timestamps
3212 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3213 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3214 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3217 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3220 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3222 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3223 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3226 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3227 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3230 This will result in lines looking like:
3233 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3234 0: custom 19961002T012713
3237 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3238 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3242 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3243 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3248 @subsection File Commands
3249 @cindex file commands
3255 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3256 @vindex gnus-init-file
3257 @cindex reading init file
3258 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3259 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3263 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3264 @cindex saving .newsrc
3265 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3266 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3267 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3270 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3271 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3272 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3277 @node The Summary Buffer
3278 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3279 @cindex summary buffer
3281 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3282 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3284 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3285 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3287 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3290 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3291 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3292 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3293 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3294 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3295 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3296 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3297 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3298 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3299 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3300 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3301 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3302 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3303 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3304 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3305 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3306 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3307 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3308 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3309 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3310 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3311 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3312 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3313 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3314 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3315 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
3316 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3317 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3321 @node Summary Buffer Format
3322 @section Summary Buffer Format
3323 @cindex summary buffer format
3327 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3328 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3329 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3335 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3336 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3337 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3338 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3341 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3342 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3343 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3344 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3345 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3346 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3347 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3348 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3349 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3350 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3351 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3352 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3353 other function instead:
3356 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3357 'mail-extract-address-components)
3360 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3361 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3362 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3363 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3366 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3367 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3369 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3370 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3371 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3372 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3373 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3375 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3377 The following format specification characters are understood:
3383 Subject string. List identifiers stripped, @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3385 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3386 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3387 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3389 Full @code{From} header.
3391 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3393 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3394 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3396 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3397 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3398 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3399 may be more thorough.
3401 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3404 Number of lines in the article.
3406 Number of characters in the article.
3408 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3410 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3411 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3413 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3414 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3416 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3417 for adopted articles.
3419 One space for each thread level.
3421 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3426 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3427 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3431 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3433 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3434 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3435 default level. If the difference between
3436 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3437 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3445 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3447 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3453 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3454 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3456 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3457 article has any children.
3463 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
3464 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
3465 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
3466 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
3467 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
3468 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
3471 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
3472 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
3473 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
3474 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
3475 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
3476 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
3478 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
3479 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
3481 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
3484 @node To From Newsgroups
3485 @subsection To From Newsgroups
3489 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
3490 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
3491 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
3492 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
3493 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
3497 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
3498 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
3499 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
3503 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3504 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
3507 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
3508 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
3511 @findex gnus-extra-header
3512 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
3513 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
3514 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
3517 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
3521 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3522 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
3523 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
3524 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
3525 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
3526 headers are used instead.
3530 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
3531 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
3532 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
3533 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
3536 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3537 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
3538 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
3539 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
3541 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
3544 (setq gnus-extra-headers
3546 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
3547 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
3548 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
3549 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
3553 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
3554 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
3561 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
3562 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
3565 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
3566 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
3568 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
3569 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
3570 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
3571 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
3573 Here are the elements you can play with:
3579 Unprefixed group name.
3581 Current article number.
3583 Current article score.
3587 Number of unread articles in this group.
3589 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
3592 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
3593 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
3594 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
3595 and no unselected ones.
3597 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
3598 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
3600 Subject of the current article.
3602 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
3604 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
3606 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3608 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
3610 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
3612 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
3616 @node Summary Highlighting
3617 @subsection Summary Highlighting
3621 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3622 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
3623 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
3624 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
3625 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3627 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
3628 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
3629 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
3630 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
3632 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
3633 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
3634 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
3635 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
3637 @item gnus-summary-highlight
3638 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
3639 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
3640 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
3641 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
3642 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
3645 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
3646 ((> score default) . bold))
3648 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
3649 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
3653 @node Summary Maneuvering
3654 @section Summary Maneuvering
3655 @cindex summary movement
3657 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
3658 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
3660 None of these commands select articles.
3665 @kindex M-n (Summary)
3666 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
3667 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
3668 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
3669 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
3673 @kindex M-p (Summary)
3674 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
3675 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
3676 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
3677 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
3682 @kindex G j (Summary)
3683 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
3684 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
3685 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
3688 @kindex G g (Summary)
3689 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
3690 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
3691 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
3694 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
3695 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
3696 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
3697 to the group buffer.
3699 Variables related to summary movement:
3703 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
3704 @item gnus-auto-select-next
3705 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
3706 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
3707 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
3708 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
3709 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
3710 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
3711 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
3712 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
3713 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
3714 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
3715 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
3716 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
3718 @item gnus-auto-select-same
3719 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
3720 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
3721 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
3722 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
3723 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
3724 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
3726 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
3728 @item gnus-summary-check-current
3729 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
3730 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
3731 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
3732 Instead, they will choose the current article.
3734 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
3735 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
3736 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
3737 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
3738 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
3739 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
3740 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
3741 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
3744 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
3745 the given number of lines from the top.
3750 @node Choosing Articles
3751 @section Choosing Articles
3752 @cindex selecting articles
3755 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
3756 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
3760 @node Choosing Commands
3761 @subsection Choosing Commands
3763 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
3764 and they all select and display an article.
3768 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3769 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3770 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
3771 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3776 @kindex G n (Summary)
3777 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
3778 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
3779 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
3784 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
3785 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
3786 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
3791 @kindex G N (Summary)
3792 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
3793 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
3798 @kindex G P (Summary)
3799 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
3800 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
3803 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
3804 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
3805 Go to the next article with the same subject
3806 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
3809 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
3810 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
3811 Go to the previous article with the same subject
3812 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
3816 @kindex G f (Summary)
3818 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
3819 Go to the first unread article
3820 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
3824 @kindex G b (Summary)
3826 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
3827 Go to the article with the highest score
3828 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
3833 @kindex G l (Summary)
3834 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
3835 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
3838 @kindex G o (Summary)
3839 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
3841 @cindex article history
3842 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
3843 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
3844 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
3845 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
3846 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
3847 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
3851 @node Choosing Variables
3852 @subsection Choosing Variables
3854 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
3857 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3858 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
3859 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
3860 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
3861 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
3862 the server and display it in the article buffer.
3864 @item gnus-select-article-hook
3865 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
3866 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
3867 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
3869 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
3870 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
3871 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
3872 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
3873 @findex gnus-unread-mark
3874 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
3875 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
3876 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
3877 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
3878 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
3879 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
3880 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
3881 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
3882 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
3887 @node Paging the Article
3888 @section Scrolling the Article
3889 @cindex article scrolling
3894 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
3895 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
3896 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
3897 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
3898 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
3901 @kindex DEL (Summary)
3902 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
3903 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
3906 @kindex RET (Summary)
3907 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
3908 Scroll the current article one line forward
3909 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
3912 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
3913 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
3914 Scroll the current article one line backward
3915 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
3919 @kindex A g (Summary)
3921 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
3922 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
3923 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
3924 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
3925 the way it came from the server.
3930 @kindex A < (Summary)
3931 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
3932 Scroll to the beginning of the article
3933 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
3938 @kindex A > (Summary)
3939 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
3940 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
3944 @kindex A s (Summary)
3946 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
3947 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
3948 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
3952 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
3953 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
3958 @node Reply Followup and Post
3959 @section Reply, Followup and Post
3962 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
3963 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
3964 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
3965 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
3969 @node Summary Mail Commands
3970 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
3972 @cindex composing mail
3974 Commands for composing a mail message:
3980 @kindex S r (Summary)
3982 @findex gnus-summary-reply
3983 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
3984 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
3985 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
3986 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
3991 @kindex S R (Summary)
3992 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
3993 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
3994 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
3995 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
3996 command uses the process/prefix convention.
3999 @kindex S w (Summary)
4000 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4001 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4002 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4003 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4004 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4007 @kindex S W (Summary)
4008 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4009 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4010 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4011 the process/prefix convention.
4014 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4015 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4016 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4017 Forward the current article to some other person
4018 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4019 headers of the forwarded article.
4024 @kindex S m (Summary)
4025 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4026 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4027 Send a mail to some other person
4028 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4031 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4032 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4033 @cindex bouncing mail
4034 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4035 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4036 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4037 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4038 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4039 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4040 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4041 very well fail, though.
4044 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4045 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4046 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4047 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4048 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4049 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4050 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4051 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4052 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4053 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4055 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4056 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4057 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4058 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4059 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4061 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4062 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4065 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4066 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4067 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4068 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4069 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4072 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4073 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4074 @cindex crossposting
4075 @cindex excessive crossposting
4076 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4077 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4079 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4080 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4081 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4082 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4083 command understands the process/prefix convention
4084 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4088 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4091 @node Summary Post Commands
4092 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4094 @cindex composing news
4096 Commands for posting a news article:
4102 @kindex S p (Summary)
4103 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4104 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4105 Post an article to the current group
4106 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4111 @kindex S f (Summary)
4112 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4113 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4114 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4118 @kindex S F (Summary)
4120 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4121 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4122 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4123 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4124 process/prefix convention.
4127 @kindex S n (Summary)
4128 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4129 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4130 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4133 @kindex S N (Summary)
4134 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4135 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4136 message through mail and include the original message
4137 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4138 the process/prefix convention.
4141 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4142 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4143 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4144 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4145 headers of the forwarded article.
4148 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4149 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4151 @cindex making digests
4152 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4153 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4154 process/prefix convention.
4157 @kindex S u (Summary)
4158 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4159 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4160 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4161 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4164 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4167 @node Summary Message Commands
4168 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4172 @kindex S y (Summary)
4173 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4174 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4175 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4176 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4177 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4182 @node Canceling and Superseding
4183 @subsection Canceling Articles
4184 @cindex canceling articles
4185 @cindex superseding articles
4187 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4188 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4190 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4192 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4194 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4195 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4196 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4197 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4198 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4199 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4201 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4202 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4205 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4206 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4207 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4209 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4210 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4211 your original article.
4213 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4215 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4216 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4217 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4220 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4221 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4222 have posted almost the same article twice.
4224 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4225 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4226 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4227 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4228 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4229 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4230 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4231 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4232 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4233 canceled/superseded.
4235 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4238 @node Marking Articles
4239 @section Marking Articles
4240 @cindex article marking
4241 @cindex article ticking
4244 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4246 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4247 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4248 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4250 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4253 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4254 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4255 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4259 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4263 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4264 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4265 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4269 @node Unread Articles
4270 @subsection Unread Articles
4272 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4277 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4278 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4280 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4281 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4282 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4283 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4284 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4288 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4289 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4291 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4292 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4293 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4296 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4297 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4299 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4304 @subsection Read Articles
4305 @cindex expirable mark
4307 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4312 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4313 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4314 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4317 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4318 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4321 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4322 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4323 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4326 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4327 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4330 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4331 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4334 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4335 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4338 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4339 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4342 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4343 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4346 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4347 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4350 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4351 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4355 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4356 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4357 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4361 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4362 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4364 One more special mark, though:
4368 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4369 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4371 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4372 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4373 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4374 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
4380 @subsection Other Marks
4381 @cindex process mark
4384 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4390 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4391 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4392 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4393 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4394 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4397 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4398 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4399 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4400 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4403 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4404 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4405 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4408 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4409 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4410 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4411 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4414 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4415 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4416 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4417 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4418 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4421 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4422 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4423 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4424 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4425 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4426 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
4430 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
4431 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
4432 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
4434 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
4435 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
4436 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
4440 @subsection Setting Marks
4441 @cindex setting marks
4443 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
4448 @kindex M c (Summary)
4449 @kindex M-u (Summary)
4450 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
4451 @cindex mark as unread
4452 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
4453 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
4459 @kindex M t (Summary)
4460 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
4461 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
4462 @xref{Article Caching}.
4467 @kindex M ? (Summary)
4468 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
4469 Mark the current article as dormant
4470 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4474 @kindex M d (Summary)
4476 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
4477 Mark the current article as read
4478 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
4482 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
4483 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
4484 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
4489 @kindex M k (Summary)
4490 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
4491 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
4492 and then select the next unread article
4493 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
4497 @kindex M K (Summary)
4498 @kindex C-k (Summary)
4499 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
4500 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
4501 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
4504 @kindex M C (Summary)
4505 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
4506 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
4507 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
4510 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
4511 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
4512 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
4513 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
4516 @kindex M H (Summary)
4517 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
4518 Catchup the current group to point
4519 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
4522 @kindex C-w (Summary)
4523 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
4524 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
4525 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
4528 @kindex M V k (Summary)
4529 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
4530 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
4531 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
4535 @kindex M e (Summary)
4537 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
4538 Mark the current article as expirable
4539 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
4542 @kindex M b (Summary)
4543 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
4544 Set a bookmark in the current article
4545 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
4548 @kindex M B (Summary)
4549 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
4550 Remove the bookmark from the current article
4551 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
4554 @kindex M V c (Summary)
4555 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
4556 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
4557 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4560 @kindex M V u (Summary)
4561 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
4562 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
4563 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
4566 @kindex M V m (Summary)
4567 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
4568 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
4569 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
4570 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
4573 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
4574 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
4575 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
4576 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
4577 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
4578 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
4579 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
4580 The default is @code{t}.
4583 @node Generic Marking Commands
4584 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
4586 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
4587 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
4588 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
4589 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
4590 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
4593 Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
4594 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
4597 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
4598 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
4599 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
4600 to list in this manual.
4602 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
4603 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
4604 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
4605 article, you could say something like:
4608 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
4609 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
4610 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
4616 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
4617 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
4621 @node Setting Process Marks
4622 @subsection Setting Process Marks
4623 @cindex setting process marks
4630 @kindex M P p (Summary)
4631 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
4632 Mark the current article with the process mark
4633 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
4634 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
4638 @kindex M P u (Summary)
4639 @kindex M-# (Summary)
4640 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
4641 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
4644 @kindex M P U (Summary)
4645 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
4646 Remove the process mark from all articles
4647 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
4650 @kindex M P i (Summary)
4651 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
4652 Invert the list of process marked articles
4653 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
4656 @kindex M P R (Summary)
4657 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
4658 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
4659 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
4662 @kindex M P r (Summary)
4663 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
4664 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
4667 @kindex M P t (Summary)
4668 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
4669 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4670 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
4673 @kindex M P T (Summary)
4674 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
4675 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
4676 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
4679 @kindex M P v (Summary)
4680 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
4681 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
4682 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
4685 @kindex M P s (Summary)
4686 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
4687 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4690 @kindex M P S (Summary)
4691 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
4692 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
4693 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
4696 @kindex M P a (Summary)
4697 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
4698 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
4701 @kindex M P b (Summary)
4702 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
4703 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
4704 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
4707 @kindex M P k (Summary)
4708 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
4709 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
4710 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
4713 @kindex M P y (Summary)
4714 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
4715 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
4716 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
4719 @kindex M P w (Summary)
4720 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
4721 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
4722 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
4731 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
4732 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
4733 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
4736 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
4737 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
4738 additional articles.
4744 @kindex / / (Summary)
4745 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
4746 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
4747 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
4750 @kindex / a (Summary)
4751 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
4752 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
4753 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4756 @kindex / x (Summary)
4757 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
4758 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
4759 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
4760 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
4764 @kindex / u (Summary)
4766 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
4767 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
4768 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
4769 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
4770 dormant articles will also be excluded.
4773 @kindex / m (Summary)
4774 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
4775 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
4776 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
4779 @kindex / t (Summary)
4780 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
4781 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
4782 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
4783 articles younger than that number of days.
4786 @kindex / n (Summary)
4787 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
4788 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
4789 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
4790 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4793 @kindex / w (Summary)
4794 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
4795 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
4796 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
4800 @kindex / v (Summary)
4801 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
4802 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
4803 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
4807 @kindex M S (Summary)
4808 @kindex / E (Summary)
4809 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
4810 Include all expunged articles in the limit
4811 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
4814 @kindex / D (Summary)
4815 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
4816 Include all dormant articles in the limit
4817 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
4820 @kindex / * (Summary)
4821 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
4822 Include all cached articles in the limit
4823 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
4826 @kindex / d (Summary)
4827 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
4828 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
4829 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
4832 @kindex / M (Summary)
4833 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
4834 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
4837 @kindex / T (Summary)
4838 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
4839 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
4842 @kindex / c (Summary)
4843 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
4844 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
4845 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
4848 @kindex / C (Summary)
4849 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
4850 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
4851 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
4852 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
4860 @cindex article threading
4862 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
4863 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
4864 hierarchical fashion.
4866 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
4867 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
4868 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
4869 or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
4870 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
4871 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
4872 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
4874 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
4878 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
4881 A tree-like article structure.
4884 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
4887 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
4888 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
4889 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
4890 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
4891 called loose threads.
4893 @item thread gathering
4894 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
4896 @item sparse threads
4897 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
4898 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
4904 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
4905 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
4909 @node Customizing Threading
4910 @subsection Customizing Threading
4911 @cindex customizing threading
4914 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
4915 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
4916 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
4917 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
4922 @subsubsection Loose Threads
4925 @cindex loose threads
4928 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
4929 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
4930 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
4931 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
4932 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
4933 read or killed the root in a previous session.
4935 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
4936 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
4937 There are four possible values:
4941 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
4942 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
4943 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4944 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4945 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
4950 @cindex adopting articles
4955 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
4956 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
4957 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
4958 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
4961 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
4962 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
4963 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
4964 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
4965 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
4966 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
4967 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
4970 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
4971 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
4972 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
4976 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
4977 display them after one another.
4980 Don't gather loose threads.
4983 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4984 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
4985 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
4986 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
4987 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
4988 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
4989 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
4990 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
4991 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
4992 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
4993 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
4995 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
4996 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
4997 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5000 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5001 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5002 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5003 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5004 simplification is used.
5006 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5007 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5008 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5009 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5011 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5013 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5019 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5020 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5021 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5022 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5027 (mapconcat 'identity
5028 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5030 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5033 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5036 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5037 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5038 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5039 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5040 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5041 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5043 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5046 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5047 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5048 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5050 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5051 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5054 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5055 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5056 Remove excessive whitespace.
5059 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5062 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5063 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5064 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5065 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5066 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5067 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5068 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5069 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5071 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5072 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5073 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5074 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5075 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5076 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5077 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5078 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5079 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5083 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5084 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5085 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5086 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5088 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5089 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5090 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5093 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5097 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5098 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5104 @node Filling In Threads
5105 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5108 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5109 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5110 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5111 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5112 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5113 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5114 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5115 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5116 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5117 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5118 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5119 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5121 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5122 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5123 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5125 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5126 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5127 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5128 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5129 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5130 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5131 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5132 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5133 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5134 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5135 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5136 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5137 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5138 @code{nil} by default.
5143 @node More Threading
5144 @subsubsection More Threading
5147 @item gnus-show-threads
5148 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5149 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5150 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5151 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5152 slower and more awkward.
5154 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5155 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5156 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5159 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5160 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5161 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5162 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5163 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5164 threads are expunged.
5166 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5167 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5168 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5171 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5172 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5173 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5174 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5175 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5178 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5179 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5180 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5183 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5184 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5185 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5186 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5187 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5188 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5189 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to. Setting
5190 this variable to an alternate value
5191 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5192 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5193 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5198 @node Low-Level Threading
5199 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5203 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5204 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5205 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5206 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5207 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5208 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5210 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5211 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5212 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5213 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5214 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5215 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5216 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5217 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5218 meaningful. Here's one example:
5221 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5223 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5224 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5226 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5228 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5235 @node Thread Commands
5236 @subsection Thread Commands
5237 @cindex thread commands
5243 @kindex T k (Summary)
5244 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5245 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5246 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5247 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5248 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5253 @kindex T l (Summary)
5254 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5255 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5256 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5257 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5260 @kindex T i (Summary)
5261 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5262 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5263 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5266 @kindex T # (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5268 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5269 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5272 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5274 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5275 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5278 @kindex T T (Summary)
5279 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5280 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5283 @kindex T s (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5285 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5286 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5289 @kindex T h (Summary)
5290 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5291 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5294 @kindex T S (Summary)
5295 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5296 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5299 @kindex T H (Summary)
5300 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5301 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5304 @kindex T t (Summary)
5305 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5306 Re-thread the current article's thread
5307 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5308 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5311 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5312 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5313 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5314 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5318 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5319 understand the numeric prefix.
5324 @kindex T n (Summary)
5325 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5326 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5329 @kindex T p (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5331 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5334 @kindex T d (Summary)
5335 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5336 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5339 @kindex T u (Summary)
5340 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5341 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5344 @kindex T o (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5346 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5349 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5350 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5351 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5352 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5353 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5354 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5355 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5356 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5357 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5358 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5359 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5360 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5367 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5368 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5369 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5370 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5371 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5372 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5373 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5374 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5375 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5376 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5377 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5379 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5380 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5381 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5382 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5383 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5385 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5386 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5387 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5389 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5390 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5391 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5392 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5393 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5394 ascending article order.
5396 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5397 by number, you could do something like:
5400 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5401 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5402 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5403 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5406 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5407 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5408 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5409 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5410 which the articles arrived.
5412 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
5416 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5418 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
5419 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
5422 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
5423 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
5424 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
5425 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
5428 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
5429 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
5430 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
5431 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
5432 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
5433 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
5434 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
5435 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
5436 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
5437 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
5438 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
5439 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
5440 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
5442 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
5446 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
5447 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
5448 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
5453 @node Asynchronous Fetching
5454 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
5455 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
5456 @cindex article pre-fetch
5459 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
5460 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
5461 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
5462 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
5463 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
5465 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
5466 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
5468 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
5469 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
5470 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
5471 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
5472 connection is blocked.
5474 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
5475 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
5476 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
5477 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
5479 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
5480 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
5481 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
5482 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
5485 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
5488 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
5489 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
5490 happen automatically.
5492 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
5493 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
5494 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
5495 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
5496 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
5497 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
5498 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
5500 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
5501 @findex gnus-async-read-p
5502 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
5503 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
5504 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
5505 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
5506 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
5507 data structure as the only parameter.
5509 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
5512 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
5513 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
5514 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
5515 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
5518 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
5521 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
5522 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
5523 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
5525 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
5526 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
5527 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
5528 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
5532 Remove articles when they are read.
5535 Remove articles when exiting the group.
5538 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
5540 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
5541 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
5542 @c from the next group.
5545 @node Article Caching
5546 @section Article Caching
5547 @cindex article caching
5550 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
5551 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
5552 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
5553 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
5554 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
5556 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
5558 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5559 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
5560 @vindex gnus-use-cache
5561 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
5562 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
5563 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
5564 cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
5565 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
5567 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
5568 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
5569 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
5570 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
5571 as dormant, and don't worry.
5573 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
5575 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
5576 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
5577 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
5578 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
5579 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
5580 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
5581 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
5582 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
5583 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
5584 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
5586 @findex gnus-jog-cache
5587 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
5588 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
5589 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
5590 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
5591 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
5592 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
5593 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
5594 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
5595 not then be downloaded by this command.
5597 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
5598 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
5599 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
5600 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
5601 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
5602 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
5604 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
5605 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
5606 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
5607 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
5608 variables, the group is not cached.
5610 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
5611 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
5612 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
5613 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
5614 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
5615 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
5616 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
5617 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
5618 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
5622 @node Persistent Articles
5623 @section Persistent Articles
5624 @cindex persistent articles
5626 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
5627 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
5628 useful in my opinion.
5630 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
5631 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
5632 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
5633 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
5634 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
5635 the expiry going on at the news server.
5637 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
5638 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
5639 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
5645 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
5646 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
5649 @kindex M-* (Summary)
5650 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
5651 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
5652 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
5656 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
5658 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
5659 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
5660 interested in persistent articles:
5663 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
5667 @node Article Backlog
5668 @section Article Backlog
5670 @cindex article backlog
5672 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
5673 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
5674 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
5675 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
5676 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
5677 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
5678 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
5679 increase memory usage some.
5681 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
5682 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
5683 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
5684 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
5685 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
5686 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
5687 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
5689 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
5692 @node Saving Articles
5693 @section Saving Articles
5694 @cindex saving articles
5696 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
5697 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
5698 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
5699 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
5700 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
5702 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
5703 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
5704 unwanted headers before saving the article.
5706 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
5707 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
5708 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
5709 deleted before saving.
5715 @kindex O o (Summary)
5717 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
5718 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
5719 Save the current article using the default article saver
5720 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
5723 @kindex O m (Summary)
5724 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
5725 Save the current article in mail format
5726 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
5729 @kindex O r (Summary)
5730 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
5731 Save the current article in rmail format
5732 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
5735 @kindex O f (Summary)
5736 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
5737 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
5738 Save the current article in plain file format
5739 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
5742 @kindex O F (Summary)
5743 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
5744 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
5745 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
5748 @kindex O b (Summary)
5749 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
5750 Save the current article body in plain file format
5751 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
5754 @kindex O h (Summary)
5755 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
5756 Save the current article in mh folder format
5757 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
5760 @kindex O v (Summary)
5761 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
5762 Save the current article in a VM folder
5763 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
5766 @kindex O p (Summary)
5767 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
5768 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
5769 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
5772 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
5773 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
5774 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
5775 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
5776 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
5777 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
5778 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
5779 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
5780 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
5781 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
5782 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
5783 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
5787 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
5788 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
5789 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
5790 functions below, or you can create your own.
5794 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5795 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
5796 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
5797 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5798 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
5799 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5800 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5802 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5803 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
5804 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
5805 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
5806 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5807 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
5809 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
5810 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
5811 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
5812 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5813 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
5814 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5815 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5817 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5818 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
5819 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
5820 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
5821 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
5823 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5824 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
5825 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
5826 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
5827 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
5830 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
5831 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
5832 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
5833 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
5834 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
5836 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5837 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
5838 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
5839 reader to use this setting.
5842 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
5843 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
5844 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
5845 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
5848 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
5849 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
5850 available functions that generate names:
5854 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
5855 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
5856 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5858 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
5859 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
5860 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
5862 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
5863 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
5864 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5866 @item gnus-plain-save-name
5867 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
5868 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
5871 @vindex gnus-split-methods
5872 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
5873 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
5874 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
5875 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
5879 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
5880 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
5881 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
5882 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
5885 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
5886 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
5887 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
5888 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
5889 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
5890 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
5891 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
5892 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
5893 called returns a string or a list of strings.
5895 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
5896 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
5897 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
5898 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
5900 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
5901 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
5902 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
5905 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
5906 lots of mail groups called things like
5907 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
5908 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
5909 following will do just that:
5912 (defun my-save-name (group)
5913 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
5914 (substring group (match-end 0))))
5916 (setq gnus-split-methods
5917 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
5922 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
5923 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
5924 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
5925 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
5926 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
5927 all the files in the top level directory
5928 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
5929 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
5930 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
5931 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
5933 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
5934 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
5935 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
5936 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
5937 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
5940 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
5944 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
5945 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
5948 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
5949 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
5950 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
5951 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
5954 @node Decoding Articles
5955 @section Decoding Articles
5956 @cindex decoding articles
5958 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
5959 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
5962 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
5963 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
5964 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
5965 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
5966 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
5967 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
5971 @cindex article series
5972 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
5973 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
5974 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
5975 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
5976 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
5978 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
5979 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
5980 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
5982 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
5983 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
5984 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
5986 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
5987 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
5988 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
5991 @node Uuencoded Articles
5992 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
5994 @cindex uuencoded articles
5999 @kindex X u (Summary)
6000 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6001 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6002 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6005 @kindex X U (Summary)
6006 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6007 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6008 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6011 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6012 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6013 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6016 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6017 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6018 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6019 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6023 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6024 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6025 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6026 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6027 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6029 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6030 @sc{GNUS 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6031 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6032 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6035 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6036 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6037 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6038 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6039 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6040 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6044 @node Shell Archives
6045 @subsection Shell Archives
6047 @cindex shell archives
6048 @cindex shared articles
6050 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6051 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6052 some commands to deal with these:
6057 @kindex X s (Summary)
6058 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6059 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6062 @kindex X S (Summary)
6063 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6064 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6067 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6068 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6069 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6072 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6073 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6074 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6075 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6079 @node PostScript Files
6080 @subsection PostScript Files
6086 @kindex X p (Summary)
6087 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6088 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6091 @kindex X P (Summary)
6092 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6093 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6094 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6097 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6098 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6099 View the current PostScript series
6100 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6103 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6104 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6105 View and save the current PostScript series
6106 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6111 @subsection Other Files
6115 @kindex X o (Summary)
6116 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6117 Save the current series
6118 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6121 @kindex X b (Summary)
6122 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6123 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6124 doesn't really work yet.
6128 @node Decoding Variables
6129 @subsection Decoding Variables
6131 Adjective, not verb.
6134 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6135 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6136 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6140 @node Rule Variables
6141 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6142 @cindex rule variables
6144 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6145 variables are of the form
6148 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6155 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6156 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6158 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6159 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6162 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6163 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6166 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6167 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6168 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6169 user and default view rules.
6171 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6172 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6173 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6178 @node Other Decode Variables
6179 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6182 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6184 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6185 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6186 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6187 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6188 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6192 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6193 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6196 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6197 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6198 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6201 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6202 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6203 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6204 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6205 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6208 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6209 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6210 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6212 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6213 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6214 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6215 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6216 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6219 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6220 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6221 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6223 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6224 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6225 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6226 looking for files to display.
6228 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6229 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6230 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6233 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6234 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6235 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6238 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6239 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6240 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6243 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6244 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6245 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6248 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6249 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6250 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6251 decoded articles as unread.
6253 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6254 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6255 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6256 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6258 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6259 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6260 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6262 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6263 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6265 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6266 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6267 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6268 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6270 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6271 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6272 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6273 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6274 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6275 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
6276 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6277 simply dropped them.
6282 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6283 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6287 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6288 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6289 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6290 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6291 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6292 for you when you post the article.
6294 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6295 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6296 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6297 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6299 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6300 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6301 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6302 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6303 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6304 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6305 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6307 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6308 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6309 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6310 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6311 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6312 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6313 Default is @code{t}.
6319 @subsection Viewing Files
6320 @cindex viewing files
6321 @cindex pseudo-articles
6323 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
6324 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6325 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6326 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
6327 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6328 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6329 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6331 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6332 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6333 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6334 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6336 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6337 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6338 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6340 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6341 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6342 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6343 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6344 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6346 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6347 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6348 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6349 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6350 a list of parameters to that command.
6352 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6353 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6354 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6356 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6357 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6358 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6361 @node Article Treatment
6362 @section Article Treatment
6364 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6365 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6366 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6367 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6368 these articles easier.
6371 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6372 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6373 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6374 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6375 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6376 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6377 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6378 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
6382 @node Article Highlighting
6383 @subsection Article Highlighting
6384 @cindex highlighting
6386 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6387 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6392 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6393 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6394 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6395 Do much highlighting of the current article
6396 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6397 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6400 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6401 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6402 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6403 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6404 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6405 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
6406 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
6407 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6408 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6409 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6410 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6411 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6414 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6415 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
6416 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
6418 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
6421 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6423 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
6424 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
6425 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
6427 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6428 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
6429 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
6431 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
6432 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
6433 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
6435 @item gnus-cite-face-list
6436 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
6437 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
6438 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
6439 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
6440 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
6442 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
6443 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
6444 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
6446 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6447 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
6448 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
6450 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6451 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
6452 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
6453 that it's a citation.
6455 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6456 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
6457 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
6459 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6460 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
6461 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
6463 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
6464 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
6465 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
6466 cited text belonging to the attribution.
6472 @kindex W H s (Summary)
6473 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
6474 @vindex gnus-signature-face
6475 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
6476 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
6477 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
6478 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
6479 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
6484 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
6487 @node Article Fontisizing
6488 @subsection Article Fontisizing
6490 @cindex article emphasis
6492 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
6493 @kindex W e (Summary)
6494 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
6495 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
6496 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
6497 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
6499 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
6500 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
6501 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
6502 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
6503 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
6504 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
6505 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
6506 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
6510 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
6511 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
6512 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
6521 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
6522 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
6523 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
6524 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
6525 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
6526 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
6527 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
6528 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
6529 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
6530 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
6531 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
6532 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
6533 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
6535 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
6536 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
6537 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
6541 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
6544 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
6546 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
6547 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
6548 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
6549 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
6551 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
6554 @node Article Hiding
6555 @subsection Article Hiding
6556 @cindex article hiding
6558 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
6559 too much cruft in most articles.
6564 @kindex W W a (Summary)
6565 @findex gnus-article-hide
6566 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
6567 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
6568 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
6571 @kindex W W h (Summary)
6572 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
6573 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
6577 @kindex W W b (Summary)
6578 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
6579 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
6580 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
6583 @kindex W W s (Summary)
6584 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
6585 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
6589 @kindex W W l (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
6591 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
6592 Hide list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. Theese
6593 are strings some list servers add to the beginning of all @code{Subject}
6594 headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}.
6598 @item gnus-list-identifiers
6599 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
6600 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
6601 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
6606 @kindex W W p (Summary)
6607 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
6608 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6609 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
6610 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
6611 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
6612 articles that have signatures in them do:
6614 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
6616 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
6618 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
6619 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
6621 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
6624 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
6629 @kindex W W P (Summary)
6630 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
6631 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
6632 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
6635 @kindex W W B (Summary)
6636 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
6639 @cindex stripping advertisments
6640 @cindex advertisments
6641 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
6642 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
6643 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
6644 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
6645 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
6646 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
6647 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
6648 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
6649 signature should be removed.
6652 @kindex W W c (Summary)
6653 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
6654 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
6655 customizing the hiding:
6659 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6660 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6661 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
6662 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
6663 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
6664 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
6665 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
6670 Starting point of the hidden text.
6672 Ending point of the hidden text.
6674 Number of characters in the hidden region.
6676 Number of lines of hidden text.
6679 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
6680 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
6681 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
6686 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
6687 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
6689 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
6690 following two variables:
6693 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6694 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
6695 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
6696 50), hide the cited text.
6698 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6699 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
6700 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
6705 @kindex W W C (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
6707 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
6708 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
6709 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
6710 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
6714 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
6715 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
6716 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
6718 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
6719 citation customization.
6721 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
6725 @node Article Washing
6726 @subsection Article Washing
6728 @cindex article washing
6730 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
6731 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
6733 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
6734 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
6740 @kindex W l (Summary)
6741 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
6742 Remove page breaks from the current article
6743 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
6747 @kindex W r (Summary)
6748 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
6749 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
6750 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
6751 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
6752 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
6753 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
6755 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
6756 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
6757 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
6758 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
6761 @kindex W t (Summary)
6762 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
6763 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
6764 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
6767 @kindex W v (Summary)
6768 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
6769 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
6770 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
6773 @kindex W m (Summary)
6774 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
6775 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
6776 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
6779 @kindex W o (Summary)
6780 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
6781 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
6784 @kindex W d (Summary)
6785 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
6786 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
6788 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
6790 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
6791 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
6792 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
6793 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
6797 @kindex W w (Summary)
6798 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
6799 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
6801 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
6805 @kindex W Q (Summary)
6806 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
6807 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
6810 @kindex W C (Summary)
6811 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
6812 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
6813 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
6816 @kindex W c (Summary)
6817 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
6818 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
6819 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
6820 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
6821 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
6824 @kindex W f (Summary)
6826 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
6827 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
6828 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
6829 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
6835 Look for and display any X-Face headers
6836 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
6837 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
6838 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
6839 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
6840 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
6841 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
6842 The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
6843 face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
6844 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
6845 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
6846 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
6847 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
6848 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
6852 @kindex W b (Summary)
6853 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
6854 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
6855 @xref{Article Buttons}.
6858 @kindex W B (Summary)
6859 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
6860 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
6861 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
6864 @kindex W W H (Summary)
6865 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
6866 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
6867 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
6870 @kindex W E l (Summary)
6871 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
6872 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
6873 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
6876 @kindex W E m (Summary)
6877 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
6878 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
6879 lines with a single empty line.
6880 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
6883 @kindex W E t (Summary)
6884 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
6885 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
6886 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
6889 @kindex W E a (Summary)
6890 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
6891 Do all the three commands above
6892 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
6895 @kindex W E A (Summary)
6896 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
6897 Remove all blank lines
6898 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
6901 @kindex W E s (Summary)
6902 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
6903 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
6904 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
6907 @kindex W E e (Summary)
6908 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
6909 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
6910 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
6914 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
6917 @node Article Buttons
6918 @subsection Article Buttons
6921 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
6922 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
6923 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
6924 button on these references.
6926 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
6927 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
6928 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
6933 @item gnus-button-alist
6934 @vindex gnus-button-alist
6935 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
6938 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6944 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
6945 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
6946 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
6949 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
6950 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
6951 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
6954 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
6955 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
6956 avoid false matches.
6959 This function will be called when you click on this button.
6962 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
6963 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
6967 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
6970 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
6973 @item gnus-header-button-alist
6974 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
6975 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
6976 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
6977 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
6980 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
6983 @var{header} is a regular expression.
6985 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
6986 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
6987 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
6988 default values of the variables above.
6990 @item gnus-article-button-face
6991 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
6992 Face used on buttons.
6994 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
6995 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
6996 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7000 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7004 @subsection Article Date
7006 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7007 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7008 when the article was sent.
7013 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7014 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7015 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7016 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7019 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7020 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7022 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7023 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7026 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7027 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7028 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7031 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7032 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7033 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7034 @findex format-time-string
7035 Display the date using a user-defined format
7036 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7037 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7038 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7039 for a list of possible format specs.
7042 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7043 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7044 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7045 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7046 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7047 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7050 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7053 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7054 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7057 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7058 into wonderful absurdities.
7060 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7063 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7066 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7067 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7071 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7072 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7073 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7074 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7075 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7076 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7077 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7081 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7082 preferred format automatically.
7085 @node Article Signature
7086 @subsection Article Signature
7088 @cindex article signature
7090 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7091 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7092 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7093 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7094 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7095 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7096 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7097 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7098 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7101 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7102 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7103 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7104 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7105 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7106 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7107 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7108 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7111 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7114 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7115 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7116 signature when displaying articles.
7120 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7123 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7126 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7127 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7129 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7130 in question is not a signature.
7133 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7134 listed above. Here's an example:
7137 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7138 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7141 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7142 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7143 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7144 signature after all.
7147 @node Article Miscellania
7148 @subsection Article Miscellania
7152 @kindex A t (Summary)
7153 @findex gnus-article-babel
7154 Translate the article from one language to another
7155 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7161 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7162 @cindex MIME decoding
7164 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7165 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7171 @kindex K b (Summary)
7172 View the @sc{mime} part.
7175 @kindex K o (Summary)
7176 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7179 @kindex K c (Summary)
7180 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7183 @kindex K e (Summary)
7184 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7187 @kindex K i (Summary)
7188 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7191 @kindex K | (Summary)
7192 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7195 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7200 @kindex K b (Summary)
7201 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in from of them.
7204 @kindex K m (Summary)
7205 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7206 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7207 be viewed in a more pleasant manner.
7210 @kindex X m (Summary)
7211 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7212 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7213 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7214 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7217 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7218 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7219 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7220 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7223 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7224 Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers
7225 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7228 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7229 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7230 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7232 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7233 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7234 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7235 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7236 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7237 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7240 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7241 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7242 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7249 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7250 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7251 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7252 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7255 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7258 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7262 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7263 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7264 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7265 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7266 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7268 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7269 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7270 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7271 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7272 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7273 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7274 save all jpegs into some directory).
7276 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7279 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7280 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7282 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7283 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7284 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7285 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7286 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7289 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7290 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7291 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7300 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7301 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7302 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7303 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7304 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7305 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7306 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7308 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7309 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7310 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7311 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7313 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7314 aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7315 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7316 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7317 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7318 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7319 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7320 something some agents insist on having in there.
7323 @node Article Commands
7324 @section Article Commands
7331 @kindex A P (Summary)
7332 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
7333 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
7334 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
7335 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
7336 run just before printing the buffer.
7341 @node Summary Sorting
7342 @section Summary Sorting
7343 @cindex summary sorting
7345 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
7346 can't really see why you'd want that.
7351 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
7353 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
7356 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
7357 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
7358 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
7361 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
7362 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
7363 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
7366 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
7367 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
7368 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
7371 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
7372 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
7373 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
7376 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
7378 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
7381 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
7382 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
7383 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
7386 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
7387 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
7388 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
7389 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
7390 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
7394 @node Finding the Parent
7395 @section Finding the Parent
7396 @cindex parent articles
7397 @cindex referring articles
7402 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
7403 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
7404 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
7405 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
7406 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
7407 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
7408 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
7409 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
7410 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
7412 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
7413 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
7414 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
7415 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
7416 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
7420 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
7421 @kindex A R (Summary)
7422 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
7423 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
7426 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
7427 @kindex A T (Summary)
7428 Display the full thread where the current article appears
7429 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
7430 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
7431 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
7432 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
7433 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
7434 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
7436 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
7437 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
7438 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
7439 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
7440 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
7441 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
7444 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
7445 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
7447 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
7448 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
7449 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
7450 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
7451 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
7452 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
7453 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
7456 The current select method will be used when fetching by
7457 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
7458 by giving this command a prefix.
7460 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
7461 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
7462 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
7463 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
7464 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
7465 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
7468 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
7469 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
7470 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
7473 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
7474 then ask Deja if that fails:
7477 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
7479 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
7482 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
7483 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
7484 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
7485 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
7486 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
7487 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
7490 @node Alternative Approaches
7491 @section Alternative Approaches
7493 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
7494 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
7497 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
7498 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
7503 @subsection Pick and Read
7504 @cindex pick and read
7506 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
7507 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
7508 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
7509 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
7511 @findex gnus-pick-mode
7512 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
7513 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
7514 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
7515 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
7516 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
7518 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
7523 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
7524 Pick the article or thread on the current line
7525 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7526 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
7527 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
7528 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
7529 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
7530 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
7533 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
7534 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
7535 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
7536 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
7540 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
7541 Unpick the thread or article
7542 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
7543 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
7544 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
7545 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
7546 the thread or article at that line.
7550 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
7551 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
7552 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
7553 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
7554 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
7555 will still be visible when you are reading.
7559 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
7560 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
7561 which is mapped to the same function
7562 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
7564 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
7567 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
7570 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
7571 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
7573 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
7574 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
7575 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
7577 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
7578 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
7579 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
7580 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
7581 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
7582 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
7583 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
7587 @subsection Binary Groups
7588 @cindex binary groups
7590 @findex gnus-binary-mode
7591 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
7592 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
7593 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
7594 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
7595 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
7596 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
7599 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
7600 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
7601 command, when you have turned on this mode
7602 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
7604 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
7605 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
7609 @section Tree Display
7612 @vindex gnus-use-trees
7613 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
7614 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
7615 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
7618 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
7621 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
7622 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
7623 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
7625 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7626 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
7627 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
7628 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
7629 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
7631 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
7632 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
7633 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
7634 default is @code{modeline}.
7636 @item gnus-tree-line-format
7637 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
7638 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
7639 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
7640 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
7641 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
7642 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
7648 The name of the poster.
7650 The @code{From} header.
7652 The number of the article.
7654 The opening bracket.
7656 The closing bracket.
7661 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
7663 Variables related to the display are:
7666 @item gnus-tree-brackets
7667 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
7668 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
7669 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
7670 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
7671 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
7673 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7674 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
7675 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
7676 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
7680 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
7681 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
7682 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
7683 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
7684 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
7685 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
7686 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
7687 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
7688 other windows displayed next to it.
7690 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
7691 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
7692 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7693 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
7694 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
7695 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
7696 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
7700 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
7703 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
7713 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
7717 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
7718 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
7720 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
7722 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
7727 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
7728 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
7729 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
7732 (setq gnus-use-trees t
7733 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
7734 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
7735 (gnus-add-configuration
7739 (summary 0.75 point)
7744 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
7747 @node Mail Group Commands
7748 @section Mail Group Commands
7749 @cindex mail group commands
7751 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
7752 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
7754 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
7755 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7760 @kindex B e (Summary)
7761 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
7762 Expire all expirable articles in the group
7763 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
7766 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
7767 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
7768 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
7769 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
7770 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
7771 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
7774 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
7775 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
7776 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
7777 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
7778 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
7779 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
7782 @kindex B m (Summary)
7784 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
7785 Move the article from one mail group to another
7786 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
7789 @kindex B c (Summary)
7791 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
7792 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
7793 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
7794 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
7797 @kindex B B (Summary)
7798 @cindex crosspost mail
7799 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
7800 Crosspost the current article to some other group
7801 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
7802 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
7803 be properly updated.
7806 @kindex B i (Summary)
7807 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
7808 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
7809 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
7810 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
7813 @kindex B r (Summary)
7814 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
7815 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
7816 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
7817 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
7818 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
7822 @kindex B w (Summary)
7824 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
7825 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
7826 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
7827 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
7828 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
7829 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
7832 @kindex B q (Summary)
7833 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
7834 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
7835 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
7836 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
7839 @kindex B t (Summary)
7840 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
7841 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
7842 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
7845 @kindex B p (Summary)
7846 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
7847 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
7848 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
7849 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
7850 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
7851 article from your news server (or rather, from
7852 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
7853 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
7854 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
7855 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
7856 just not have arrived yet.
7860 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
7861 @cindex moving articles
7862 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
7863 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
7864 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
7865 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
7866 suggestions you find reasonable.
7869 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
7870 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
7871 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
7872 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
7876 @node Various Summary Stuff
7877 @section Various Summary Stuff
7880 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
7881 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
7882 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
7883 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
7887 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
7888 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
7889 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
7891 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
7892 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
7893 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
7894 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
7895 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
7896 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
7899 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7900 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
7901 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
7902 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
7903 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
7905 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7906 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
7907 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
7910 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7911 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
7912 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
7913 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
7914 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
7915 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
7916 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
7917 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
7918 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
7919 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
7924 @node Summary Group Information
7925 @subsection Summary Group Information
7930 @kindex H f (Summary)
7931 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
7932 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
7933 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
7934 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
7935 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
7936 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
7937 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
7938 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
7939 be used for fetching the file.
7942 @kindex H d (Summary)
7943 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
7944 Give a brief description of the current group
7945 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
7946 rereading the description from the server.
7949 @kindex H h (Summary)
7950 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
7951 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
7952 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
7955 @kindex H i (Summary)
7956 @findex gnus-info-find-node
7957 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
7961 @node Searching for Articles
7962 @subsection Searching for Articles
7967 @kindex M-s (Summary)
7968 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
7969 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
7970 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
7973 @kindex M-r (Summary)
7974 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
7975 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
7976 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
7980 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
7981 This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
7982 match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
7983 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
7987 @kindex M-& (Summary)
7988 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
7989 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
7990 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
7993 @node Summary Generation Commands
7994 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
7999 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8000 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8001 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8004 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8005 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8006 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8007 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8012 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8013 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8019 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8020 @kindex A D (Summary)
8021 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8022 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8023 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8024 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8025 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8026 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8027 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8028 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8032 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8033 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8034 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8035 several documents into one biiig group
8036 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8037 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8038 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8039 command understands the process/prefix convention
8040 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8043 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8044 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8045 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8046 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8047 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8048 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8052 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8053 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8054 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8057 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8058 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8059 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8060 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8063 @kindex M-C-g (Summary)
8064 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8065 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8066 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8071 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8072 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8073 @cindex summary exit
8074 @cindex exiting groups
8076 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8077 group and return you to the group buffer.
8083 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8085 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8086 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8087 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8088 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8089 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8090 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8091 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8092 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8093 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8094 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8095 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8099 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8101 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8102 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8103 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8107 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8109 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8110 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8111 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8112 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8115 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8116 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8117 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8118 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8121 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8122 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8123 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8124 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8127 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8128 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8129 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8130 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8131 all articles, both read and unread.
8135 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8136 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8137 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8138 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8139 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8140 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8141 articles, both read and unread.
8144 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8145 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8146 Exit the group and go to the next group
8147 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8150 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8151 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8152 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8153 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8156 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8157 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8158 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8159 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8160 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8161 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8164 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8165 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
8168 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8169 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8170 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8171 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8172 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8173 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8174 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8175 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8176 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8177 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8178 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8179 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8181 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8183 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8184 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8185 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8186 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8187 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8188 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8189 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8190 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8191 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8194 @node Crosspost Handling
8195 @section Crosspost Handling
8199 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8200 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8201 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8202 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8203 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8204 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8207 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8208 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8209 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8210 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8211 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8213 @cindex cross-posting
8216 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8217 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8218 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8219 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8220 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8221 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8222 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8223 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8224 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8225 the cross reference mechanism.
8227 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8228 @cindex overview.fmt
8229 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8230 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8231 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8232 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8233 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
8234 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
8237 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
8238 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
8239 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
8244 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
8247 @node Duplicate Suppression
8248 @section Duplicate Suppression
8250 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
8251 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
8252 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
8253 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
8258 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
8259 is evil and not very common.
8262 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
8263 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
8266 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
8267 different @sc{nntp} servers.
8270 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
8273 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
8274 well, but these four are the most common situations.
8276 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
8277 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
8278 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
8279 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
8280 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
8281 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
8282 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
8285 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
8286 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
8287 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
8288 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
8289 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
8293 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
8294 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
8295 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
8297 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
8298 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
8299 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
8300 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
8301 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
8302 session are suppressed.
8304 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
8305 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
8306 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
8307 suppression list. The default is 10000.
8309 @item gnus-duplicate-file
8310 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
8311 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
8312 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
8315 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
8316 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
8317 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
8318 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
8319 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
8320 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
8321 to you to figure out, I think.
8324 @node The Article Buffer
8325 @chapter The Article Buffer
8326 @cindex article buffer
8328 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
8329 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
8330 tell gnus otherwise.
8333 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
8334 * Using MIME:: Pushing to mime articles as @sc{mime} messages.
8335 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
8336 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
8337 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
8341 @node Hiding Headers
8342 @section Hiding Headers
8343 @cindex hiding headers
8344 @cindex deleting headers
8346 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
8347 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
8349 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
8350 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
8351 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
8352 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
8353 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
8354 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
8355 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
8356 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
8357 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
8359 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
8363 @item gnus-visible-headers
8364 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
8365 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
8366 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
8367 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
8369 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
8370 the article and the subject, you'd say:
8373 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
8376 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8379 @item gnus-ignored-headers
8380 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
8381 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
8382 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
8383 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
8384 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
8386 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
8387 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
8390 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
8393 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
8396 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
8397 variable will have no effect.
8401 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
8402 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
8403 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
8404 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
8405 the headers are to be displayed.
8407 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
8408 and then the subject, you might say something like:
8411 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
8414 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
8415 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
8417 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
8418 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
8419 You can hide further boring headers by setting
8420 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
8421 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
8422 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
8423 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
8426 These conditions are:
8429 Remove all empty headers.
8431 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
8432 @code{Newsgroups} header.
8434 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
8437 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
8440 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
8443 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
8445 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
8448 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
8451 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
8452 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
8455 This is also the default value for this variable.
8459 @section Using @sc{mime}
8462 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
8463 while people stand around yawning.
8465 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
8466 while all newsreaders die of fear.
8468 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
8469 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
8470 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
8472 @vindex gnus-show-mime
8473 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
8474 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
8475 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
8476 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
8477 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
8478 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
8479 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
8480 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
8481 existed yet, sorry).
8483 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
8484 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
8485 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
8486 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
8487 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
8488 buffer. These can't be avoided.
8490 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
8491 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
8492 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
8493 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
8494 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
8495 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
8496 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
8497 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
8498 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
8501 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
8503 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
8504 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
8505 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
8506 buffer when there are nobody else.
8508 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
8511 @node Customizing Articles
8512 @section Customizing Articles
8513 @cindex article customization
8515 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
8516 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
8517 called automatically when you select the articles.
8519 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
8520 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
8521 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
8522 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
8524 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
8525 for sensible values.
8529 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
8532 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
8535 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
8538 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
8541 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
8545 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
8546 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
8547 regexps in the list.
8550 A list where the first element is not a string:
8552 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
8553 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
8554 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
8558 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
8562 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
8567 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
8568 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
8569 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
8570 considered to contain just a single part.
8572 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
8573 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
8574 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
8575 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
8576 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
8577 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
8578 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
8580 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
8581 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
8582 group. Values in brackets are suggested sensible values. Others are possible
8583 but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
8586 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
8587 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
8588 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
8589 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
8590 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
8591 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
8592 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
8593 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
8594 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
8595 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
8596 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
8597 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
8598 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
8599 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
8600 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
8601 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
8602 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
8603 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
8604 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
8605 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
8606 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
8607 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
8608 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
8609 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
8610 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
8611 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
8612 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
8613 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
8614 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
8615 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
8616 @item gnus-treat-translate
8617 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
8620 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
8621 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
8622 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
8623 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
8624 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
8628 @node Article Keymap
8629 @section Article Keymap
8631 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
8632 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
8633 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
8634 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
8637 A few additional keystrokes are available:
8642 @kindex SPACE (Article)
8643 @findex gnus-article-next-page
8644 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
8647 @kindex DEL (Article)
8648 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
8649 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
8652 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
8653 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
8654 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
8655 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
8656 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
8659 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
8660 @findex gnus-article-mail
8661 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
8662 given a prefix, include the mail.
8666 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
8667 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
8668 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
8672 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
8673 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
8674 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
8677 @kindex TAB (Article)
8678 @findex gnus-article-next-button
8679 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
8680 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
8683 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
8684 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
8685 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
8691 @section Misc Article
8695 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
8696 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
8697 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
8698 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
8701 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
8702 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
8704 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
8705 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
8707 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
8708 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
8709 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
8710 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
8711 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
8712 the contents of the article buffer.
8714 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
8715 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
8716 Hook called in article mode buffers.
8718 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8719 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
8720 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
8721 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
8723 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
8724 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
8725 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
8726 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
8727 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
8732 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
8733 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
8736 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
8739 @vindex gnus-break-pages
8741 @item gnus-break-pages
8742 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
8743 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
8744 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
8745 paging will not be done.
8747 @item gnus-page-delimiter
8748 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
8749 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
8754 @node Composing Messages
8755 @chapter Composing Messages
8756 @cindex composing messages
8759 @cindex sending mail
8764 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
8765 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
8766 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
8767 by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
8768 Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
8769 article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
8770 to make gnus try to post using the foreign server.
8773 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
8774 * Post:: Posting and following up.
8775 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
8776 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
8777 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
8778 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
8779 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
8780 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
8783 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
8784 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
8790 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
8793 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
8794 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
8795 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
8796 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
8798 @item gnus-add-to-list
8799 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
8800 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
8801 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
8809 Variables for composing news articles:
8812 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8813 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
8814 Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
8815 sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
8816 user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
8817 dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
8818 same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
8819 history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
8820 this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want gnus to keep a history
8823 @item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8824 @vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
8825 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
8826 file. It is 1000 by default.
8831 @node Posting Server
8832 @section Posting Server
8834 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
8835 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
8837 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
8839 @vindex gnus-post-method
8841 It can be quite complicated. Normally, gnus will use the same native
8842 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
8843 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
8844 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
8845 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
8848 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
8851 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
8852 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
8853 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
8854 the ``current'' server for posting.
8856 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
8857 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
8859 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
8860 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
8863 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
8864 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
8865 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
8870 @section Mail and Post
8872 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
8876 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
8877 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
8878 @cindex mailing lists
8880 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
8881 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
8882 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
8883 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
8884 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
8885 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
8886 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
8887 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
8888 still a pain, though.
8892 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
8893 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
8894 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
8897 @findex ispell-message
8899 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
8903 @node Archived Messages
8904 @section Archived Messages
8905 @cindex archived messages
8906 @cindex sent messages
8908 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
8909 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
8910 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
8911 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
8914 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
8915 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
8916 use to store sent messages. The default is:
8920 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
8921 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
8922 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
8923 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
8926 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
8927 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
8928 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
8929 directory chosen, you could say something like:
8932 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
8933 '(nnfolder "archive"
8934 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
8935 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
8936 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
8939 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
8941 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
8942 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
8943 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
8945 This variable can be used to do the following:
8949 Messages will be saved in that group.
8950 @item a list of strings
8951 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
8952 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
8953 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
8955 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
8960 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
8962 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
8965 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
8967 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
8970 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
8972 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8973 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
8974 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
8975 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
8980 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8981 '((if (message-news-p)
8986 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
8987 messages in one file per month:
8990 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
8991 '((if (message-news-p)
8993 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
8996 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
8997 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
8999 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9000 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9001 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9002 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9003 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9004 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9005 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9006 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9007 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9008 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9010 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9011 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9012 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9013 this will disable archiving.
9016 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9017 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9018 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9019 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9020 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9023 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9024 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9025 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9028 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9029 but the latter is the preferred method.
9033 @node Posting Styles
9034 @section Posting Styles
9035 @cindex posting styles
9038 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9040 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9041 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9042 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9045 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9046 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9047 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9048 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9049 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9054 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9055 (organization "What me?"))
9057 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9058 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9059 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9062 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9063 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9064 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9065 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9066 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9067 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9068 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9069 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9071 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9072 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9073 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9074 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9075 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9076 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9077 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9078 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9081 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9082 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9083 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9084 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9085 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9086 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9087 article. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated,
9088 and the result is thrown away.
9090 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9091 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9092 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9093 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9094 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9095 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9097 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9098 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9099 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9101 @findex message-mail-p
9102 @findex message-news-p
9104 So here's a new example:
9107 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9109 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9111 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9112 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9114 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9115 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9116 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9118 (signature my-news-signature))
9119 ((header "From.*To" "larsi.*org")
9120 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9121 ((posting-from-work-p)
9122 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9123 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9124 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9125 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9127 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9135 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9136 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9137 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9138 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9139 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9141 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9142 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9143 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9144 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9145 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9149 @vindex nndraft-directory
9150 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9151 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9152 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9153 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9154 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9155 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9157 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9158 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9161 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9162 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9163 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9164 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9165 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9166 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9167 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9168 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9169 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9170 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9171 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9172 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9173 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9174 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9176 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9177 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9178 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9180 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9182 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9183 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9184 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
9186 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
9189 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
9190 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
9191 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
9192 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
9193 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
9194 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
9195 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
9198 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
9199 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
9200 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
9203 @node Rejected Articles
9204 @section Rejected Articles
9205 @cindex rejected articles
9207 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
9208 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
9209 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
9210 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
9212 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
9213 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
9214 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
9215 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
9216 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
9218 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
9219 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
9220 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
9223 @node Select Methods
9224 @chapter Select Methods
9225 @cindex foreign groups
9226 @cindex select methods
9228 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
9229 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
9230 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
9231 personal mail group.
9233 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
9234 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
9235 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
9236 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
9237 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
9238 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
9240 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
9241 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
9243 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
9246 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
9247 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
9248 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
9249 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
9250 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
9252 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
9255 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
9256 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
9257 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
9258 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
9259 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
9260 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
9261 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
9265 @node The Server Buffer
9266 @section The Server Buffer
9268 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
9269 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
9270 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
9271 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
9272 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
9273 backend represents a virtual server.
9275 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
9276 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
9277 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
9278 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
9280 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
9281 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
9282 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
9283 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
9284 Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
9285 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
9286 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
9288 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
9289 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
9292 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
9293 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
9294 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
9295 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
9296 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
9297 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
9298 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
9301 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
9302 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
9305 @node Server Buffer Format
9306 @subsection Server Buffer Format
9307 @cindex server buffer format
9309 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
9310 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
9311 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
9312 variable, with some simple extensions:
9317 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
9320 The name of this server.
9323 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
9326 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
9329 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
9330 The mode line can also be customized by using the
9331 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
9332 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
9342 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
9345 @node Server Commands
9346 @subsection Server Commands
9347 @cindex server commands
9353 @findex gnus-server-add-server
9354 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
9358 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
9359 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
9362 @kindex SPACE (Server)
9363 @findex gnus-server-read-server
9364 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
9368 @findex gnus-server-exit
9369 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
9373 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
9374 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
9378 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
9379 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
9383 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
9384 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
9388 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
9389 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
9393 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
9394 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
9395 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
9400 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
9401 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
9402 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
9403 a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
9408 @node Example Methods
9409 @subsection Example Methods
9411 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
9414 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
9417 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
9423 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
9424 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
9427 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
9428 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
9430 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
9431 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
9435 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
9438 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
9439 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
9441 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
9442 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
9443 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
9447 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
9450 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
9453 Here's the method for a public spool:
9457 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
9458 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
9461 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
9462 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
9463 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
9464 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
9465 should probably look something like this:
9469 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
9470 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9471 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9472 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9473 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
9476 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
9477 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
9478 server that would look something like this:
9482 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
9483 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
9484 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
9485 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
9486 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
9487 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
9490 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
9491 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
9492 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
9493 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
9496 @node Creating a Virtual Server
9497 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
9499 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
9500 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
9502 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
9503 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
9504 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
9506 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
9508 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
9509 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
9510 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
9511 will contain the following:
9521 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
9522 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
9523 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
9526 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
9527 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
9528 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
9531 @node Server Variables
9532 @subsection Server Variables
9534 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
9535 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
9536 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
9537 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
9538 won't change the "derived" variables.
9540 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
9541 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
9542 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
9543 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
9544 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
9545 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
9546 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
9547 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
9548 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
9552 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
9553 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
9554 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
9558 @node Servers and Methods
9559 @subsection Servers and Methods
9561 Wherever you would normally use a select method
9562 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
9563 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
9564 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
9568 @node Unavailable Servers
9569 @subsection Unavailable Servers
9571 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
9572 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
9573 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
9574 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
9575 actually the case or not.
9577 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
9578 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
9579 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
9580 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
9581 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
9582 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
9583 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
9584 it will regard that server as ``down''.
9586 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
9587 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
9589 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
9590 with the following commands:
9596 @findex gnus-server-open-server
9597 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
9598 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
9602 @findex gnus-server-close-server
9603 Close the connection (if any) to the server
9604 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
9608 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
9609 Mark the current server as unreachable
9610 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
9613 @kindex M-o (Server)
9614 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
9615 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
9616 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
9619 @kindex M-c (Server)
9620 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
9621 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
9622 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
9626 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
9627 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
9628 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
9634 @section Getting News
9635 @cindex reading news
9636 @cindex news backends
9638 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
9639 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
9640 or it can read from a local spool.
9643 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
9644 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
9649 @subsection @sc{nntp}
9652 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
9653 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
9654 server as the, uhm, address.
9656 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
9657 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
9658 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
9659 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
9661 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
9662 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
9663 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
9665 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
9670 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
9671 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
9672 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
9674 @cindex authentification
9675 @cindex nntp authentification
9676 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9677 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
9678 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
9679 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
9680 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
9681 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
9682 present in this hook.
9684 @item nntp-authinfo-function
9685 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
9686 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
9687 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
9688 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
9689 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
9690 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
9691 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
9692 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
9693 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
9694 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
9695 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
9699 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
9702 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
9703 valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
9704 @samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
9705 @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
9706 @file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
9711 Here's an example file:
9714 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
9715 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
9718 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
9719 have to be first, for instance.
9721 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
9722 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
9723 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
9724 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
9725 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
9726 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
9727 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
9729 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
9730 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
9736 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
9737 previously mentioned.
9739 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
9741 @item nntp-server-action-alist
9742 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
9743 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
9744 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
9745 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
9748 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
9752 You probably don't want to do that, though.
9754 The default value is
9757 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
9758 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
9761 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
9762 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
9764 @item nntp-maximum-request
9765 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
9766 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
9767 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
9768 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
9769 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
9770 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
9771 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
9773 @item nntp-connection-timeout
9774 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
9775 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
9776 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
9777 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
9778 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
9779 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
9780 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
9781 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
9782 no timeouts are done.
9784 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
9785 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
9786 @c @cindex PPP connections
9787 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
9788 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
9789 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
9790 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
9791 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
9792 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
9793 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
9794 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
9795 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
9796 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
9798 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
9799 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
9800 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
9801 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
9804 @item nntp-server-hook
9805 @vindex nntp-server-hook
9806 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
9809 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
9810 @findex nntp-open-telnet
9811 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
9812 @item nntp-open-connection-function
9813 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
9814 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
9815 functions are supplied:
9818 @item nntp-open-network-stream
9819 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
9822 @item nntp-open-rlogin
9823 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
9824 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
9827 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
9831 @item nntp-rlogin-program
9832 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
9833 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
9834 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
9836 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
9837 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
9838 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
9840 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9841 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9842 User name on the remote system.
9846 @item nntp-open-telnet
9847 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
9848 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
9850 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
9853 @item nntp-telnet-command
9854 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
9855 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
9857 @item nntp-telnet-switches
9858 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
9859 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
9861 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
9862 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
9863 User name for log in on the remote system.
9865 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
9866 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
9867 Password to use when logging in.
9869 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
9870 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
9871 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
9874 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9875 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
9876 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
9877 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
9879 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9880 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
9881 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
9882 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
9883 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
9887 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
9888 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
9889 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
9890 you must have SSLay installed
9891 (@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
9892 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
9893 define a server as follows:
9896 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
9898 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
9900 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
9901 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
9902 (nntp-port-number "snews")
9903 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
9908 @item nntp-end-of-line
9909 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
9910 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
9911 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
9912 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
9914 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
9915 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
9916 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
9920 @vindex nntp-address
9921 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
9923 @item nntp-port-number
9924 @vindex nntp-port-number
9925 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
9928 @item nntp-buggy-select
9929 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
9930 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
9932 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
9933 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
9934 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
9935 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
9938 @item nntp-xover-commands
9939 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
9942 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
9943 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
9947 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
9948 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
9949 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
9950 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
9951 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
9952 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
9953 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
9954 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
9955 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
9956 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
9957 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
9959 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
9960 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
9961 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
9963 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9964 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
9965 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
9966 server closes connection.
9968 @item nntp-record-commands
9969 @vindex nntp-record-commands
9970 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
9971 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
9972 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
9973 that doesn't seem to work.
9979 @subsection News Spool
9983 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
9984 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
9985 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
9988 Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
9989 anything else) as the address.
9991 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
9992 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
9993 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
9994 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
9998 @item nnspool-inews-program
9999 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10000 Program used to post an article.
10002 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10003 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10004 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10006 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10007 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10008 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10009 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10011 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10012 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10013 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10014 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10016 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10017 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10018 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10020 @item nnspool-active-file
10021 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10022 The path to the active file.
10024 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10025 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10026 The path to the group descriptions file.
10028 @item nnspool-history-file
10029 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10030 The path to the news history file.
10032 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10033 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10034 The path to the active date file.
10036 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10037 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10038 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10041 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10042 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10044 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10045 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10046 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10052 @section Getting Mail
10053 @cindex reading mail
10056 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10060 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10061 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10062 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10063 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10064 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10065 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10066 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10067 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10068 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10069 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10070 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10071 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10072 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10076 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10077 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10079 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10080 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10081 of a culture shock.
10083 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10084 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10086 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10087 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10088 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10089 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10091 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10093 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
10094 deleted? How awful!
10096 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
10097 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
10098 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
10099 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
10102 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
10103 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
10104 they want to treat a message.
10106 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
10107 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
10108 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
10109 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
10110 archived somewhere else.
10112 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
10113 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
10114 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
10115 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
10116 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
10118 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
10119 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
10120 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
10122 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
10123 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
10126 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
10127 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
10128 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
10129 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
10130 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
10132 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
10133 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
10134 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
10135 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
10136 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
10137 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
10141 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
10142 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
10144 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
10145 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
10146 and things will happen automatically.
10148 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
10149 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
10152 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
10153 '((nnml "private")))
10156 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
10157 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
10158 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
10159 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
10160 like any other group.
10162 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
10165 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10166 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10167 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10171 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
10172 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
10173 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
10176 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
10177 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
10178 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
10181 @node Splitting Mail
10182 @subsection Splitting Mail
10183 @cindex splitting mail
10184 @cindex mail splitting
10186 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
10187 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
10188 to be split into groups.
10191 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10192 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10193 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10194 ("mail.other" "")))
10197 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
10198 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
10199 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
10200 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
10201 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
10202 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
10203 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
10206 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
10209 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
10210 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
10211 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
10212 mail belongs in that group.
10214 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
10215 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
10216 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
10217 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
10218 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
10219 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
10221 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
10222 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
10223 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
10224 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
10225 thinks should carry this mail message.
10227 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
10228 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
10229 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
10230 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
10232 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
10233 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
10234 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
10235 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
10236 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
10238 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
10241 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
10242 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
10243 links. If that's the case for you, set
10244 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
10245 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
10247 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
10248 @kindex nnmail-split-history
10249 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
10250 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
10252 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
10253 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
10254 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
10255 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
10256 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
10257 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
10258 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
10259 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
10260 month's rent money.
10264 @subsection Mail Sources
10266 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
10267 POP mail server, or from a procmail directory, for instance.
10270 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
10271 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
10272 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
10276 @node Mail Source Specifiers
10277 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
10279 @cindex mail server
10282 @cindex mail source
10284 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
10285 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
10290 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
10293 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
10294 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
10295 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
10298 The following mail source types are available:
10302 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
10308 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
10309 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
10312 An example file mail source:
10315 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
10318 Or using the default path:
10324 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
10325 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
10326 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
10329 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
10333 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
10336 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
10340 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
10343 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
10345 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
10348 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
10352 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
10353 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
10359 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
10363 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
10367 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
10368 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
10369 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
10370 predicate are considered.
10374 Script run before/after fetching mail.
10378 An example directory mail source:
10381 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
10386 Get mail from a POP server.
10392 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
10393 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
10396 The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
10399 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
10403 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
10407 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
10408 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
10411 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
10414 The valid format specifier characters are:
10418 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
10419 included in this string.
10422 The name of the server.
10425 The port number of the server.
10428 The user name to use.
10431 The password to use.
10434 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
10435 corresponding keywords.
10438 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
10439 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
10442 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
10443 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
10446 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
10447 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
10450 @item :authentication
10451 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
10452 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
10457 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
10458 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
10460 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
10461 default user name, and default fetcher:
10467 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
10470 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
10471 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
10474 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
10477 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
10481 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox currently only
10482 supported by qmail, where each file in a special directory contains
10489 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
10490 @samp{~/Maildir/new}.
10492 If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
10493 them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
10494 @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the following example.
10498 An example maildir mail source:
10501 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/cur")
10505 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as intended,
10506 as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some reason or
10507 other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and fetches
10508 articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
10514 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
10515 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
10518 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
10519 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
10522 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
10526 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
10530 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
10531 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
10532 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
10534 @item :authenticator
10535 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
10536 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this means
10537 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
10541 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
10542 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
10545 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default,
10546 @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people,
10547 but if you sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark
10548 some articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to
10549 @samp{nil}. Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter
10550 what. For a complete list of predicates, see RFC2060 §6.4.4.
10553 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
10554 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
10555 would simply mark them as read. Theese are the two most likely choices,
10556 but more flags are defined in RFC2060 §2.3.2.
10559 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
10560 after finishing the fetch.
10564 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
10567 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4)
10571 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
10572 mail.yahoo.com, and www.netaddress.com.
10574 NOTE: Webmail largely depends on w3 (url) package, whose version of "WWW
10575 4.0pre.46 1999/10/01" or previous ones may not work.
10577 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
10583 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
10584 alternatives are @code{yahoo}, @code{netaddress}.
10587 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
10591 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
10596 An example webmail source:
10599 (webmail :subtype 'yahoo :user "user-name" :password "secret")
10604 @node Mail Source Customization
10605 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
10607 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
10608 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
10612 @item mail-source-crash-box
10613 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
10614 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
10615 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
10617 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
10618 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
10619 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
10621 @item mail-source-directory
10622 @vindex mail-source-directory
10623 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
10624 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
10625 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
10628 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
10629 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
10630 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
10635 @node Fetching Mail
10636 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
10638 @vindex mail-sources
10639 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
10640 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
10641 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
10642 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
10644 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
10645 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
10648 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
10649 mail server, you'd say something like:
10654 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10655 :password "secret")))
10658 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
10662 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
10663 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
10666 :password "secret")))
10670 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
10671 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
10672 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
10673 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
10674 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
10675 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
10679 @node Mail Backend Variables
10680 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
10682 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
10686 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10687 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
10688 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
10689 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
10691 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
10692 @item nnmail-split-hook
10693 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
10694 @findex RFC1522 decoding
10695 @findex RFC2047 decoding
10696 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
10697 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
10698 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
10699 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
10700 in the buffer will show up in any files.
10701 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
10704 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10705 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10706 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10707 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
10708 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
10709 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
10710 starting to handle the new mail) and
10711 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
10712 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
10713 default file modes the new mail files get:
10716 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
10717 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
10719 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
10720 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
10723 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
10724 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
10725 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
10726 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
10727 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
10728 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
10729 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
10731 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
10732 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
10733 @findex delete-file
10734 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
10736 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10737 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
10738 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
10739 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
10740 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
10745 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
10746 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
10747 @cindex mail splitting
10748 @cindex fancy mail splitting
10750 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
10751 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
10752 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
10753 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
10754 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
10755 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
10757 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
10760 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
10761 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
10762 ;; from real errors.
10763 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
10765 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
10766 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
10767 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
10768 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
10769 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
10770 ;; Other mailing lists...
10771 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
10772 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
10773 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
10774 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
10775 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
10776 ;; message was really cross-posted.
10777 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
10778 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
10780 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
10781 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
10785 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
10786 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
10787 the five possible split syntaxes:
10792 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
10793 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
10797 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict} @code{[-} @var{restrict} @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]]}
10798 @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the first element of which is a
10799 string, then store the message as specified by @var{split}, if header
10800 @var{field} (a regexp) contains @var{value} (also a regexp). If
10801 @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
10802 @var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
10803 @var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
10804 @var{split} is processed.
10807 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10808 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
10809 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
10810 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
10813 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10814 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
10817 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
10818 this message. Use with extreme caution.
10821 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
10822 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
10823 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
10824 function should return a @var{split}.
10827 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
10828 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
10829 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
10833 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
10837 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
10838 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
10839 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
10840 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
10841 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
10843 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
10844 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
10845 are expanded as specified by the variable
10846 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
10847 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
10850 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
10851 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
10852 when all this splitting is performed.
10854 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
10855 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
10856 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
10859 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
10862 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
10863 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
10865 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
10866 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
10867 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
10868 groupings 1 through 9.
10871 @node Group Mail Splitting
10872 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
10873 @cindex mail splitting
10874 @cindex group mail splitting
10876 @findex gnus-group-split
10877 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
10878 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
10879 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
10880 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
10881 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
10882 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
10883 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
10884 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
10886 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
10887 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
10888 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
10889 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
10891 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
10892 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
10893 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
10894 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
10895 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
10896 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
10897 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
10899 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
10900 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
10901 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
10902 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
10903 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
10904 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
10905 @code{gnus-group-split}.
10907 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
10908 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
10909 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
10910 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
10911 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
10912 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
10913 that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
10914 there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
10915 @code{&} split and the catch-all group.
10917 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
10922 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
10923 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
10925 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
10926 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
10927 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
10928 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
10930 ((split-spec . catch-all))
10933 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
10934 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
10935 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
10938 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
10939 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
10940 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
10944 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
10945 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
10946 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
10950 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
10953 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
10954 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
10955 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
10956 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
10957 of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
10958 @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
10959 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
10960 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
10961 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
10963 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
10964 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
10965 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
10966 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
10967 used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
10968 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
10969 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
10970 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
10971 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
10973 @findex gnus-group-split-update
10974 However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
10975 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
10976 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
10977 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
10978 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
10981 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
10984 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
10985 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
10986 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
10987 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
10988 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
10991 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
10992 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
10993 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
10994 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
10996 @node Incorporating Old Mail
10997 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
10999 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
11000 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
11001 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
11004 Doing so can be quite easy.
11006 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
11007 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
11008 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
11009 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
11010 your @code{nnml} groups.
11016 Go to the group buffer.
11019 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
11020 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11023 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
11026 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
11027 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11030 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
11031 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
11034 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
11035 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
11036 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
11037 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
11038 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
11040 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
11041 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
11042 using the new mail backend.
11045 @node Expiring Mail
11046 @subsection Expiring Mail
11047 @cindex article expiry
11049 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
11050 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
11051 different approach to mail reading.
11053 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
11054 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
11055 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
11056 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
11057 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
11058 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
11061 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
11062 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
11063 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
11064 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
11065 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
11066 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
11067 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
11068 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
11070 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11071 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
11072 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
11073 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
11074 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
11075 column in the summary buffer.
11077 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
11078 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
11079 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
11080 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
11083 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
11085 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
11086 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
11087 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
11090 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
11091 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
11092 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
11093 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
11094 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
11096 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
11097 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
11100 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11101 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
11104 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
11105 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
11107 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
11108 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
11109 don't really mix very well.
11111 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
11112 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
11113 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
11114 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
11117 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
11118 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
11119 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
11120 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
11123 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11125 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
11127 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
11129 ((string= group "mail.junk")
11131 ((string= group "important")
11137 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
11138 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
11140 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
11141 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
11142 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
11145 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
11146 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
11148 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
11149 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
11150 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
11151 easier for procmail users.
11153 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
11154 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
11155 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
11156 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
11157 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
11158 caution. Even more dangerous is the
11159 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
11160 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
11161 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
11162 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
11163 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
11164 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
11165 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
11168 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
11170 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
11171 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
11172 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
11173 auto-expire turned on.
11177 @subsection Washing Mail
11178 @cindex mail washing
11179 @cindex list server brain damage
11180 @cindex incoming mail treatment
11182 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
11183 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
11184 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
11185 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
11186 Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
11187 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
11189 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
11190 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
11191 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
11194 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
11195 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
11196 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
11197 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
11200 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11201 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
11202 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
11203 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
11204 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
11207 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11208 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
11209 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
11210 Emacs running on MS machines.
11214 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11215 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
11216 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
11217 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
11220 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11221 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
11222 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
11223 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
11225 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11226 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
11227 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
11228 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
11229 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
11230 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
11231 also be a list of regexp.
11233 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
11234 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
11237 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
11238 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
11241 This can also be done non-destructively with
11242 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
11244 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
11245 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
11246 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
11248 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11249 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
11251 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
11252 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
11253 @code{References} headers.
11257 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11258 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
11259 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
11263 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
11264 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
11265 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
11272 @subsection Duplicates
11274 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
11275 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
11276 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
11277 @cindex duplicate mails
11278 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
11279 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
11280 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
11281 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
11282 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
11283 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
11284 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
11285 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
11286 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
11287 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
11288 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
11289 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
11290 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
11292 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
11293 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
11294 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
11295 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
11297 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
11300 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
11301 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
11305 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
11306 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
11307 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
11308 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
11309 (any mail "mail.misc")
11316 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11317 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
11322 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
11323 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
11324 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
11325 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
11326 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
11329 @node Not Reading Mail
11330 @subsection Not Reading Mail
11332 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
11333 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
11334 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
11336 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
11337 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
11338 mail, which should help.
11340 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11341 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
11342 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
11343 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
11344 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
11345 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
11346 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
11347 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
11348 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
11349 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
11350 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
11352 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
11353 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
11357 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
11358 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
11360 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
11361 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
11362 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
11364 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
11365 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
11366 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
11367 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
11370 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
11371 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
11372 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
11373 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
11374 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
11375 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
11379 @node Unix Mail Box
11380 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
11382 @cindex unix mail box
11384 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
11385 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
11386 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
11387 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
11388 which group it belongs in.
11390 Virtual server settings:
11393 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
11394 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
11395 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
11397 @item nnmbox-active-file
11398 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
11399 The name of the active file for the mail box.
11401 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
11402 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
11403 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
11409 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
11413 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
11414 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
11415 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
11416 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
11417 article to say which group it belongs in.
11419 Virtual server settings:
11422 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
11423 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
11424 The name of the rmail mbox file.
11426 @item nnbabyl-active-file
11427 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
11428 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
11430 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11431 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
11432 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
11437 @subsubsection Mail Spool
11439 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
11441 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
11442 format. It should be used with some caution.
11444 @vindex nnml-directory
11445 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
11446 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
11447 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
11448 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
11450 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
11453 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
11454 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
11455 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
11456 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
11457 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
11458 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
11459 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
11460 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
11462 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
11463 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
11464 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
11465 backend when it comes to reading mail.
11467 Virtual server settings:
11470 @item nnml-directory
11471 @vindex nnml-directory
11472 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
11474 @item nnml-active-file
11475 @vindex nnml-active-file
11476 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
11478 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
11479 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
11480 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
11483 @item nnml-get-new-mail
11484 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
11485 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
11487 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
11488 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
11489 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
11491 @item nnml-nov-file-name
11492 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
11493 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
11495 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
11496 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
11497 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
11501 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
11502 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
11503 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
11504 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
11505 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
11506 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
11507 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
11512 @subsubsection MH Spool
11514 @cindex mh-e mail spool
11516 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
11517 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
11518 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
11519 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
11521 Virtual server settings:
11524 @item nnmh-directory
11525 @vindex nnmh-directory
11526 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
11528 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
11529 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
11530 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
11533 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
11534 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
11535 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
11536 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
11537 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
11538 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
11539 to set this variable to @code{t}.
11544 @subsubsection Mail Folders
11546 @cindex mbox folders
11547 @cindex mail folders
11549 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
11550 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
11551 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
11554 Virtual server settings:
11557 @item nnfolder-directory
11558 @vindex nnfolder-directory
11559 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
11561 @item nnfolder-active-file
11562 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
11563 The name of the active file.
11565 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
11566 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
11567 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
11569 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
11570 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
11571 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
11573 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
11574 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
11575 @cindex backup files
11576 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
11577 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
11578 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
11579 your @file{.emacs} file:
11582 (defun turn-off-backup ()
11583 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
11585 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
11588 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
11589 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
11590 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
11591 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
11592 extract some information from it before removing it.
11597 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
11598 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
11599 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
11600 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
11601 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
11602 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
11605 @node Comparing Mail Backends
11606 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
11608 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
11609 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
11610 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
11611 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
11612 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
11614 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
11615 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
11616 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
11617 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
11618 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
11619 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
11620 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
11621 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
11624 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
11625 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
11626 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
11627 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
11632 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
11633 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
11634 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
11635 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
11636 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
11637 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
11638 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
11639 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
11640 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
11641 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
11642 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
11643 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
11644 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
11649 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
11650 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
11651 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
11652 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
11653 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
11654 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
11655 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
11656 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
11657 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
11658 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
11659 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
11660 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
11661 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
11662 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
11664 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
11665 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
11670 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
11671 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
11672 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
11673 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
11674 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
11675 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
11676 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
11677 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
11678 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
11679 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
11680 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
11681 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
11682 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
11683 provided by the active file and overviews.
11685 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
11686 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
11687 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
11688 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
11689 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
11692 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
11693 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
11698 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
11699 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
11700 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
11701 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
11702 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
11703 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
11704 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
11708 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
11709 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
11710 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
11711 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
11712 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
11713 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
11714 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
11715 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
11716 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
11718 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
11719 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
11720 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
11721 friendly mail backend all over.
11726 @node Browsing the Web
11727 @section Browsing the Web
11729 @cindex browsing the web
11733 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
11734 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
11735 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
11736 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
11737 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
11738 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
11739 even know what a news group is.
11741 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
11742 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
11743 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
11744 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
11745 you mad in the end.
11747 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
11750 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
11751 interfaces to these sources.
11754 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
11755 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
11756 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
11757 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
11760 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
11761 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
11762 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
11763 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
11764 though, you should be ok.
11766 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
11767 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
11768 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
11769 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
11770 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
11774 @subsection Web Searches
11778 @cindex InReference
11779 @cindex Usenet searches
11780 @cindex searching the Usenet
11782 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
11783 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
11784 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
11785 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
11786 searches without having to use a browser.
11788 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
11789 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
11790 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
11791 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
11792 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
11794 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
11795 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
11796 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
11797 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
11798 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
11799 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
11800 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
11801 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
11802 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
11803 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
11806 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
11807 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
11808 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
11809 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
11810 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
11811 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
11813 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
11814 to use @code{nnweb}.
11816 Virtual server variables:
11821 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
11822 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
11826 @vindex nnweb-search
11827 The search string to feed to the search engine.
11829 @item nnweb-max-hits
11830 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
11831 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
11834 @item nnweb-type-definition
11835 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
11836 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
11837 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
11842 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
11846 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
11849 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
11852 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
11856 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
11863 @subsection Slashdot
11867 Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
11868 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
11869 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
11871 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
11872 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
11875 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11876 '((nnslashdot "")))
11879 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
11880 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
11881 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
11882 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
11883 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
11886 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
11887 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
11888 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
11889 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
11890 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
11891 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
11894 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
11897 @item nnslashdot-threaded
11898 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
11899 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
11900 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
11901 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
11902 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
11903 but much, much slower than untreaded.
11905 @item nnslashdot-login-name
11906 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
11907 The login name to use when posting.
11909 @item nnslashdot-password
11910 @vindex nnslashdot-password
11911 The password to use when posting.
11913 @item nnslashdot-directory
11914 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
11915 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
11916 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
11918 @item nnslashdot-active-url
11919 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
11920 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
11921 news articles and comments. The default is
11922 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
11924 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
11925 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
11926 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
11928 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
11930 @item nnslashdot-article-url
11931 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
11932 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
11934 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
11936 @item nnslashdot-threshold
11937 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
11938 The score threshold. The default is -1.
11940 @item nnslashdot-group-number
11941 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
11942 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
11943 updated. The default is 0.
11950 @subsection Ultimate
11952 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
11954 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
11955 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
11956 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
11957 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
11959 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
11960 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
11961 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
11962 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
11963 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
11964 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
11965 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
11967 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
11970 @item nnultimate-directory
11971 @vindex nnultimate-directory
11972 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
11973 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
11977 @subsection Web Archive
11979 @cindex Web Archive
11981 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
11982 (@file{http://www.egroups.com/}). It has a quite regular and nice
11983 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
11986 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
11987 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
11988 gnus-group-make-nnwarchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
11989 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
11990 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
11991 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.)
11993 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
11996 @item nnwarchive-directory
11997 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
11998 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
11999 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
12001 @item nnwarchive-login
12002 @vindex nnwarchive-login
12003 The account name on the web server.
12005 @item nnwarchive-passwd
12006 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
12007 The password for your account on the web server.
12010 @node Other Sources
12011 @section Other Sources
12013 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
12014 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
12018 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
12019 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
12020 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
12021 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
12022 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
12023 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
12027 @node Directory Groups
12028 @subsection Directory Groups
12030 @cindex directory groups
12032 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
12033 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
12036 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
12037 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
12038 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
12039 backend to read directories. Big deal.
12041 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
12042 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
12043 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
12044 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
12045 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
12047 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
12049 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
12050 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
12051 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
12052 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
12055 @node Anything Groups
12056 @subsection Anything Groups
12059 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
12060 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
12061 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
12064 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
12065 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
12066 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
12067 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
12068 forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
12069 snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
12070 the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
12071 If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
12072 file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
12073 will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
12076 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
12077 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
12078 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
12079 in the article buffer, just as usual.
12081 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
12082 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
12083 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
12084 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
12086 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
12087 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
12088 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
12089 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
12090 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
12091 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
12092 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
12093 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
12098 @item nneething-map-file-directory
12099 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
12100 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
12101 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
12103 @item nneething-exclude-files
12104 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
12105 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
12106 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
12108 @item nneething-include-files
12109 @vindex nneething-include-files
12110 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
12111 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
12113 @item nneething-map-file
12114 @vindex nneething-map-file
12115 Name of the map files.
12119 @node Document Groups
12120 @subsection Document Groups
12122 @cindex documentation group
12125 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
12126 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
12133 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
12138 The standard Unix mbox file.
12140 @cindex MMDF mail box
12142 The MMDF mail box format.
12145 Several news articles appended into a file.
12148 @cindex rnews batch files
12149 The rnews batch transport format.
12150 @cindex forwarded messages
12153 Forwarded articles.
12156 Netscape mail boxes.
12159 MIME multipart messages.
12161 @item standard-digest
12162 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
12165 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
12168 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
12169 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
12170 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
12173 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
12174 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
12175 group. And that's it.
12177 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
12178 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
12179 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
12180 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
12181 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
12182 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
12183 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
12184 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
12185 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
12186 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
12188 Virtual server variables:
12191 @item nndoc-article-type
12192 @vindex nndoc-article-type
12193 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
12194 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
12195 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
12196 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
12198 @item nndoc-post-type
12199 @vindex nndoc-post-type
12200 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
12201 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
12206 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
12210 @node Document Server Internals
12211 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
12213 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
12214 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
12215 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
12216 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
12218 First, here's an example document type definition:
12222 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
12223 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
12226 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
12227 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
12228 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
12229 types can be defined with very few settings:
12232 @item first-article
12233 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
12234 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
12237 @item article-begin
12238 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
12239 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
12241 @item head-begin-function
12242 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
12245 @item nndoc-head-begin
12246 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
12249 @item nndoc-head-end
12250 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
12251 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
12253 @item body-begin-function
12254 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
12258 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
12261 @item body-end-function
12262 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
12266 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
12269 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
12270 regexp will be totally ignored.
12274 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
12275 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
12276 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
12277 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
12278 something that's palatable for Gnus:
12281 @item prepare-body-function
12282 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
12283 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
12284 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
12286 @item article-transform-function
12287 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
12288 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
12289 body of the article.
12291 @item generate-head-function
12292 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
12293 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
12294 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
12295 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
12299 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
12304 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
12305 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
12306 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
12307 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
12308 (head-end . "^ ?$")
12309 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
12310 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
12311 (subtype digest guess))
12314 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
12315 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
12316 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
12317 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
12318 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
12320 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
12321 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
12322 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
12323 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
12324 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
12325 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
12326 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
12327 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
12328 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
12329 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
12337 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
12338 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
12339 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
12341 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
12342 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
12343 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
12346 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
12347 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
12348 that interested in doing things properly.
12350 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
12351 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
12354 First some terminology:
12359 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
12360 get news and/or mail from.
12363 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
12364 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
12367 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
12371 @item message packets
12372 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
12373 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
12374 default, where @var{x} is a number.
12376 @item response packets
12377 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
12378 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
12379 default, where @var{x} is a number.
12389 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
12390 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
12391 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
12392 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
12395 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
12398 You put the packet in your home directory.
12401 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
12402 the native or secondary server.
12405 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
12406 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
12409 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
12413 You transfer this packet to the server.
12416 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
12419 You then repeat until you die.
12423 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
12424 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
12427 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
12428 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
12429 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
12433 @node SOUP Commands
12434 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
12436 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
12440 @kindex G s b (Group)
12441 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
12442 Pack all unread articles in the current group
12443 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
12444 process/prefix convention.
12447 @kindex G s w (Group)
12448 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
12449 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
12452 @kindex G s s (Group)
12453 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
12454 Send all replies from the replies packet
12455 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
12458 @kindex G s p (Group)
12459 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
12460 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
12463 @kindex G s r (Group)
12464 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
12465 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
12468 @kindex O s (Summary)
12469 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
12470 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
12471 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
12472 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
12477 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
12482 @item gnus-soup-directory
12483 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
12484 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
12485 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
12487 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
12488 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
12489 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
12490 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
12492 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
12493 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
12494 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
12495 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
12497 @item gnus-soup-packer
12498 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
12499 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
12500 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
12502 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
12503 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
12504 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
12505 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
12507 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
12508 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
12509 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
12511 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
12512 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
12513 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
12514 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
12520 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
12523 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
12524 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
12525 you can read them at leisure.
12527 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
12531 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
12532 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
12533 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
12534 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
12536 @item nnsoup-directory
12537 @vindex nnsoup-directory
12538 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
12539 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
12541 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
12542 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
12543 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
12544 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
12546 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
12547 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
12548 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
12549 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
12550 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
12552 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
12553 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
12554 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
12555 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
12557 @item nnsoup-active-file
12558 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
12559 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
12560 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
12561 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
12562 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
12564 @item nnsoup-packer
12565 @vindex nnsoup-packer
12566 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
12567 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
12569 @item nnsoup-unpacker
12570 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
12571 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
12572 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
12574 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
12575 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
12576 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
12579 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
12580 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
12581 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
12584 @item nnsoup-always-save
12585 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
12586 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
12592 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
12594 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
12595 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
12596 more for that to happen.
12598 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
12599 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
12600 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
12603 In specific, this is what it does:
12606 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
12607 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
12610 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
12611 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
12612 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
12615 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
12616 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
12617 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
12620 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
12621 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
12622 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
12624 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
12630 @item nngateway-address
12631 @vindex nngateway-address
12632 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
12634 @item nngateway-header-transformation
12635 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
12636 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
12637 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
12638 transformation should be called, and defaults to
12639 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
12640 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
12643 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
12644 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
12645 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
12648 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
12651 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
12654 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
12657 The following pre-defined functions exist:
12659 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
12662 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
12663 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
12664 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
12666 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
12668 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
12669 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
12670 @code{nngateway-address}.
12675 (setq gnus-post-method
12676 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
12677 (nngateway-header-transformation
12678 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
12686 So, to use this, simply say something like:
12689 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
12695 @subsection @sc{imap}
12699 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...), think of
12700 it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server is much similar to
12701 connecting to a news server, you just specify the network address of the
12704 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
12709 @item nnimap-address
12710 @vindex nnimap-address
12712 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual server
12713 name if not specified.
12715 @item nnimap-server-port
12716 @vindex nnimap-server-port
12717 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
12719 @item nnimap-list-pattern
12720 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
12721 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups
12722 to. This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
12723 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via @sc{imap},
12724 you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in @file{~/Mail/*}
12727 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
12728 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
12729 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
12735 ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
12738 @item nnimap-stream
12739 @vindex nnimap-stream
12740 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
12741 will use the most secure stream your server is capable of.
12745 @dfn{kerberos4:} Uses the `imtest' program.
12747 @dfn{ssl:} Uses OpenSSL or SSLeay.
12749 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
12752 @item nnimap-authenticator
12753 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
12755 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap will
12756 use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
12760 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication.
12762 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
12764 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
12766 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
12769 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
12771 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
12772 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
12773 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has this
12774 concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually delete
12775 them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what nnimap
12776 does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or similair).
12778 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
12779 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
12780 running in circles yet?
12782 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
12783 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
12786 The possible options are:
12791 The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
12794 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing the
12795 articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients may allow
12796 you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command manually,
12797 @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
12799 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
12806 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
12807 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
12808 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
12813 @node Splitting in IMAP
12814 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
12815 @cindex splitting imap mail
12817 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
12818 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many @sc{imap}
12819 server has server side splitting and those that have splitting seem to
12820 use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap} support for Gnus
12821 has to do it's own splitting.
12825 There are three variables of interest:
12829 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
12830 @cindex splitting, crosspost
12832 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
12834 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
12835 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
12837 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
12839 @item nnimap-split-inbox
12840 @cindex splitting, inbox
12842 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
12844 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap} mailboxes
12845 to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is disabled!
12848 (setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
12851 No nnmail equivalent.
12853 @item nnimap-split-rule
12854 @cindex Splitting, rules
12855 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
12857 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
12860 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
12861 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles matching the
12862 regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that? Neither did I, we
12866 (setq nnimap-split-rule
12867 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
12868 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
12869 ("INBOX.private" "")))
12872 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
12873 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
12874 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
12876 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
12877 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
12881 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
12884 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
12885 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
12886 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
12887 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
12889 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
12890 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
12891 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
12892 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
12893 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
12894 them every time you fetch new mail.)
12896 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
12897 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
12898 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
12900 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
12902 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
12906 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
12907 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
12908 @cindex editing imap acls
12909 @cindex Access Control Lists
12910 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
12912 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
12914 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for limiting
12915 (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all @sc{imap}
12916 servers support this, this function will give an error if it doesn't.
12918 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
12919 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
12920 editing window with detailed instructions.
12922 Some possible uses:
12926 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
12927 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
12928 follow the list without subscribing to it.
12930 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
12931 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
12932 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
12936 @node Expunging mailboxes
12937 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
12941 @cindex Manual expunging
12943 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
12945 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
12946 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
12947 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
12949 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
12954 @node Combined Groups
12955 @section Combined Groups
12957 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
12961 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
12962 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
12966 @node Virtual Groups
12967 @subsection Virtual Groups
12969 @cindex virtual groups
12970 @cindex merging groups
12972 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
12975 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
12976 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
12977 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
12979 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
12980 regexp to match component groups.
12982 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
12983 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
12984 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
12985 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
12986 the virtual group.)
12988 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
12989 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
12992 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
12995 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
12996 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
12998 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
12999 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
13000 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
13001 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
13004 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
13007 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
13008 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
13009 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
13011 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
13012 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
13013 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
13014 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
13015 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
13017 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
13018 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
13019 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
13021 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
13022 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
13023 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
13024 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
13025 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
13026 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
13027 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
13028 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
13029 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
13030 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
13031 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
13033 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
13034 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
13035 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
13036 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
13037 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
13038 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
13039 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
13041 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
13042 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
13046 @node Kibozed Groups
13047 @subsection Kibozed Groups
13051 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
13052 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
13053 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
13054 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
13056 @kindex G k (Group)
13057 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
13060 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
13061 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
13062 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
13063 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
13065 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
13066 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
13067 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
13069 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
13070 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
13071 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
13072 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
13073 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
13074 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
13075 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
13076 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
13078 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
13079 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
13080 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
13081 Stranger things have happened.
13083 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
13084 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
13086 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
13087 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
13088 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
13089 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
13090 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
13091 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
13093 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
13094 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
13097 @node Gnus Unplugged
13098 @section Gnus Unplugged
13103 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
13105 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
13106 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
13107 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
13108 read news. Believe it or not.
13110 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
13111 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
13112 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
13113 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
13114 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
13116 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
13117 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
13118 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
13119 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
13120 reading news on a machine.
13122 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
13126 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
13127 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
13131 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
13132 @file{.gnus.el} file:
13139 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
13141 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
13144 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
13145 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
13146 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
13147 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
13148 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
13149 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
13150 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
13151 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
13152 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
13157 @subsection Agent Basics
13159 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
13161 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
13162 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
13163 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
13164 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
13166 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
13167 connected to the net continuously.
13169 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
13170 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
13172 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
13177 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
13178 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
13179 already fetched while in this mode.
13182 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
13183 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
13184 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
13187 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
13188 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
13189 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
13190 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
13193 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
13194 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
13195 then you read the news offline.
13198 And then you go to step 2.
13201 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
13207 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
13208 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
13209 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
13210 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
13211 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
13212 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
13215 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
13222 @node Agent Categories
13223 @subsection Agent Categories
13225 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
13226 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
13227 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
13228 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
13229 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
13230 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
13231 you're interested in the articles anyway.
13233 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
13234 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
13235 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
13236 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
13237 managing categories.
13240 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
13241 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
13242 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
13246 @node Category Syntax
13247 @subsubsection Category Syntax
13249 A category consists of two things.
13253 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
13254 are eligible for downloading; and
13257 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
13258 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
13259 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
13262 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
13263 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
13264 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
13265 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
13267 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
13268 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
13269 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
13271 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
13272 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
13273 operators sprinkled in between.
13275 Perhaps some examples are in order.
13277 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
13278 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
13284 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
13285 short (for some value of ``short'').
13287 Here's a more complex predicate:
13296 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
13297 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
13300 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
13301 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
13302 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
13304 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
13305 you want to do, you can write your own.
13309 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
13310 lines; default 100.
13313 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
13314 lines; default 200.
13317 True iff the article has a download score less than
13318 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
13321 True iff the article has a download score greater than
13322 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
13325 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
13326 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
13327 checksum and sees whether articles match.
13336 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
13337 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
13338 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
13341 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
13342 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
13343 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
13344 something along the lines of the following:
13347 (defun my-article-old-p ()
13348 "Say whether an article is old."
13349 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
13350 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
13353 with the predicate then defined as:
13356 (not my-article-old-p)
13359 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
13360 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
13361 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
13362 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
13365 (defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
13366 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
13367 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
13370 and simply specify your predicate as:
13376 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
13377 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
13378 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
13379 just don't give a damm.
13382 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
13383 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
13384 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
13385 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
13386 parameters like so:
13389 (agent-predicate . short)
13392 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category
13393 default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this,
13394 the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair
13397 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
13400 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
13403 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
13404 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
13405 predicate is assumed to be a list.
13408 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
13409 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
13410 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
13411 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
13412 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
13413 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
13415 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
13416 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
13417 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
13418 if it's to be specific to that group.
13420 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
13427 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
13428 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
13434 Category specification
13438 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
13444 Group Parameter specification
13447 (agent-score ("from"
13448 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
13453 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
13459 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
13466 Category specification
13469 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
13475 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
13479 Group Parameter specification
13482 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
13485 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
13490 Use @code{normal} score files
13492 If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
13493 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
13494 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
13495 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
13497 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
13498 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
13499 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
13500 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
13504 Category Specification
13511 Group Parameter specification
13514 (agent-score . file)
13519 @node The Category Buffer
13520 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
13522 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
13523 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
13524 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
13526 The following commands are available in this buffer:
13530 @kindex q (Category)
13531 @findex gnus-category-exit
13532 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
13535 @kindex k (Category)
13536 @findex gnus-category-kill
13537 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
13540 @kindex c (Category)
13541 @findex gnus-category-copy
13542 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
13545 @kindex a (Category)
13546 @findex gnus-category-add
13547 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
13550 @kindex p (Category)
13551 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
13552 Edit the predicate of the current category
13553 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
13556 @kindex g (Category)
13557 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
13558 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
13559 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
13562 @kindex s (Category)
13563 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
13564 Edit the download score rule of the current category
13565 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
13568 @kindex l (Category)
13569 @findex gnus-category-list
13570 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
13574 @node Category Variables
13575 @subsubsection Category Variables
13578 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
13579 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
13580 Hook run in category buffers.
13582 @item gnus-category-line-format
13583 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
13584 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
13585 Variables}). Valid elements are:
13589 The name of the category.
13592 The number of groups in the category.
13595 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
13596 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
13597 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
13599 @item gnus-agent-short-article
13600 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
13601 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
13603 @item gnus-agent-long-article
13604 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
13605 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
13607 @item gnus-agent-low-score
13608 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
13609 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
13612 @item gnus-agent-high-score
13613 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
13614 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
13620 @node Agent Commands
13621 @subsection Agent Commands
13623 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
13624 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
13625 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
13629 * Group Agent Commands::
13630 * Summary Agent Commands::
13631 * Server Agent Commands::
13634 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
13635 following incantation:
13637 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
13639 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
13644 @node Group Agent Commands
13645 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
13649 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
13650 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
13651 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
13652 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
13655 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
13656 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
13657 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
13660 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
13661 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
13662 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
13663 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
13666 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
13667 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
13668 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
13669 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
13672 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
13673 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
13674 Add the current group to an Agent category
13675 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
13676 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13679 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
13680 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
13681 Remove the current group from its category, if any
13682 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
13683 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13688 @node Summary Agent Commands
13689 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
13693 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
13694 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
13695 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
13698 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
13699 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
13700 Remove the downloading mark from the article
13701 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
13704 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
13705 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
13706 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
13709 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
13710 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
13711 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
13716 @node Server Agent Commands
13717 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
13721 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
13722 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
13723 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
13724 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
13727 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
13728 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
13729 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
13730 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
13736 @subsection Agent Expiry
13738 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
13739 @findex gnus-agent-expire
13740 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
13741 @cindex Agent expiry
13742 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
13745 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
13746 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
13747 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
13748 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
13749 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
13750 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
13752 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
13753 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
13754 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
13755 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
13756 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
13759 @node Outgoing Messages
13760 @subsection Outgoing Messages
13762 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
13763 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
13764 after posting, and edit them at will.
13766 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
13767 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
13768 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
13769 messages in the draft group.
13773 @node Agent Variables
13774 @subsection Agent Variables
13777 @item gnus-agent-directory
13778 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
13779 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
13780 @file{~/News/agent/}.
13782 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
13783 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
13784 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
13785 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
13786 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
13789 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
13790 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
13791 Hook run when connecting to the network.
13793 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
13794 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
13795 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
13800 @node Example Setup
13801 @subsection Example Setup
13803 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
13804 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
13805 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
13808 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
13809 ;;; from your ISP's server.
13810 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
13812 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
13813 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
13814 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
13816 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
13817 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
13819 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
13823 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
13824 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
13827 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
13828 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
13829 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
13830 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
13831 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
13834 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
13835 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
13836 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
13837 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
13838 back all the killed groups.)
13840 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
13841 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
13842 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
13845 @node Batching Agents
13846 @subsection Batching Agents
13848 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
13849 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
13850 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
13854 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
13858 @node Agent Caveats
13859 @subsection Agent Caveats
13861 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
13862 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
13866 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
13871 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
13872 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
13878 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
13879 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
13886 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
13887 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
13888 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
13891 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
13892 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
13893 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
13894 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
13895 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
13897 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
13898 before generating the summary buffer.
13900 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
13901 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
13902 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
13904 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
13905 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
13906 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
13907 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
13910 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
13911 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
13912 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
13913 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
13914 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
13915 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
13916 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
13917 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
13918 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
13919 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
13920 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
13921 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
13922 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
13923 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
13924 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
13925 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
13929 @node Summary Score Commands
13930 @section Summary Score Commands
13931 @cindex score commands
13933 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
13934 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
13935 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
13936 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
13937 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
13939 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
13940 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
13941 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
13942 score file the current one.
13944 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
13949 @kindex V s (Summary)
13950 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
13951 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
13954 @kindex V S (Summary)
13955 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
13956 Display the score of the current article
13957 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
13960 @kindex V t (Summary)
13961 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
13962 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
13963 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
13966 @kindex V R (Summary)
13967 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
13968 Run the current summary through the scoring process
13969 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
13970 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
13971 effect you're having.
13974 @kindex V c (Summary)
13975 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
13976 Make a different score file the current
13977 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
13980 @kindex V e (Summary)
13981 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
13982 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
13983 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
13987 @kindex V f (Summary)
13988 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
13989 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
13990 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
13993 @kindex V F (Summary)
13994 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
13995 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
13996 after editing score files.
13999 @kindex V C (Summary)
14000 @findex gnus-score-customize
14001 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
14002 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
14006 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
14011 @kindex V m (Summary)
14012 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
14013 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
14014 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
14017 @kindex V x (Summary)
14018 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
14019 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
14020 expunge all articles below this score
14021 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
14024 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
14025 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
14028 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
14029 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
14033 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
14034 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
14036 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
14037 keys are available:
14041 Score on the author name.
14044 Score on the subject line.
14047 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
14050 Score on the @code{References} line.
14056 Score on the number of lines.
14059 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
14062 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
14063 the followups to this author.
14077 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
14078 what headers you are scoring on.
14090 Substring matching.
14093 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
14122 Greater than number.
14127 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
14128 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
14129 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
14133 Temporary score entry.
14136 Permanent score entry.
14139 Immediately scoring.
14144 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
14145 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
14146 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
14147 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
14149 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
14150 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
14151 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
14152 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
14153 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
14155 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
14156 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
14157 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
14158 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
14159 current score file.
14161 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
14162 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
14163 pretend they are keymaps or not.
14166 @node Group Score Commands
14167 @section Group Score Commands
14168 @cindex group score commands
14170 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
14175 @kindex W f (Group)
14176 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
14177 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
14178 all the time. This command will flush the cache
14179 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
14183 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
14185 @findex gnus-batch-score
14186 @cindex batch scoring
14188 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
14192 @node Score Variables
14193 @section Score Variables
14194 @cindex score variables
14198 @item gnus-use-scoring
14199 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
14200 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
14201 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
14203 @item gnus-kill-killed
14204 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
14205 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
14206 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
14207 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
14208 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
14209 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
14210 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
14212 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
14213 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
14214 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
14215 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
14216 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
14218 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
14219 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
14220 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
14221 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
14223 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
14224 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
14225 @cindex score cache
14226 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
14227 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
14228 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
14229 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
14230 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
14231 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
14234 @item gnus-save-score
14235 @vindex gnus-save-score
14236 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
14237 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
14238 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
14240 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
14241 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
14242 across group visits.
14244 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
14245 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
14246 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
14247 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
14248 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
14249 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
14250 manually entered data.
14252 @item gnus-summary-default-score
14253 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
14254 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
14256 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
14257 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
14258 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
14259 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
14260 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
14261 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
14263 @item gnus-score-over-mark
14264 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
14265 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
14266 default. Default is @samp{+}.
14268 @item gnus-score-below-mark
14269 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
14270 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
14271 default. Default is @samp{-}.
14273 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
14274 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
14275 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
14276 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
14278 Predefined functions available are:
14281 @item gnus-score-find-single
14282 @findex gnus-score-find-single
14283 Only apply the group's own score file.
14285 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
14286 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
14287 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
14288 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
14289 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
14290 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
14291 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
14292 then a regexp match is done.
14294 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
14295 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
14297 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
14298 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
14299 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
14300 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
14302 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
14303 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
14304 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
14305 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
14306 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
14309 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
14310 functions will be called, and all the returned lists of score files will
14311 be applied. These functions can also return lists of score alists
14312 directly. In that case, the functions that return these non-file score
14313 alists should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file
14314 functions, to ensure that the last score file returned is the local
14317 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
14318 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
14319 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
14320 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
14321 are expired. It's 7 by default.
14323 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
14324 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
14325 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
14326 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
14327 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
14328 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
14329 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
14332 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
14333 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
14334 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
14336 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
14337 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
14338 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
14339 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
14340 threading---according to the current value of
14341 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
14342 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
14343 simplified in this manner.
14348 @node Score File Format
14349 @section Score File Format
14350 @cindex score file format
14352 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
14353 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
14354 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
14356 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
14360 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
14362 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
14364 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
14366 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
14371 (mark-and-expunge -10)
14375 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
14376 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
14377 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
14378 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
14382 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
14383 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
14385 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
14386 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
14387 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
14389 Six keys are supported by this alist:
14394 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
14395 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
14396 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
14397 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
14398 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
14399 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
14400 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
14401 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
14402 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
14403 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
14404 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
14405 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
14406 to articles that matches these score entries.
14408 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
14409 score entry has one to four elements.
14413 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
14414 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
14418 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
14419 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
14420 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
14421 is successful. If this element is not present, the
14422 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
14423 instead. This is 1000 by default.
14426 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
14427 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
14428 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
14429 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
14430 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
14433 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
14434 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
14435 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
14436 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
14439 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
14440 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
14441 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
14442 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
14443 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
14444 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
14445 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
14446 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
14447 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
14448 instead, if you feel like.
14451 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
14452 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
14454 These predicates are true if
14457 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
14460 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
14461 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
14468 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
14469 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
14470 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
14471 it's not. I think.)
14473 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
14474 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
14475 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
14476 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
14479 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
14480 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
14481 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
14482 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
14483 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
14484 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
14485 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
14489 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
14490 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
14491 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
14492 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
14493 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
14494 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
14495 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
14496 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
14499 @item Head, Body, All
14500 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
14504 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
14505 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
14506 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
14507 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
14508 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
14509 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
14510 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
14514 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
14515 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
14516 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
14517 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
14518 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
14519 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
14520 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
14521 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
14522 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
14523 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
14524 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
14528 @cindex Score File Atoms
14530 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14531 lower than this number will be marked as read.
14534 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14535 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
14537 @item mark-and-expunge
14538 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
14539 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
14542 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
14543 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
14544 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
14545 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
14546 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
14549 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
14550 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
14553 @item exclude-files
14554 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
14555 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
14559 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
14560 ignored when handling global score files.
14563 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
14564 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
14565 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
14566 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
14569 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
14570 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
14571 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
14572 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
14574 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
14578 (mark-and-expunge -100)
14581 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
14582 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
14583 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
14584 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
14585 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
14587 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
14588 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
14589 ordinary scoring rules.
14592 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
14593 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
14594 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
14595 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
14596 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
14597 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
14598 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
14599 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
14600 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
14601 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
14602 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
14606 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
14607 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
14608 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
14609 file for a number of groups.
14612 @cindex local variables
14613 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
14614 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
14615 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
14616 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
14617 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
14621 @node Score File Editing
14622 @section Score File Editing
14624 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
14625 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
14626 with a mode for that.
14628 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
14629 additional commands:
14634 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
14635 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
14636 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
14637 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
14640 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
14641 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
14642 Insert the current date in numerical format
14643 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
14644 you were wondering.
14647 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
14648 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
14649 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
14650 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
14651 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
14656 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
14658 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
14659 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
14661 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
14662 e} to begin editing score files.
14665 @node Adaptive Scoring
14666 @section Adaptive Scoring
14667 @cindex adaptive scoring
14669 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
14670 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
14671 stupidity, to be precise.
14673 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
14674 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
14675 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
14676 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
14677 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
14678 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
14679 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
14680 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
14681 variable to @code{(word line)}.
14683 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
14684 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
14685 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
14686 might look something like this:
14689 (defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
14690 '((gnus-unread-mark)
14691 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
14692 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
14693 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
14694 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
14695 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
14696 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
14697 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
14698 (gnus-ancient-mark)
14699 (gnus-low-score-mark)
14700 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
14703 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
14704 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
14705 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
14706 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
14707 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
14708 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
14711 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
14712 will be applied to each article.
14714 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
14715 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
14716 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
14717 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
14719 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
14720 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
14721 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
14722 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
14724 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
14725 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
14726 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
14727 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
14729 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
14730 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
14731 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
14732 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
14733 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
14734 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
14736 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
14737 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
14738 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
14739 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
14740 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
14741 aspirins afterwards.)
14743 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
14744 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
14745 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
14747 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
14748 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
14749 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
14751 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
14752 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
14753 let you use different rules in different groups.
14755 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
14756 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
14757 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
14760 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
14761 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
14762 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
14763 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
14764 the length of the match is less than
14765 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
14766 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
14769 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
14770 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
14771 headers. If you adapt on words, the
14772 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
14773 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
14776 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
14777 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
14778 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
14779 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
14780 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
14783 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
14784 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
14785 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
14786 score with 30 points.
14788 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
14789 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
14790 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
14791 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
14792 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
14794 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
14795 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
14796 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
14797 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
14799 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
14800 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
14801 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
14802 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
14804 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
14805 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
14806 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
14807 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
14808 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
14810 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
14811 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
14812 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
14814 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
14815 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
14816 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
14817 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
14820 @node Home Score File
14821 @section Home Score File
14823 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
14824 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
14825 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
14826 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
14828 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
14829 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
14830 could perhaps use the same home score file.
14832 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
14833 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
14838 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
14842 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
14843 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
14847 A list. The elements in this list can be:
14851 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
14852 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
14855 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
14856 the home score file.
14859 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
14862 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
14867 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
14870 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14871 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
14874 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
14875 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
14877 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
14879 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14880 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
14883 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
14884 Other functions include
14887 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
14888 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
14889 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
14890 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
14894 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
14895 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
14896 their own home score files:
14899 (setq gnus-home-score-file
14900 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
14901 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
14902 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
14903 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
14906 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
14907 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
14908 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
14909 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
14910 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
14912 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
14913 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
14914 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
14915 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
14916 precedence over this variable.
14919 @node Followups To Yourself
14920 @section Followups To Yourself
14922 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
14923 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
14924 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
14925 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
14926 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
14927 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
14931 @item gnus-score-followup-article
14932 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
14933 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
14936 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
14937 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
14938 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
14942 @vindex message-sent-hook
14943 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
14944 @code{message-sent-hook}.
14946 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
14947 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
14951 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
14952 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
14955 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
14956 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
14961 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
14965 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
14966 is system-dependent.
14970 @section Scoring Tips
14971 @cindex scoring tips
14977 @cindex scoring crossposts
14978 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
14979 the @code{Xref} header.
14981 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
14984 @item Multiple crossposts
14985 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
14986 more than, say, 3 groups:
14988 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
14991 @item Matching on the body
14992 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
14993 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
14994 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
14995 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
14996 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
14997 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
14998 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
15001 @item Marking as read
15002 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
15003 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
15004 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
15008 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
15010 @item Negated character classes
15011 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
15012 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
15013 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
15017 @node Reverse Scoring
15018 @section Reverse Scoring
15019 @cindex reverse scoring
15021 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
15022 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
15023 like this in your score file:
15027 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
15032 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
15033 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
15036 @node Global Score Files
15037 @section Global Score Files
15038 @cindex global score files
15040 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
15041 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
15042 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
15044 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
15045 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
15046 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
15048 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
15049 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
15050 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
15051 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
15052 files are applicable to which group.
15054 Say you want to use the score file
15055 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
15056 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
15059 (setq gnus-global-score-files
15060 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
15061 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
15064 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
15065 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
15066 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
15067 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
15068 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
15070 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
15071 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
15073 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
15074 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
15075 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
15076 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
15077 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
15078 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
15080 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
15086 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
15088 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
15090 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
15092 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
15093 lowered out of existence.
15095 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
15096 articles completely.
15099 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
15100 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
15101 old articles for a long time.
15104 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
15105 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
15106 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
15107 holding our breath yet?
15111 @section Kill Files
15114 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
15115 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
15116 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
15118 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
15119 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
15120 files into score files.
15122 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
15123 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
15124 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
15125 that isn't a very good idea.
15127 Normal kill files look like this:
15130 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15131 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
15135 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
15136 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
15138 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
15139 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
15142 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
15147 @kindex M-k (Summary)
15148 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
15149 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
15152 @kindex M-K (Summary)
15153 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
15154 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
15157 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
15162 @kindex M-k (Group)
15163 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
15164 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
15167 @kindex M-K (Group)
15168 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
15169 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
15172 Kill file variables:
15175 @item gnus-kill-file-name
15176 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
15177 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
15178 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
15179 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
15180 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
15181 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
15183 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
15184 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
15185 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
15186 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
15189 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
15190 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
15191 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
15192 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
15193 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
15194 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
15195 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
15196 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
15197 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
15199 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
15200 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
15201 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
15206 @node Converting Kill Files
15207 @section Converting Kill Files
15209 @cindex converting kill files
15211 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
15212 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
15213 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
15216 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
15217 You can fetch it from
15218 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
15220 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
15221 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
15222 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
15230 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
15231 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
15232 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
15234 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
15235 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
15236 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
15237 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
15238 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
15239 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
15240 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
15241 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
15245 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
15246 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
15247 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
15248 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
15252 @node Using GroupLens
15253 @subsection Using GroupLens
15255 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
15257 @samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
15258 better bit in town at the moment.
15260 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
15264 @item gnus-use-grouplens
15265 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
15266 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
15267 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
15269 @item grouplens-pseudonym
15270 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
15271 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
15272 with the Better Bit Bureau.
15274 @item grouplens-newsgroups
15275 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
15276 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
15280 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
15281 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
15282 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
15283 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
15284 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
15285 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
15288 @node Rating Articles
15289 @subsection Rating Articles
15291 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
15292 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
15293 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
15294 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
15297 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
15302 @kindex r (GroupLens)
15303 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
15304 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
15307 @kindex k (GroupLens)
15308 @findex grouplens-score-thread
15309 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
15310 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
15311 threads in rec.humor.
15315 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
15316 the score of the article you're reading.
15321 @kindex n (GroupLens)
15322 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
15323 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
15326 @kindex , (GroupLens)
15327 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
15328 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
15332 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
15333 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
15336 @node Displaying Predictions
15337 @subsection Displaying Predictions
15339 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
15340 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
15341 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
15342 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
15343 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
15345 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
15346 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
15347 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
15348 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
15349 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
15350 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
15351 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
15352 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
15353 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
15354 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
15355 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
15356 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
15357 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
15359 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
15360 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
15361 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
15362 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
15364 The following are valid values for that variable.
15367 @item prediction-spot
15368 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
15371 @item confidence-interval
15372 A numeric confidence interval.
15374 @item prediction-bar
15375 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
15377 @item confidence-bar
15378 Numerical confidence.
15380 @item confidence-spot
15381 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
15383 @item prediction-num
15384 Plain-old numeric value.
15386 @item confidence-plus-minus
15387 Prediction +/- confidence.
15392 @node GroupLens Variables
15393 @subsection GroupLens Variables
15397 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
15398 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
15399 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
15400 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
15403 @item grouplens-bbb-host
15404 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
15407 @item grouplens-bbb-port
15408 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
15410 @item grouplens-score-offset
15411 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
15412 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
15415 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
15416 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
15417 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
15422 @node Advanced Scoring
15423 @section Advanced Scoring
15425 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
15426 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
15427 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
15428 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
15429 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
15431 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
15435 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
15436 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
15437 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
15441 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
15442 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
15444 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
15445 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
15446 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
15447 non-@code{nil} value.
15449 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
15450 operator, and various match operators.
15457 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
15458 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
15459 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
15464 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
15465 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
15466 then this operator will return @code{false}.
15471 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
15472 logical negation of the value of its argument.
15476 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
15477 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
15478 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
15479 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
15480 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
15481 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
15482 the ancestry you want to go.
15484 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
15485 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
15486 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
15487 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
15488 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
15491 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
15492 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
15494 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
15495 when he's talking about Gnus:
15499 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15500 ("subject" "Gnus"))
15506 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
15510 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15517 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
15518 really don't want to read what he's written:
15522 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
15523 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
15527 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
15528 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
15529 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
15536 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
15537 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
15538 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
15539 ("body" "white.*socks"))
15543 The possibilities are endless.
15546 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
15547 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
15549 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
15550 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
15551 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
15552 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
15553 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
15554 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
15555 @samp{subject}) first.
15557 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
15558 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
15569 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
15570 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
15576 ("subject" "Gnus")))
15583 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
15584 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
15589 @section Score Decays
15590 @cindex score decays
15593 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
15594 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
15595 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
15596 use them in any sensible way.
15598 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
15599 @findex gnus-decay-score
15600 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
15601 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
15602 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
15603 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
15604 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
15605 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
15606 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
15607 definition of that function:
15610 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
15612 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
15613 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
15616 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
15618 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
15620 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
15623 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
15624 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
15625 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
15626 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
15630 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
15633 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
15636 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
15640 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
15641 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
15642 the new score, which should be an integer.
15644 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
15645 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
15652 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
15653 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
15654 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
15655 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
15656 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
15657 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
15658 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
15659 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
15660 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
15661 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
15662 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
15663 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
15664 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
15665 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
15666 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
15667 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
15668 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
15669 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
15673 @node Process/Prefix
15674 @section Process/Prefix
15675 @cindex process/prefix convention
15677 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
15678 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
15680 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
15681 command to be performed on.
15685 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
15686 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
15687 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
15688 with the current one.
15690 @vindex transient-mark-mode
15691 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
15692 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
15694 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
15695 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
15698 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
15699 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
15701 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
15704 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
15705 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
15706 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
15707 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
15709 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
15710 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
15711 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
15712 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
15713 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
15714 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
15715 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
15716 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
15720 @section Interactive
15721 @cindex interaction
15725 @item gnus-novice-user
15726 @vindex gnus-novice-user
15727 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
15728 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
15729 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
15730 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
15733 @item gnus-expert-user
15734 @vindex gnus-expert-user
15735 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
15736 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
15737 matter how strange.
15739 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
15740 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
15741 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
15742 is @code{t} by default.
15744 @item gnus-interactive-exit
15745 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
15746 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
15751 @node Symbolic Prefixes
15752 @section Symbolic Prefixes
15753 @cindex symbolic prefixes
15755 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
15756 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
15757 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
15758 rule of 900 to the current article.
15760 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
15761 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
15762 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
15763 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
15764 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
15765 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
15766 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
15768 @kindex M-i (Summary)
15769 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
15770 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
15771 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
15772 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
15773 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
15774 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
15775 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
15776 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
15778 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
15779 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
15780 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
15782 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
15786 @node Formatting Variables
15787 @section Formatting Variables
15788 @cindex formatting variables
15790 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
15791 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
15792 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
15793 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
15794 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
15797 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
15798 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
15799 lots of percentages everywhere.
15802 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
15803 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
15804 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
15805 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
15806 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
15809 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
15810 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
15811 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
15812 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
15813 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
15814 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
15815 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
15816 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
15818 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
15819 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
15821 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
15822 @findex gnus-update-format
15823 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
15824 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
15825 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
15826 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
15830 @node Formatting Basics
15831 @subsection Formatting Basics
15833 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
15834 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
15835 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
15837 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
15838 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
15839 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
15840 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
15841 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
15844 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
15845 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
15846 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
15847 less than 4 characters wide.
15850 @node Mode Line Formatting
15851 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
15853 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
15854 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
15855 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
15856 with the following two differences:
15861 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
15864 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
15865 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
15866 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
15867 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
15868 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
15869 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
15870 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
15875 @node Advanced Formatting
15876 @subsection Advanced Formatting
15878 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
15879 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
15880 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
15881 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
15883 These are the valid modifiers:
15888 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
15892 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
15897 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
15900 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
15905 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
15908 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
15911 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
15914 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
15918 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
15919 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
15920 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
15921 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
15922 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
15923 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
15924 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
15926 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
15927 last operation, padding.
15929 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
15930 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
15931 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
15932 @xref{Compilation}.
15935 @node User-Defined Specs
15936 @subsection User-Defined Specs
15938 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
15939 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
15940 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
15941 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
15942 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
15943 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
15944 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
15945 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
15946 should protect against that.
15948 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
15949 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
15950 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
15951 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
15955 @node Formatting Fonts
15956 @subsection Formatting Fonts
15958 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
15959 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
15960 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
15961 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
15964 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
15965 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
15966 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
15967 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
15968 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
15969 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
15971 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
15972 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say
15973 @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
15974 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or
15975 symbols naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
15976 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
15977 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
15978 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
15980 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
15983 ;; Create three face types.
15984 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
15985 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
15987 ;; We want the article count to be in
15988 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
15989 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
15990 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
15992 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
15993 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
15995 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
15996 (setq gnus-group-line-format
15997 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
16000 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
16001 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
16003 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
16004 mode-line variables.
16007 @node Windows Configuration
16008 @section Windows Configuration
16009 @cindex windows configuration
16011 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
16013 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
16014 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
16015 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
16016 @code{t} by default.
16018 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
16019 glitches. Use at your own peril.
16021 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
16022 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
16023 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
16026 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
16027 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
16028 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16032 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
16033 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
16034 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
16035 possible names is listed below.
16037 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
16038 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
16041 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
16045 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
16046 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
16047 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
16048 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
16049 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
16050 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
16051 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
16052 size spec per split.
16054 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
16055 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
16056 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
16057 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
16058 present) gets focus.
16060 Here's a more complicated example:
16063 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
16064 (summary 0.25 point)
16065 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
16069 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
16070 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
16071 occupy, not a percentage.
16073 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
16074 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
16075 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
16076 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
16077 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
16080 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
16083 (article (horizontal 1.0
16088 (summary 0.25 point)
16093 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
16094 @code{horizontal} thingie?
16096 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
16097 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
16098 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
16099 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
16100 the screen is to be given to this strip.
16102 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
16103 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
16104 lines from the splits.
16106 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
16110 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
16111 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
16112 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
16113 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
16114 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
16115 size = number | frame-params
16116 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
16119 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
16120 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
16121 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
16122 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
16124 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
16125 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
16126 @cindex window height
16127 @cindex window width
16128 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
16129 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
16130 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
16131 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
16132 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
16133 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
16135 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
16136 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
16137 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
16138 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
16140 @findex gnus-configure-frame
16141 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
16142 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
16143 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
16144 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
16145 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
16146 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
16147 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
16148 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
16149 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
16150 configuration list.
16153 (gnus-configure-frame
16157 (article 0.3 point))
16165 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
16166 @code{frame} split:
16169 (gnus-configure-frame
16172 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
16174 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
16175 (user-position . t)
16176 (left . -1) (top . 1))
16181 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
16182 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
16183 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
16184 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
16185 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
16186 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
16187 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
16188 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
16190 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
16191 be found in its default value.
16193 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
16194 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
16195 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
16199 (message (horizontal 1.0
16200 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
16202 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
16207 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
16208 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
16209 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
16212 (message (frame 1.0
16213 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
16214 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
16215 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
16216 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
16217 (name . "Message"))
16218 (message 1.0 point))))
16221 @findex gnus-add-configuration
16222 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
16223 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
16224 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
16225 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
16228 (gnus-add-configuration
16229 '(article (vertical 1.0
16231 (summary .25 point)
16235 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
16236 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
16237 Gnus has been loaded.
16239 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
16240 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
16241 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
16242 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
16243 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
16245 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
16246 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
16247 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
16251 @node Faces and Fonts
16252 @section Faces and Fonts
16257 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
16258 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
16259 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
16264 @section Compilation
16265 @cindex compilation
16266 @cindex byte-compilation
16268 @findex gnus-compile
16270 Remember all those line format specification variables?
16271 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
16272 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
16273 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
16274 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
16275 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
16278 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
16279 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
16280 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
16281 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
16282 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
16283 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
16284 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
16288 @section Mode Lines
16291 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
16292 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
16293 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
16294 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
16295 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
16296 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
16297 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
16300 @cindex display-time
16302 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
16303 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
16304 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
16305 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
16306 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
16307 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
16308 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
16309 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
16312 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
16314 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
16315 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
16317 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
16318 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
16319 (length display-time-string)))))
16322 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
16323 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
16324 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
16325 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
16326 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
16329 @node Highlighting and Menus
16330 @section Highlighting and Menus
16332 @cindex highlighting
16335 @vindex gnus-visual
16336 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
16337 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
16338 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
16341 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
16342 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
16345 @item group-highlight
16346 Do highlights in the group buffer.
16347 @item summary-highlight
16348 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
16349 @item article-highlight
16350 Do highlights in the article buffer.
16352 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
16354 Create menus in the group buffer.
16356 Create menus in the summary buffers.
16358 Create menus in the article buffer.
16360 Create menus in the browse buffer.
16362 Create menus in the server buffer.
16364 Create menus in the score buffers.
16366 Create menus in all buffers.
16369 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
16370 buffers, you could say something like:
16373 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
16376 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
16379 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
16382 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
16383 in all Gnus buffers.
16385 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
16388 @item gnus-mouse-face
16389 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
16390 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
16391 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
16395 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
16399 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
16400 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
16401 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
16403 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
16404 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
16405 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
16407 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
16408 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
16409 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
16411 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
16412 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
16413 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
16415 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
16416 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
16417 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
16419 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
16420 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
16421 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
16432 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
16433 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
16434 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
16435 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
16436 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
16440 @vindex gnus-carpal
16441 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
16442 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
16443 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
16448 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
16449 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
16450 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
16452 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
16453 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
16454 Face used on buttons.
16456 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
16457 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
16458 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
16460 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
16461 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
16462 Buttons in the group buffer.
16464 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
16465 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
16466 Buttons in the summary buffer.
16468 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
16469 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
16470 Buttons in the server buffer.
16472 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
16473 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
16474 Buttons in the browse buffer.
16477 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
16478 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
16479 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
16487 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
16488 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
16489 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
16490 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
16491 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
16493 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
16494 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
16495 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
16497 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
16498 been idle for thirty minutes:
16501 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
16504 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
16508 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
16511 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
16512 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
16513 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
16515 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
16516 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
16517 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
16518 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
16520 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
16521 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
16522 @var{idle} minutes.
16524 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
16525 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
16528 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
16529 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
16530 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
16532 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
16533 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
16534 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
16535 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
16537 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
16538 your @file{.gnus} file:
16540 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
16542 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
16545 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
16546 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
16547 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
16548 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
16549 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
16550 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
16551 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
16552 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
16553 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
16554 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
16555 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
16557 @findex gnus-demon-init
16558 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
16559 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
16560 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
16561 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
16562 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
16564 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
16565 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
16566 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
16575 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
16576 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
16578 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
16579 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
16580 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
16581 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
16584 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
16585 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
16586 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
16587 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
16589 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
16590 this will make spam disappear.
16592 There are some variables to customize, of course:
16595 @item gnus-use-nocem
16596 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
16597 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
16600 @item gnus-nocem-groups
16601 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
16602 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
16603 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
16604 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
16606 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
16607 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
16608 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
16609 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
16610 "rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
16611 "jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
16612 (Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
16614 Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
16617 @item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
16618 @cindex Chris Lewis
16619 Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
16620 usenet abuse than anybody else.
16623 @cindex CancelMoose[tm]
16624 The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
16625 Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
16627 @item jem@@xpat.com;
16629 John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
16632 @item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
16633 Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
16634 postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
16637 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
16638 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
16639 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
16640 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
16641 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
16642 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
16643 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
16644 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
16645 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
16646 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
16648 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
16649 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
16652 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
16655 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
16656 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
16659 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
16662 The specs are applied left-to-right.
16665 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
16666 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
16668 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
16669 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
16670 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
16671 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
16673 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
16674 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
16677 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
16679 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
16687 This might be dangerous, though.
16689 @item gnus-nocem-directory
16690 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
16691 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
16692 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
16694 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
16695 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
16696 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
16697 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
16698 might then see old spam.
16702 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
16703 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
16704 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
16705 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
16712 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
16713 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
16714 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
16716 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
16717 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
16718 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
16719 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
16720 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
16721 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
16722 @code{undo} function.
16724 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
16725 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
16726 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
16727 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
16728 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
16729 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
16730 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
16731 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
16732 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
16733 never be totally undoable.
16735 @findex gnus-undo-mode
16736 @vindex gnus-use-undo
16738 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
16739 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
16740 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
16741 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
16746 @section Moderation
16749 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
16750 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
16751 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
16754 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
16758 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
16761 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
16763 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
16768 You split your incoming mail by matching on
16769 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
16770 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
16773 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
16774 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
16777 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
16778 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
16782 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
16785 (setq gnus-moderated-list
16786 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
16790 @node XEmacs Enhancements
16791 @section XEmacs Enhancements
16794 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
16798 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
16799 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
16800 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
16801 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
16814 So... You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
16815 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
16816 over your shoulder as you read news.
16819 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
16820 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
16821 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
16822 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
16823 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
16828 @subsubsection Picon Basics
16830 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
16839 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
16840 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
16841 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
16842 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
16843 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
16844 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
16845 @code{GIF} formats.
16848 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16849 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
16850 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
16851 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
16852 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
16854 @vindex gnus-picons-database
16855 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
16856 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
16857 @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
16858 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
16859 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
16862 @node Picon Requirements
16863 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
16865 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
16866 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
16869 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
16870 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
16871 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
16873 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
16874 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
16875 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
16876 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
16877 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
16881 @subsubsection Easy Picons
16883 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
16884 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
16887 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
16888 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
16891 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
16892 containing the Picons databases.
16894 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
16897 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16898 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
16903 @subsubsection Hard Picons
16911 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
16912 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
16913 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
16914 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
16915 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
16920 @item gnus-picons-database
16921 @vindex gnus-picons-database
16922 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
16923 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
16924 subdirectories. This is only useful if
16925 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
16926 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
16928 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16929 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
16930 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
16931 engine is @file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
16932 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
16933 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
16934 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
16936 @item gnus-picons-display-where
16937 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
16938 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
16939 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
16940 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
16941 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
16942 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
16943 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
16945 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
16946 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
16947 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
16952 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
16953 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
16955 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
16956 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
16959 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
16961 @item gnus-article-display-picons
16962 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
16963 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
16964 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
16966 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
16967 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
16968 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
16974 @node Picon Useless Configuration
16975 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
16983 The following variables offer further control over how things are
16984 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
16985 don't need to worry about.
16989 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
16990 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
16991 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
16992 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
16994 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
16995 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
16996 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
16997 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
16999 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
17000 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
17001 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
17002 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
17003 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
17005 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17006 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
17007 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
17008 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
17009 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
17010 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
17011 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
17013 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17014 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
17015 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
17016 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
17018 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17019 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
17020 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
17021 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
17022 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
17023 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
17024 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
17026 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17027 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
17028 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
17029 Defaults to @code{nil}.
17031 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
17032 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
17033 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
17034 Defaults to @code{t}.
17036 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17037 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
17038 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
17039 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
17041 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
17042 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
17043 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
17045 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17046 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
17047 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
17048 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
17050 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
17051 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
17053 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17054 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
17055 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
17056 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
17057 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
17058 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
17059 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
17060 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
17071 @subsection Smileys
17076 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
17081 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
17082 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
17084 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
17085 @file{.gnus.el} file:
17088 (setq gnus-treat-display-smiley t)
17091 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
17092 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
17093 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
17094 text and maps that to file names.
17096 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
17097 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
17098 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
17099 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
17100 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
17101 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
17103 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
17104 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
17106 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
17107 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
17108 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
17110 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
17111 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
17115 @item smiley-data-directory
17116 @vindex smiley-data-directory
17117 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
17119 @item smiley-flesh-color
17120 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
17121 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
17123 @item smiley-features-color
17124 @vindex smiley-features-color
17125 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17127 @item smiley-tongue-color
17128 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
17129 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
17131 @item smiley-circle-color
17132 @vindex smiley-circle-color
17133 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
17135 @item smiley-mouse-face
17136 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
17137 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
17143 @subsection Toolbar
17153 @item gnus-use-toolbar
17154 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
17155 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
17156 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
17157 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
17159 @item gnus-group-toolbar
17160 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
17161 The toolbar in the group buffer.
17163 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
17164 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
17165 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
17167 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
17168 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
17169 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
17175 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
17178 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
17179 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
17180 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
17181 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
17182 unusual directory structure.
17184 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
17185 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
17186 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
17187 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
17189 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
17190 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
17191 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
17192 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
17193 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
17194 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
17196 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
17197 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
17198 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
17212 @node Fuzzy Matching
17213 @section Fuzzy Matching
17214 @cindex fuzzy matching
17216 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
17217 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
17219 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
17220 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
17221 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
17223 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
17224 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
17225 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
17226 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
17227 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
17230 @node Thwarting Email Spam
17231 @section Thwarting Email Spam
17235 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
17237 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
17238 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
17239 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
17240 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
17241 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
17242 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
17243 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
17244 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
17247 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
17248 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
17249 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
17250 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
17251 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
17252 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
17256 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
17257 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
17259 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
17260 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
17261 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
17262 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
17263 sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
17264 part of the mail address.)
17267 (setq message-default-news-headers
17268 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
17271 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
17272 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
17277 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
17278 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
17279 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
17285 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
17286 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
17287 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
17288 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
17290 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
17291 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
17292 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
17293 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
17294 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
17295 your fancy split rule in this way:
17300 (to "larsi" "misc")
17304 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
17305 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
17306 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
17307 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
17308 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
17310 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
17311 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
17312 at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
17313 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
17314 cosmic balance somewhat.
17316 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
17317 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
17318 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
17319 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
17322 @node Various Various
17323 @section Various Various
17329 @item gnus-home-directory
17330 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
17331 defaults to @file{~/}.
17333 @item gnus-directory
17334 @vindex gnus-directory
17335 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
17336 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
17337 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
17339 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
17340 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
17341 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
17342 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
17344 @item gnus-default-directory
17345 @vindex gnus-default-directory
17346 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
17347 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
17348 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
17349 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
17350 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
17351 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
17354 @vindex gnus-verbose
17355 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
17356 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
17357 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
17358 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
17359 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
17361 @item gnus-verbose-backends
17362 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
17363 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
17364 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
17366 @item nnheader-max-head-length
17367 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
17368 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
17369 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
17370 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
17371 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
17372 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
17373 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
17374 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
17375 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
17377 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
17378 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
17379 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
17380 read when doing the operation described above.
17382 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17383 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17385 @cindex invalid characters in file names
17386 @cindex characters in file names
17387 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
17388 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
17389 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
17392 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
17396 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
17397 Windows (phooey) systems.
17399 @item gnus-hidden-properties
17400 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
17401 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
17402 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
17403 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
17405 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
17406 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
17407 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
17408 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
17409 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
17411 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
17412 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
17413 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
17422 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
17423 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
17425 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
17427 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
17433 Not because of victories @*
17436 but for the common sunshine,@*
17438 the largess of the spring.
17442 but for the day's work done@*
17443 as well as I was able;@*
17444 not for a seat upon the dais@*
17445 but at the common table.@*
17450 @chapter Appendices
17453 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
17454 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
17455 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
17456 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
17457 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
17458 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
17459 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
17460 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
17468 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
17469 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
17471 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
17472 can point your (feh!) web browser to
17473 @file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
17474 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
17475 as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
17477 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
17478 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
17479 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
17480 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
17481 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
17482 appropriate name, don't you think?)
17484 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
17485 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
17486 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
17487 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
17489 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
17490 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
17491 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
17493 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
17494 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
17496 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
17497 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
17499 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
17500 releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998.
17502 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
17503 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
17504 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
17505 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
17506 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
17510 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
17511 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
17512 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
17513 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
17514 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
17515 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
17516 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
17517 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
17524 What's the point of Gnus?
17526 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
17527 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
17528 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
17529 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
17530 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
17531 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
17532 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
17533 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
17534 keep track of millions of people who post?
17536 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
17537 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
17538 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
17539 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
17540 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
17541 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
17542 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
17543 every one of you to explore and invent.
17545 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
17546 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
17549 @node Compatibility
17550 @subsection Compatibility
17552 @cindex compatibility
17553 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
17554 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
17555 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
17560 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
17564 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
17567 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
17570 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
17571 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
17572 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
17573 important variables have their values copied into their global
17574 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
17575 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
17577 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
17578 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
17579 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
17580 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
17581 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
17585 @cindex highlighting
17586 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
17587 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
17588 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
17589 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
17590 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
17591 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
17594 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
17595 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
17596 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
17597 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
17599 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
17600 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
17601 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
17602 to stop doing it the old way.
17604 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
17606 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
17608 @cindex reporting bugs
17610 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
17611 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
17612 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
17614 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
17615 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
17616 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
17617 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
17622 @subsection Conformity
17624 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
17625 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
17632 There are no known breaches of this standard.
17636 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
17638 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
17639 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
17640 We do have some breaches to this one.
17646 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
17647 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
17648 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
17649 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
17650 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
17655 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
17656 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
17657 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
17658 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
17662 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
17663 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
17668 @subsection Emacsen
17674 Gnus should work on :
17682 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
17686 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
17687 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
17690 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
17691 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
17692 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
17696 @node Gnus Development
17697 @subsection Gnus Development
17699 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
17700 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
17701 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
17702 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
17703 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
17704 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
17705 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
17706 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
17708 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
17709 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
17710 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
17711 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
17712 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
17715 @vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
17716 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
17717 In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
17718 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
17719 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
17721 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
17722 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
17723 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
17724 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
17725 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
17726 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
17727 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
17728 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
17729 usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
17730 can't be assumed to do so.
17735 @subsection Contributors
17736 @cindex contributors
17738 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
17739 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
17740 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
17741 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
17742 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
17743 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
17744 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
17745 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
17746 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
17747 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
17749 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
17755 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
17758 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
17759 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
17760 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
17761 functionality and stuff.
17764 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
17765 well as numerous other things).
17768 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
17771 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
17774 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
17775 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
17778 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
17781 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
17782 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
17785 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
17788 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
17791 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
17794 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
17797 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
17798 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
17801 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
17804 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
17807 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
17810 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
17814 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
17817 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
17820 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
17823 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
17824 well as autoconf support.
17828 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
17829 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
17831 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
17840 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
17844 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
17854 Alexei V. Barantsev,
17869 Massimo Campostrini,
17874 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
17875 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
17879 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
17882 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
17888 Michael Welsh Duggan,
17893 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
17897 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
17905 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
17907 Michelangelo Grigni,
17911 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
17913 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
17915 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
17922 François Felix Ingrand,
17923 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
17924 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
17926 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
17937 Peter Skov Knudsen,
17938 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
17940 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
17941 Thor Kristoffersen,
17944 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
17962 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
17963 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
17970 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
17975 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
17979 John McClary Prevost,
17985 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
17990 Christian von Roques,
17993 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
18000 Philippe Schnoebelen,
18002 Randal L. Schwartz,
18017 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
18022 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
18038 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
18043 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
18044 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
18045 (550kB and counting).
18047 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
18050 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
18051 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
18055 @subsection New Features
18056 @cindex new features
18059 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
18060 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
18061 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
18062 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
18065 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
18066 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
18067 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
18071 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
18073 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
18078 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
18079 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
18082 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
18083 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
18086 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
18089 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
18090 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
18091 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
18094 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
18095 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
18096 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
18097 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
18100 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
18101 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18104 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
18105 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
18106 (@pxref{The Active File}).
18109 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
18110 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
18113 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
18114 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
18115 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
18118 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
18119 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
18120 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
18123 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
18124 the @file{.emacs} file.
18127 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
18128 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
18131 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
18132 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
18135 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
18136 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18139 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
18140 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
18143 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
18144 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
18147 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
18150 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
18151 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
18154 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
18155 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
18158 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
18159 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
18162 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
18165 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
18166 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
18169 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
18173 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
18177 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
18178 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
18181 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
18187 @node September Gnus
18188 @subsubsection September Gnus
18192 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
18196 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
18201 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
18202 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
18206 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
18207 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
18211 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
18215 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
18216 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
18219 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
18223 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
18226 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
18229 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
18232 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
18236 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
18237 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
18240 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
18244 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
18248 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
18252 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
18256 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
18259 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
18260 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
18263 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
18267 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
18268 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
18271 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
18274 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
18275 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
18276 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
18279 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
18283 The Gnus cache is much faster.
18286 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
18290 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
18291 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
18294 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
18295 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
18298 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
18299 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
18302 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
18303 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
18304 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
18307 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
18308 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
18311 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
18314 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
18317 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
18320 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
18323 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
18324 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
18327 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
18331 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
18334 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
18339 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
18342 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
18346 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
18349 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
18353 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
18356 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
18359 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
18360 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
18363 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
18364 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
18368 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
18369 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
18372 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
18376 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
18377 buffer to allow easier treatment.
18380 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
18383 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
18387 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
18391 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
18392 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
18395 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
18399 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
18400 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
18403 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
18404 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
18407 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
18411 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
18414 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
18417 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
18423 @subsubsection Red Gnus
18425 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
18429 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
18436 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
18439 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
18440 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
18443 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
18444 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
18448 Article washing status can be displayed in the
18449 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
18452 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
18455 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
18456 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
18459 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
18463 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
18464 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
18468 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
18469 Server Internals}).
18472 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
18476 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
18479 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
18480 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
18483 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
18484 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
18485 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
18488 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
18489 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
18492 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
18493 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
18496 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
18500 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
18501 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
18504 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
18505 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
18508 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
18512 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
18515 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
18519 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
18520 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
18523 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
18524 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
18527 A new command for reading collections of documents
18528 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
18529 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
18532 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
18536 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
18537 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
18540 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
18541 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
18542 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
18545 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
18546 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
18550 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
18554 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
18558 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
18563 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
18567 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
18571 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
18572 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
18575 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
18581 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
18583 New features in Gnus 5.6:
18588 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
18589 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
18590 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
18593 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
18594 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
18595 group, which is created automatically.
18598 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
18602 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
18605 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
18606 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
18609 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
18613 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
18616 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
18617 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
18620 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
18623 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
18624 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
18627 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
18628 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
18631 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
18632 control over simplification.
18635 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
18638 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
18642 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
18645 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
18648 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
18649 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
18650 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
18653 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
18654 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
18657 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
18661 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
18662 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
18665 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
18666 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
18669 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
18673 A history of where mails have been split is available.
18676 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
18679 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
18680 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
18683 A new function for citing in Message has been
18684 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
18687 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
18690 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
18694 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
18695 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
18698 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
18699 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
18702 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
18705 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
18710 @node Newest Features
18711 @subsection Newest Features
18714 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
18717 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
18719 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
18720 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
18723 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
18728 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
18729 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
18732 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
18735 http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
18738 facep is not declared.
18741 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
18742 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
18745 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
18750 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
18751 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
18752 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
18753 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
18754 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
18755 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
18756 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
18761 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
18764 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
18767 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
18769 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
18770 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
18772 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
18774 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
18776 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
18777 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
18779 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
18781 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
18782 be marked as unread.
18784 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
18786 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
18788 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
18789 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
18791 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
18793 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
18795 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
18796 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
18798 topics that contain just groups with ticked
18799 articles aren't displayed.
18801 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
18803 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
18804 make the mail groups killed.
18806 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
18808 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
18809 and articles have to be removed.
18811 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
18814 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
18816 finding short score file names takes forever.
18818 canceling articles in foreign groups.
18820 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
18822 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
18824 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
18826 nnweb doesn't work properly.
18828 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
18830 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
18831 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
18835 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
18837 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
18838 bar and the Gnus bar.
18841 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
18842 `(canonize-message-id id)'
18843 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
18844 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
18845 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
18846 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
18851 nnml .overview directory with splits.
18855 postponed commands.
18857 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
18859 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
18862 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
18863 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
18865 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
18866 inherit copy prompts and save files.
18868 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
18870 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
18871 for backends that support that.
18873 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
18875 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
18876 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
18878 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
18879 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
18881 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
18883 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
18885 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
18887 server mode command: close/open all connections
18889 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
18890 has been changed before using it.
18892 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
18894 hide (sub)threads with low score.
18896 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
18898 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
18900 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
18901 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
18903 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
18904 contain groups that match a regexp.
18906 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
18909 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
18912 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
18913 from subject lines.
18915 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
18917 nntp-ping-before-connect
18919 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
18921 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
18922 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
18924 message annotations.
18926 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
18928 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
18929 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
18931 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
18936 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
18938 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
18940 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
18942 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
18943 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
18945 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
18947 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
18949 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
18950 finds and generate proper active ranges.
18952 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
18953 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
18955 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
18957 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
18959 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
18960 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
18962 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
18964 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
18966 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
18967 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
18970 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
18972 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
18974 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
18975 `C-c C-c' when posting.
18977 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
18980 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
18981 should be marker as expirable.
18983 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
18985 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
18986 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
18988 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
18989 Also consult Date headers.
18991 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
18993 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
18995 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
18996 Message-ID, delete the "original".
18998 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
18999 into a See-Also header.
19001 support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
19003 support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
19005 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
19006 should be listed as such and not as "K".
19008 generate font names dynamically.
19010 score file mode auto-alist.
19012 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
19013 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
19015 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
19016 absolutely all headers there is.
19018 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
19019 and pipe them to the process.
19021 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
19022 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
19023 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
19025 function for starting to edit a file to put into
19026 the current mail group.
19028 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
19030 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
19031 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
19033 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
19034 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
19036 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
19038 when replying to several process-marked articles,
19039 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
19041 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
19042 groups it has been mailed to.
19044 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
19046 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
19048 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
19050 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
19051 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
19053 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
19054 newlines) should be ignored.
19056 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
19057 groups in subtopics as well.
19059 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
19061 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
19064 add edit and forward secondary marks.
19066 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
19068 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
19070 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
19072 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
19074 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
19076 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
19077 or the formatted article.
19079 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
19081 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
19082 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
19084 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
19086 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
19088 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
19090 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
19091 even unread articles.
19093 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
19095 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
19097 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
19099 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
19101 canceling articles in foreign groups.
19103 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
19106 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
19107 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
19109 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
19110 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
19112 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
19114 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
19116 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
19117 from a particular server? Hm.
19119 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
19120 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
19122 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
19124 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
19125 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
19127 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
19128 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
19130 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
19131 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
19132 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
19135 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
19136 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
19138 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
19140 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
19142 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
19144 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
19147 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
19150 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
19151 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
19153 command to show and edit group scores
19155 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
19158 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
19160 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
19162 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
19163 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
19166 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
19167 that are of that length.
19169 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
19171 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
19173 asynchronous posting under nntp.
19175 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
19177 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
19179 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
19181 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
19182 a score lower than this number.
19184 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
19186 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
19188 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
19189 so that each copy can be edited separately.
19191 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
19193 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
19194 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
19196 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
19199 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
19200 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
19201 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
19202 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
19204 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
19207 command to remove all topic stuff.
19209 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
19210 and splitting the resulting digests.
19212 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
19214 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
19216 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
19217 matches an alist -- before saving.
19219 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
19221 variable to activate each group before entering them
19222 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
19224 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
19225 starting Gnus first if necessary.
19227 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
19228 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
19230 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
19232 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
19233 of several groups at once.
19235 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
19236 matches some regexp(s).
19238 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
19240 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
19242 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
19244 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
19246 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
19248 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
19250 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
19252 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
19253 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
19254 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
19255 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
19257 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
19258 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
19260 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
19262 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
19263 recently cited text.
19265 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
19267 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
19270 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
19271 server and just read the articles in the server
19273 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
19274 value of nnoo variables.
19276 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
19278 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
19279 listed in each group info.
19281 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
19284 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
19285 should only be applied to some groups.
19287 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
19288 mail-copies-to: never.
19290 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
19291 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
19293 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
19295 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
19298 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
19301 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
19303 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
19306 group user-defined meta-parameters.
19310 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
19312 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
19313 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
19314 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
19315 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
19316 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
19318 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
19319 ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
19326 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
19327 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
19329 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
19330 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
19332 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
19333 "Return the date the group was last read."
19334 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
19339 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
19340 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
19341 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
19342 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
19346 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
19347 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
19349 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
19352 They could be used like this:
19356 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
19357 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
19358 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
19360 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
19362 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
19365 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
19368 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
19369 affect the summary line format.
19373 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
19375 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
19376 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
19378 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
19381 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
19383 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
19385 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
19387 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
19389 - For other files, just find them normally.
19391 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
19392 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
19395 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
19396 tell him what you are doing.
19399 Currently, I get prompted:
19403 decend into sci.something ?
19407 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
19408 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
19409 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
19410 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
19413 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
19414 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
19415 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
19416 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
19419 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
19420 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
19426 more than n blank lines
19428 more than m identical lines
19429 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
19431 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
19435 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
19436 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
19437 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
19438 "same" subject for threading purposes.
19441 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
19442 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
19443 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
19444 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
19447 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
19450 soup - bowl of soup
19451 score below - dim light bulb
19452 score over - bright light bulb
19455 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
19460 show-list-of-articles-in-group
19461 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
19462 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
19463 if (articles-selected)
19464 start-reading-selected-articles;
19465 junk-unread-articles;
19470 else if (key-pressed = '.')
19471 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
19472 select-thread-under-cursor;
19474 select-article-under-cursor;
19478 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
19479 if (more-pages-in-article)
19481 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
19488 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
19489 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
19490 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
19493 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
19494 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
19495 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
19496 the wildcard expression).
19499 It would be nice if it also handled
19501 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
19503 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
19508 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
19509 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
19510 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
19511 article versions) variable.
19513 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
19515 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
19516 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
19520 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
19523 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
19524 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
19525 (message-sent-hook).
19527 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
19530 * Enhancements to Gnus:
19534 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
19535 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
19538 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
19539 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
19540 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
19543 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
19544 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
19548 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
19551 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
19555 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
19556 the nnmail duplicate checking.
19559 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
19560 value of the signature file.
19563 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
19564 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
19567 (setq message-tab-alist
19568 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
19569 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
19571 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
19575 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
19578 a command to import a buffer into a group.
19581 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
19584 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
19585 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
19588 a command to process mark all unread articles.
19591 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
19592 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
19593 do more gathering by subject.
19596 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
19597 article numerical order.
19600 (gnus-thread-total-score
19601 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
19605 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
19608 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
19609 in the summary buffer.
19612 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
19613 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
19616 http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
19617 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
19618 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
19619 and/or newsgroup name.
19622 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
19625 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
19628 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
19631 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
19632 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
19633 will automatically get the process mark.
19636 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
19637 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
19638 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
19641 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
19645 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
19646 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
19649 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
19650 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
19654 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
19655 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
19658 be able to post via DejaNews.
19661 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
19664 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
19665 allow them to be displayed separately.
19668 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
19669 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
19672 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
19673 articles that match a certain From header.
19676 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
19677 saving living summary buffers.
19680 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
19681 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
19684 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
19685 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
19688 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
19689 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
19692 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
19693 (goto-char (point-min))
19694 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
19695 (replace-match "`" t t))
19696 (goto-char (point-min))
19697 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
19698 (replace-match "'" t t))
19699 (goto-char (point-min))
19700 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
19701 (replace-match "\"" t t))
19702 (goto-char (point-min))
19703 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
19704 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
19709 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
19711 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
19712 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
19713 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
19714 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
19718 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
19721 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
19722 numbers and match on the age of the article.
19726 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
19727 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
19728 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
19730 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
19731 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
19733 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
19734 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
19739 all commands that react to the process mark should push
19740 the current process mark set onto the stack.
19743 gnus-article-hide-pgp
19744 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
19746 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
19748 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
19749 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
19752 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
19753 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
19756 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
19760 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
19761 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
19764 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
19767 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
19770 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
19773 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
19777 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
19783 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
19786 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
19790 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
19791 X characters in the body.
19794 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
19797 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
19800 format spec to "tab" to a position.
19803 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
19806 command to display all dormant articles.
19809 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
19812 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
19813 to something someone else has said.
19816 Read Netscape discussion groups:
19817 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
19820 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
19821 the displayed version.
19824 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
19828 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
19831 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
19832 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
19833 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
19837 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
19838 in the head or body.
19841 Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
19844 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
19847 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
19848 in a special, unique buffer.
19851 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
19854 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
19855 is less than a certain number of days old.
19858 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
19861 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
19864 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
19865 file, for instance.
19868 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
19869 in any other dummy thread will make gnus highlight the
19870 dummy root instead of the first article.
19873 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
19874 topics for displaying.
19877 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
19878 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
19881 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
19884 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
19885 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
19886 summary buffer for each article.
19889 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
19892 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
19896 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
19899 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
19903 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
19906 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
19909 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
19910 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
19913 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
19914 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
19917 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
19918 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
19921 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
19922 timeout for all commands.
19925 When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
19926 It should go somewhere else.
19929 I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
19930 Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
19931 "microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
19933 "nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
19934 but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
19936 Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
19937 Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
19944 Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
19945 --text follows this line--
19946 Sorry I killfiled you...
19948 Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
19950 Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
19955 Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
19959 - Edit article's summary line.
19961 - Sort lines in buffer by subject
19963 --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
19969 Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
19973 Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
19974 to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
19978 Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
19981 Solve the halting problem.
19990 @section The Manual
19994 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
19995 either @code{texi2dvi}
19997 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
19998 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20000 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20002 The following conventions have been used:
20007 This is a @samp{string}
20010 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20013 This is a @file{file}
20016 This is a @code{symbol}
20020 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20024 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20027 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20030 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20033 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20034 ever get them confused.
20038 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20039 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20040 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20041 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20042 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20043 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20044 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20050 @node On Writing Manuals
20051 @section On Writing Manuals
20053 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20054 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20055 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20056 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20057 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20058 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20061 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20062 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20063 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20066 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20067 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20072 @section Terminology
20074 @cindex terminology
20079 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20080 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20081 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20082 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20083 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20087 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20088 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20089 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20090 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20094 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20098 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20103 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20104 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20105 is all done by the backends.
20109 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20110 default, way of getting news.
20114 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20115 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20120 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20121 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20125 A message that has been posted as news.
20128 @cindex mail message
20129 A message that has been mailed.
20133 A mail message or news article
20137 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20142 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20147 A line from the head of an article.
20151 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20152 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20156 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20157 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20158 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20159 normal @sc{head} format.
20163 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20164 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20165 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20166 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20167 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20168 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20170 @item killed groups
20171 @cindex killed groups
20172 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20173 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20175 @item zombie groups
20176 @cindex zombie groups
20177 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20180 @cindex active file
20181 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20182 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20183 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20186 @cindex bogus groups
20187 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20188 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20189 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20192 @cindex activating groups
20193 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20194 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20195 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20199 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20201 @item select method
20202 @cindex select method
20203 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20206 @item virtual server
20207 @cindex virtual server
20208 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20209 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20210 whole is a virtual server.
20214 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20215 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20218 @item ephemeral groups
20219 @cindex ephemeral groups
20220 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20221 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20222 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20225 @cindex solid groups
20226 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20227 group buffer are solid groups.
20229 @item sparse articles
20230 @cindex sparse articles
20231 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20232 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20236 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20237 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20241 @cindex thread root
20242 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20243 articles in the thread.
20247 An article that has responses.
20251 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20255 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20256 specified by RFC1153.
20262 @node Customization
20263 @section Customization
20264 @cindex general customization
20266 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20267 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20268 for some quite common situations.
20271 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20272 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20273 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20274 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20278 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20279 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20281 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20282 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20283 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20287 @item gnus-read-active-file
20288 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20289 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20290 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20291 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20292 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20294 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20295 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20296 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20297 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20301 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20302 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20304 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20305 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20306 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20310 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20311 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20312 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20313 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20314 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20316 @item gnus-visible-headers
20317 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20318 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20319 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20320 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20322 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20324 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20325 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20326 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20329 @item gnus-use-full-window
20330 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20331 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20332 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20333 want to read them anyway.
20335 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20336 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20339 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20340 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20341 lines, which might save some time.
20345 @node Little Disk Space
20346 @subsection Little Disk Space
20349 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20350 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
20354 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
20355 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
20356 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20357 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20360 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
20361 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
20362 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
20363 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
20366 @item gnus-save-killed-list
20367 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
20368 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
20369 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
20370 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
20376 @subsection Slow Machine
20377 @cindex slow machine
20379 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
20380 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
20382 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20383 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
20385 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
20386 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
20387 summary buffer faster.
20391 @node Troubleshooting
20392 @section Troubleshooting
20393 @cindex troubleshooting
20395 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
20403 Make sure your computer is switched on.
20406 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
20407 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
20411 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
20412 like @samp{T-gnus 6.13.* (based on Pterodactyl Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*,
20413 FLIM 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you
20414 get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some
20415 old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
20418 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
20422 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
20423 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
20424 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
20425 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
20426 something like that.
20429 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
20432 @cindex reporting bugs
20434 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
20436 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
20437 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
20438 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
20439 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
20441 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
20442 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
20443 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
20444 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
20447 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
20448 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
20449 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
20450 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
20451 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
20452 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
20454 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
20455 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
20456 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
20459 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
20460 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
20462 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
20463 @cindex ding mailing list
20464 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
20465 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
20469 @node Gnus Reference Guide
20470 @section Gnus Reference Guide
20472 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
20473 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
20474 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
20475 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
20478 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
20479 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
20480 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
20481 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
20482 and general methods of operation.
20485 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
20486 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
20487 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
20488 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
20489 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
20490 * Group Info:: The group info format.
20491 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
20492 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
20493 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
20497 @node Gnus Utility Functions
20498 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
20499 @cindex Gnus utility functions
20500 @cindex utility functions
20502 @cindex internal variables
20504 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
20505 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
20506 Below is a list of the most common ones.
20510 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
20511 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
20512 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
20514 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
20515 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
20516 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
20518 @item gnus-group-real-name
20519 @findex gnus-group-real-name
20520 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
20523 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
20524 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
20525 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
20526 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
20528 @item gnus-get-info
20529 @findex gnus-get-info
20530 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
20532 @item gnus-group-unread
20533 @findex gnus-group-unread
20534 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
20538 @findex gnus-active
20539 The active entry for @var{group}.
20541 @item gnus-set-active
20542 @findex gnus-set-active
20543 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
20545 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20546 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
20547 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
20550 @item gnus-continuum-version
20551 @findex gnus-continuum-version
20552 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
20553 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
20556 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
20557 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
20558 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
20560 @item gnus-news-group-p
20561 @findex gnus-news-group-p
20562 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
20564 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20565 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
20566 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
20568 @item gnus-server-to-method
20569 @findex gnus-server-to-method
20570 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
20572 @item gnus-server-equal
20573 @findex gnus-server-equal
20574 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
20576 @item gnus-group-native-p
20577 @findex gnus-group-native-p
20578 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
20580 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
20581 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
20582 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
20584 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
20585 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
20586 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
20588 @item group-group-find-parameter
20589 @findex group-group-find-parameter
20590 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
20591 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
20593 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
20594 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
20595 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
20597 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
20598 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
20599 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
20601 @item gnus-check-backend-function
20602 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
20603 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
20604 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
20607 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
20611 @item gnus-read-method
20612 @findex gnus-read-method
20613 Prompts the user for a select method.
20618 @node Backend Interface
20619 @subsection Backend Interface
20621 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
20622 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
20623 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
20624 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
20625 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
20626 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
20628 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
20629 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
20630 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
20631 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
20632 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
20633 been opened, the function should fail.
20635 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
20636 name. Take this example:
20640 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
20641 (nntp-port-number 4324))
20644 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
20645 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
20647 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
20648 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
20649 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
20651 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
20652 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
20653 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
20655 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
20656 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
20657 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
20658 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
20659 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
20660 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
20663 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
20664 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
20665 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
20666 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
20669 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
20672 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
20675 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
20676 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
20677 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
20678 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
20679 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
20680 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
20684 @node Required Backend Functions
20685 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
20689 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
20691 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
20692 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
20693 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
20694 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
20696 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
20697 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
20698 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
20699 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
20701 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
20702 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
20703 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
20704 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
20705 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
20706 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
20707 number, do maximum fetches.
20709 Here's an example HEAD:
20712 221 1056 Article retrieved.
20713 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
20714 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
20715 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
20716 Subject: Re: Something very droll
20717 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
20718 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
20720 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
20721 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
20722 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
20726 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
20727 these in the data buffer.
20729 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
20733 head = error / valid-head
20734 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
20735 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
20736 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
20737 header = <text> eol
20740 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
20741 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
20745 nov-buffer = *nov-line
20746 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
20747 field = <text except TAB>
20750 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
20754 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
20756 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
20757 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
20759 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
20760 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
20761 server. In fact, it should do so.
20763 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
20764 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
20767 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
20769 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
20770 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
20773 There should be no data returned.
20776 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
20778 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
20779 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
20780 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
20781 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
20783 There should be no data returned.
20786 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
20788 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
20789 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
20790 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
20791 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
20793 There should be no data returned.
20796 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
20798 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
20800 There should be no data returned.
20803 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
20805 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
20806 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
20807 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
20808 it would be nice if that were possible.
20810 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
20811 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
20812 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
20813 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
20814 into its article buffer.
20816 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
20817 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
20818 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
20819 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
20820 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
20821 on successful article retrieval.
20824 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
20826 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
20827 making @var{group} the current group.
20829 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
20832 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
20835 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
20838 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
20839 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
20840 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
20841 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
20842 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
20843 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
20844 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
20845 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
20848 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
20849 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
20850 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
20854 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
20856 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
20857 a no-op on most backends.
20859 There should be no data returned.
20862 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
20864 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
20867 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
20870 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
20871 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
20874 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
20875 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
20878 active-file = *active-line
20879 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
20881 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
20884 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
20885 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
20886 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
20889 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
20891 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
20892 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
20893 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
20894 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
20895 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
20896 clear if the posting could not be completed.
20898 There should be no result data from this function.
20903 @node Optional Backend Functions
20904 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
20908 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
20910 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
20911 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
20912 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
20914 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
20915 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
20916 former is in the same format as the data from
20917 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
20918 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
20921 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
20925 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
20927 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
20928 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
20929 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
20930 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
20931 should return the (altered) group info.
20933 There should be no result data from this function.
20936 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
20938 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
20939 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
20940 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
20941 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
20942 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
20943 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
20944 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
20945 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
20947 There should be no result data from this function.
20950 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
20952 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
20953 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
20954 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry all
20955 information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to propagate
20956 the mark information to the server.
20958 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
20961 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
20964 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
20965 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
20966 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
20967 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
20968 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a
20969 symbol. Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
20970 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
20971 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
20972 not limit itself to theese.
20974 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
20975 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
20976 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
20977 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
20979 An example action list:
20982 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
20983 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
20984 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
20987 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
20988 mark on (currently not used for anything).
20990 There should be no result data from this function.
20992 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
20994 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
20995 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
20996 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
20997 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
20998 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21000 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21001 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21002 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21005 There should be no result data from this function.
21008 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21010 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21011 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21012 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21013 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21014 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21015 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21016 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21018 There should be no result data from this function.
21021 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21023 The result data from this function should be a description of
21027 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21029 description = <text>
21032 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21034 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21035 groups available on the server.
21038 description-buffer = *description-line
21042 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21044 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21045 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21046 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21049 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21051 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21053 There should be no return data.
21056 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21058 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21059 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21060 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21061 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21062 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21065 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21068 There should be no result data returned.
21071 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21074 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21075 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21077 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21078 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21079 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21080 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21081 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21082 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21084 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21085 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21088 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21089 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21091 There should be no data returned.
21094 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21096 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21097 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21098 this function in short order.
21100 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21101 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21103 There should be no data returned.
21106 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21108 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21109 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21111 There should be no data returned.
21114 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21116 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21117 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21118 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21120 There should be no data returned.
21123 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21125 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21126 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21128 There should be no data returned.
21133 @node Error Messaging
21134 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21136 @findex nnheader-report
21137 @findex nnheader-get-report
21138 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21139 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21140 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21141 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21142 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21143 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21146 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21148 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21151 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21152 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21153 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21154 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21156 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21157 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21158 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21161 @node Writing New Backends
21162 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21164 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21165 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21166 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21167 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21168 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21171 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21172 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21173 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21175 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21176 package called @code{nnoo}.
21178 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21179 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21185 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21186 parameters. For instance:
21189 (nnoo-declare nndir
21193 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21194 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21197 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21198 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21199 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21201 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21202 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21203 a function in those backends.
21206 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21207 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21208 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21211 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21212 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21213 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21215 @item nnoo-define-basics
21216 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21220 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21224 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21225 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21226 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21228 @item nnoo-map-functions
21229 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21230 functions from the parent backends.
21233 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21234 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21235 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21238 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21239 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21240 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21241 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21244 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21245 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21246 haven't already been defined.
21252 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21256 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21257 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21258 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21263 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21266 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21267 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21271 (require 'nnheader)
21275 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21277 (nnoo-declare nndir
21280 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21281 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21282 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21284 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21285 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21288 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21289 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21290 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21292 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21293 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21295 ;;; Interface functions.
21297 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21299 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21300 (setq nndir-directory
21301 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21303 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21304 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21305 (push `(nndir-current-group
21306 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21308 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21309 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21311 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21313 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21314 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21315 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21316 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21317 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21321 nnmh-status-message
21323 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21329 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21330 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21332 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21333 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21334 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21335 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21337 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21338 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21343 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21346 The abilities can be:
21350 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
21352 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
21354 This backend supports both mail and news.
21356 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
21359 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
21360 articles and groups.
21362 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
21363 true for almost all backends.
21364 @item prompt-address
21365 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
21366 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
21367 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
21371 @node Mail-like Backends
21372 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
21374 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
21375 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
21376 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
21377 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
21380 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
21381 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
21382 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
21385 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
21386 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
21389 This function takes four parameters.
21393 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
21396 @item exit-function
21397 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
21399 @item temp-directory
21400 Where the temporary files should be stored.
21403 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
21404 performed for one group only.
21407 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
21408 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
21409 find the article number assigned to this article.
21411 The function also uses the following variables:
21412 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
21413 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
21414 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
21415 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
21419 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
21420 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
21424 @node Score File Syntax
21425 @subsection Score File Syntax
21427 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
21428 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
21429 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
21431 Here's a typical score file:
21435 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
21442 BNF definition of a score file:
21445 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
21446 element = rule / atom
21447 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
21448 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
21449 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
21450 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
21452 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
21453 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
21454 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
21455 date-header = "date"
21456 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21457 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21458 score = "nil" / <integer>
21459 date = "nil" / <natural number>
21460 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
21461 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
21462 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
21463 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
21464 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21465 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21466 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
21467 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
21468 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
21469 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
21470 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
21471 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
21472 exclude-files / read-only / touched
21473 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
21474 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
21475 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
21476 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
21477 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
21478 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
21479 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
21480 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
21481 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
21482 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
21483 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
21484 eval = "eval" space <form>
21485 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
21488 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
21491 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
21492 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
21493 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
21494 one looong line, then that's ok.
21496 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
21497 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
21501 @subsection Headers
21503 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
21504 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
21505 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
21506 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
21508 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
21509 RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
21510 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
21511 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
21512 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
21513 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
21514 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
21516 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
21517 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
21518 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
21519 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
21520 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
21522 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
21523 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
21529 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
21530 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
21532 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
21533 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
21534 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
21535 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
21537 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
21541 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
21544 is transformed into
21547 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
21550 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
21551 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
21554 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
21557 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
21558 is slightly tricky:
21561 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
21567 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
21570 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
21576 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
21583 and is equal to the previous range.
21585 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
21586 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
21587 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
21591 range = simple-range / normal-range
21592 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
21593 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
21594 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
21595 number *[ " " contents ]
21598 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
21599 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
21600 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
21601 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
21602 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
21607 @subsection Group Info
21609 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
21610 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
21611 describes the group.
21613 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
21614 second is a more complex one:
21617 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
21619 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
21620 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
21622 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
21625 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
21626 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
21627 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
21628 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
21629 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
21630 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
21631 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
21632 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
21633 this section is about.
21635 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
21636 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
21637 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
21639 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
21642 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
21643 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
21644 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
21645 group = quote <string> quote
21646 ralevel = rank / level
21647 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21648 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
21649 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
21651 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
21652 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
21653 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
21654 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
21657 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
21658 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
21661 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
21662 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
21665 @item gnus-info-group
21666 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
21667 @findex gnus-info-group
21668 @findex gnus-info-set-group
21669 Get/set the group name.
21671 @item gnus-info-rank
21672 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
21673 @findex gnus-info-rank
21674 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
21675 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
21677 @item gnus-info-level
21678 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
21679 @findex gnus-info-level
21680 @findex gnus-info-set-level
21681 Get/set the group level.
21683 @item gnus-info-score
21684 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
21685 @findex gnus-info-score
21686 @findex gnus-info-set-score
21687 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
21689 @item gnus-info-read
21690 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
21691 @findex gnus-info-read
21692 @findex gnus-info-set-read
21693 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
21695 @item gnus-info-marks
21696 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
21697 @findex gnus-info-marks
21698 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
21699 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
21701 @item gnus-info-method
21702 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
21703 @findex gnus-info-method
21704 @findex gnus-info-set-method
21705 Get/set the group select method.
21707 @item gnus-info-params
21708 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
21709 @findex gnus-info-params
21710 @findex gnus-info-set-params
21711 Get/set the group parameters.
21714 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
21715 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
21717 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
21718 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
21719 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
21720 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
21723 @node Extended Interactive
21724 @subsection Extended Interactive
21725 @cindex interactive
21726 @findex gnus-interactive
21728 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
21729 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
21730 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
21733 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
21734 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
21739 The best thing to do would have been to implement
21740 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
21741 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
21742 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
21743 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
21744 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
21745 @code{interactive}.
21747 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
21752 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
21753 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
21757 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
21758 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
21759 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
21762 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
21766 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
21770 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
21776 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
21777 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
21781 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
21782 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
21783 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
21785 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
21786 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
21787 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
21788 Gnus, that's very useful.
21790 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
21791 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
21792 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
21793 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
21794 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
21795 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
21796 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
21797 following function:
21800 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
21804 (,function ,@@args))
21808 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
21809 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
21810 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
21813 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
21814 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
21815 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
21817 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
21818 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
21819 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
21822 @node Various File Formats
21823 @subsection Various File Formats
21826 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
21827 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
21831 @node Active File Format
21832 @subsubsection Active File Format
21834 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
21835 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
21838 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
21841 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
21842 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
21843 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
21844 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
21845 no.general 1000 900 y
21848 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
21851 active = *group-line
21852 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
21853 group = <non-white-space string>
21855 high-number = <non-negative integer>
21856 low-number = <positive integer>
21857 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
21860 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
21861 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
21864 @node Newsgroups File Format
21865 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
21867 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
21868 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
21869 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
21872 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
21873 Here's the definition:
21877 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
21878 group = <non-white-space string>
21880 description = <string>
21885 @node Emacs for Heathens
21886 @section Emacs for Heathens
21888 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
21889 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
21890 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
21891 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
21892 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
21893 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
21894 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
21898 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
21899 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
21904 @subsection Keystrokes
21908 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
21911 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
21914 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
21915 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
21916 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
21917 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
21918 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
21919 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
21921 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
21922 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
21923 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
21924 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
21925 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
21926 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
21927 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
21929 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
21930 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
21931 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
21932 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
21933 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
21934 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
21935 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
21937 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
21938 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
21939 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
21940 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
21941 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
21947 @subsection Emacs Lisp
21949 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
21950 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
21951 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
21952 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
21954 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
21955 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
21956 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
21957 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
21958 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
21959 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
21960 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
21963 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
21964 write the following:
21967 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
21970 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
21971 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
21972 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
21975 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
21976 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
21977 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
21978 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
21979 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
21981 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
21982 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
21983 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
21987 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
21991 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
21994 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
21995 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
21998 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22001 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22002 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22005 @include gnus-faq.texi