1 \input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
4 @settitle T-gnus 6.16 Message Manual
10 * Message: (message). Mail and news composition mode that goes with Gnus.
15 @setchapternewpage odd
19 This file documents Message, the Emacs message composition mode.
21 Copyright (C) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
22 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
24 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
25 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
26 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
27 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
28 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
29 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
30 License'' in the Emacs manual.
32 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
33 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
34 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
36 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
37 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
38 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
39 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
45 @title T-gnus 6.16 Message Manual
47 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
50 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
51 Copyright @copyright{} 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
52 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
54 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
55 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
56 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
57 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
58 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
59 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
60 License'' in the Emacs manual.
62 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
63 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
64 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
66 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
67 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
68 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
69 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
78 All message composition from Gnus (both mail and news) takes place in
82 * Interface:: Setting up message buffers.
83 * Commands:: Commands you can execute in message mode buffers.
84 * Variables:: Customizing the message buffers.
85 * Compatibility:: Making Message backwards compatible.
86 * Appendices:: More technical things.
87 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
88 * Key Index:: List of Message mode keys.
91 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.16 Message. Message is distributed
92 with the Gnus distribution bearing the same version number as this
99 When a program (or a person) wants to respond to a message -- reply,
100 follow up, forward, cancel -- the program (or person) should just put
101 point in the buffer where the message is and call the required command.
102 @code{Message} will then pop up a new @code{message} mode buffer with
103 appropriate headers filled out, and the user can edit the message before
107 * New Mail Message:: Editing a brand new mail message.
108 * New News Message:: Editing a brand new news message.
109 * Reply:: Replying via mail.
110 * Wide Reply:: Responding to all people via mail.
111 * Followup:: Following up via news.
112 * Canceling News:: Canceling a news article.
113 * Superseding:: Superseding a message.
114 * Forwarding:: Forwarding a message via news or mail.
115 * Resending:: Resending a mail message.
116 * Bouncing:: Bouncing a mail message.
117 * Mailing Lists:: Send mail to mailing lists.
121 @node New Mail Message
122 @section New Mail Message
125 The @code{message-mail} command pops up a new message buffer.
127 Two optional parameters are accepted: The first will be used as the
128 @code{To} header and the second as the @code{Subject} header. If these
129 are @code{nil}, those two headers will be empty.
132 @node New News Message
133 @section New News Message
136 The @code{message-news} command pops up a new message buffer.
138 This function accepts two optional parameters. The first will be used
139 as the @code{Newsgroups} header and the second as the @code{Subject}
140 header. If these are @code{nil}, those two headers will be empty.
146 @findex message-reply
147 The @code{message-reply} function pops up a message buffer that's a
148 reply to the message in the current buffer.
150 @vindex message-reply-to-function
151 Message uses the normal methods to determine where replies are to go
152 (@pxref{Responses}), but you can change the behavior to suit your needs
153 by fiddling with the @code{message-reply-to-function} variable.
155 If you want the replies to go to the @code{Sender} instead of the
156 @code{From}, you could do something like this:
159 (setq message-reply-to-function
161 (cond ((equal (mail-fetch-field "from") "somebody")
162 (list (cons 'To (mail-fetch-field "sender"))))
167 This function will be called narrowed to the head of the article that is
170 As you can see, this function should return a string if it has an
171 opinion as to what the To header should be. If it does not, it should
172 just return @code{nil}, and the normal methods for determining the To
175 This function can also return a list. In that case, each list element
176 should be a cons, where the car should be the name of an header
177 (eg. @code{Cc}) and the cdr should be the header value
178 (eg. @samp{larsi@@ifi.uio.no}). All these headers will be inserted into
179 the head of the outgoing mail.
185 @findex message-wide-reply
186 The @code{message-wide-reply} pops up a message buffer that's a wide
187 reply to the message in the current buffer. A @dfn{wide reply} is a
188 reply that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From}
189 (or @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
191 @vindex message-wide-reply-to-function
192 Message uses the normal methods to determine where wide replies are to go,
193 but you can change the behavior to suit your needs by fiddling with the
194 @code{message-wide-reply-to-function}. It is used in the same way as
195 @code{message-reply-to-function} (@pxref{Reply}).
197 @vindex message-dont-reply-to-names
198 Addresses that match the @code{message-dont-reply-to-names} regular
199 expression will be removed from the @code{Cc} header.
201 @vindex message-wide-reply-confirm-recipients
202 If @code{message-wide-reply-confirm-recipients} is non-@code{nil} you
203 will be asked to confirm that you want to reply to multiple
204 recipients. The default is @code{nil}.
209 @findex message-followup
210 The @code{message-followup} command pops up a message buffer that's a
211 followup to the message in the current buffer.
213 @vindex message-followup-to-function
214 Message uses the normal methods to determine where followups are to go,
215 but you can change the behavior to suit your needs by fiddling with the
216 @code{message-followup-to-function}. It is used in the same way as
217 @code{message-reply-to-function} (@pxref{Reply}).
219 @vindex message-use-followup-to
220 The @code{message-use-followup-to} variable says what to do about
221 @code{Followup-To} headers. If it is @code{use}, always use the value.
222 If it is @code{ask} (which is the default), ask whether to use the
223 value. If it is @code{t}, use the value unless it is @samp{poster}. If
224 it is @code{nil}, don't use the value.
228 @section Canceling News
230 @findex message-cancel-news
231 The @code{message-cancel-news} command cancels the article in the
234 @vindex message-cancel-message
235 The value of @code{message-cancel-message} is inserted in the body of
236 the cancel message. The default is @samp{I am canceling my own
240 @vindex message-insert-canlock
242 When Message posts news messages, it inserts @code{Cancel-Lock}
243 headers by default. This is a cryptographic header that ensures that
244 only you can cancel your own messages, which is nice. The downside
245 is that if you lose your @file{.emacs} file (which is where Gnus
246 stores the secret cancel lock password (which is generated
247 automatically the first time you use this feature)), you won't be
248 able to cancel your message.
250 Whether to insert the header or not is controlled by the
251 @code{message-insert-canlock} variable.
253 Not many news servers respect the @code{Cancel-Lock} header yet, but
254 this is expected to change in the future.
260 @findex message-supersede
261 The @code{message-supersede} command pops up a message buffer that will
262 supersede the message in the current buffer.
264 @vindex message-ignored-supersedes-headers
265 Headers matching the @code{message-ignored-supersedes-headers} are
266 removed before popping up the new message buffer. The default is@*
267 @samp{^Path:\\|^Date\\|^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^Lines:\\|@*
268 ^Received:\\|^X-From-Line:\\|Return-Path:\\|^Supersedes:}.
275 @findex message-forward
276 The @code{message-forward} command pops up a message buffer to forward
277 the message in the current buffer. If given a prefix, forward using
281 @item message-forward-ignored-headers
282 @vindex message-forward-ignored-headers
283 All headers that match this regexp will be deleted when forwarding a message.
285 @item message-make-forward-subject-function
286 @vindex message-make-forward-subject-function
287 A list of functions that are called to generate a subject header for
288 forwarded messages. The subject generated by the previous function is
289 passed into each successive function.
291 The provided functions are:
294 @item message-forward-subject-author-subject
295 @findex message-forward-subject-author-subject
296 Source of article (author or newsgroup), in brackets followed by the
299 @item message-forward-subject-fwd
300 Subject of article with @samp{Fwd:} prepended to it.
303 @item message-wash-forwarded-subjects
304 @vindex message-wash-forwarded-subjects
305 If this variable is @code{t}, the subjects of forwarded messages have
306 the evidence of previous forwards (such as @samp{Fwd:}, @samp{Re:},
307 @samp{(fwd)}) removed before the new subject is
308 constructed. The default value is @code{nil}.
310 @item message-forward-as-mime
311 @vindex message-forward-as-mime
312 If this variable is @code{t} (the default), forwarded messages are
313 included as inline @acronym{MIME} RFC822 parts. If it's @code{nil}, forwarded
314 messages will just be copied inline to the new message, like previous,
315 non @acronym{MIME}-savvy versions of gnus would do.
317 @item message-forward-before-signature
318 @vindex message-forward-before-signature
319 If non-@code{nil}, put forwarded message before signature, else after.
327 @findex message-resend
328 The @code{message-resend} command will prompt the user for an address
329 and resend the message in the current buffer to that address.
331 @vindex message-ignored-resent-headers
332 Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-resent-headers} regexp will
333 be removed before sending the message. The default is
334 @samp{^Return-receipt}.
340 @findex message-bounce
341 The @code{message-bounce} command will, if the current buffer contains a
342 bounced mail message, pop up a message buffer stripped of the bounce
343 information. A @dfn{bounced message} is typically a mail you've sent
344 out that has been returned by some @code{mailer-daemon} as
347 @vindex message-ignored-bounced-headers
348 Headers that match the @code{message-ignored-bounced-headers} regexp
349 will be removed before popping up the buffer. The default is
350 @samp{^\\(Received\\|Return-Path\\):}.
354 @section Mailing Lists
356 Sometimes while posting to mailing lists, the poster needs to direct
357 followups to the post to specific places. The Mail-Followup-To (MFT)
358 was created to enable just this. Two example scenarios where this is
363 A mailing list poster can use MFT to express that responses should be
364 sent to just the list, and not the poster as well. This will happen
365 if the poster is already subscribed to the list.
368 A mailing list poster can use MFT to express that responses should be
369 sent to the list and the poster as well. This will happen if the poster
370 is not subscribed to the list.
373 If a message is posted to several mailing lists, MFT may also be used
374 to direct the following discussion to one list only, because
375 discussions that are spread over several lists tend to be fragmented
376 and very difficult to follow.
380 Gnus honors the MFT header in other's messages (i.e. while following
381 up to someone else's post) and also provides support for generating
382 sensible MFT headers for outgoing messages as well.
385 @c * Honoring an MFT post:: What to do when one already exists
386 @c * Composing with a MFT header:: Creating one from scratch.
389 @c @node Composing with a MFT header
390 @subsection Composing a correct MFT header automagically
392 The first step in getting Gnus to automagically generate a MFT header
393 in posts you make is to give Gnus a list of the mailing lists
394 addresses you are subscribed to. You can do this in more than one
395 way. The following variables would come in handy.
399 @vindex message-subscribed-addresses
400 @item message-subscribed-addresses
401 This should be a list of addresses the user is subscribed to. Its
402 default value is @code{nil}. Example:
404 (setq message-subscribed-addresses
405 '("ding@@gnus.org" "bing@@noose.org"))
408 @vindex message-subscribed-regexps
409 @item message-subscribed-regexps
410 This should be a list of regexps denoting the addresses of mailing
411 lists subscribed to. Default value is @code{nil}. Example: If you
412 want to achieve the same result as above:
414 (setq message-subscribed-regexps
415 '("\\(ding@@gnus\\)\\|\\(bing@@noose\\)\\.org")
418 @vindex message-subscribed-address-functions
419 @item message-subscribed-address-functions
420 This can be a list of functions to be called (one at a time!!) to
421 determine the value of MFT headers. It is advisable that these
422 functions not take any arguments. Default value is @code{nil}.
424 There is a pre-defined function in Gnus that is a good candidate for
425 this variable. @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses} is a function
426 that returns a list of addresses corresponding to the groups that have
427 the @code{subscribed} (@pxref{Group Parameters, ,Group Parameters,
428 gnus, The Gnus Manual}) group parameter set to a non-nil value. This
429 is how you would do it.
432 (setq message-subscribed-address-functions
433 '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
436 @vindex message-subscribed-address-file
437 @item message-subscribed-address-file
438 You might be one organised human freak and have a list of addresses of
439 all subscribed mailing lists in a separate file! Then you can just
440 set this variable to the name of the file and life would be good.
444 You can use one or more of the above variables. All their values are
445 ``added'' in some way that works :-)
447 Now you are all set. Just start composing a message as you normally do.
448 And just send it; as always. Just before the message is sent out, Gnus'
449 MFT generation thingy kicks in and checks if the message already has a
450 MFT field. If there is one, it is left alone. (Except if it's empty -
451 in that case, the field is removed and is not replaced with an
452 automatically generated one. This lets you disable MFT generation on a
453 per-message basis.) If there is none, then the list of recipient
454 addresses (in the To: and Cc: headers) is checked to see if one of them
455 is a list address you are subscribed to. If none of them is a list
456 address, then no MFT is generated; otherwise, a MFT is added to the
457 other headers and set to the value of all addresses in To: and Cc:
460 @findex message-generate-unsubscribed-mail-followup-to
462 @findex message-goto-mail-followup-to
463 Hm. ``So'', you ask, ``what if I send an email to a list I am not
464 subscribed to? I want my MFT to say that I want an extra copy.'' (This
465 is supposed to be interpreted by others the same way as if there were no
466 MFT, but you can use an explicit MFT to override someone else's
467 to-address group parameter.) The function
468 @code{message-generate-unsubscribed-mail-followup-to} might come in
469 handy. It is bound to @kbd{C-c C-f C-a} by default. In any case, you
470 can insert a MFT of your own choice; @kbd{C-c C-f C-m}
471 (@code{message-goto-mail-followup-to}) will help you get started.
473 @c @node Honoring an MFT post
474 @subsection Honoring an MFT post
476 @vindex message-use-mail-followup-to
477 When you followup to a post on a mailing list, and the post has a MFT
478 header, Gnus' action will depend on the value of the variable
479 @code{message-use-mail-followup-to}. This variable can be one of:
483 Always honor MFTs. The To: and Cc: headers in your followup will be
484 derived from the MFT header of the original post. This is the default.
487 Always dishonor MFTs (just ignore the darned thing)
490 Gnus will prompt you for an action.
494 It is considered good nettiquette to honor MFT, as it is assumed the
495 fellow who posted a message knows where the followups need to go
502 * Buffer Entry:: Commands after entering a Message buffer.
503 * Header Commands:: Commands for moving headers or changing headers.
504 * Movement:: Moving around in message buffers.
505 * Insertion:: Inserting things into message buffers.
506 * MIME:: @acronym{MIME} considerations.
507 * IDNA:: Non-@acronym{ASCII} domain name considerations.
508 * Security:: Signing and encrypting messages.
509 * Various Commands:: Various things.
510 * Sending:: Actually sending the message.
511 * Mail Aliases:: How to use mail aliases.
512 * Spelling:: Having Emacs check your spelling.
517 @section Buffer Entry
521 You most often end up in a Message buffer when responding to some other
522 message of some sort. Message does lots of handling of quoted text, and
523 may remove signatures, reformat the text, or the like---depending on
524 which used settings you're using. Message usually gets things right,
525 but sometimes it stumbles. To help the user unwind these stumblings,
526 Message sets the undo boundary before each major automatic action it
527 takes. If you press the undo key (usually located at @kbd{C-_}) a few
528 times, you will get back the un-edited message you're responding to.
531 @node Header Commands
532 @section Header Commands
534 @subsection Commands for moving to headers
536 These following commands move to the header in question. If it doesn't
537 exist, it will be inserted.
543 @findex describe-mode
544 Describe the message mode.
548 @findex message-goto-to
549 Go to the @code{To} header (@code{message-goto-to}).
553 @findex message-goto-from
554 Go to the @code{From} header (@code{message-goto-from}). (The ``o''
555 in the key binding is for Originator.)
559 @findex message-goto-bcc
560 Go to the @code{Bcc} header (@code{message-goto-bcc}).
564 @findex message-goto-fcc
565 Go to the @code{Fcc} header (@code{message-goto-fcc}).
569 @findex message-goto-cc
570 Go to the @code{Cc} header (@code{message-goto-cc}).
574 @findex message-goto-subject
575 Go to the @code{Subject} header (@code{message-goto-subject}).
579 @findex message-goto-reply-to
580 Go to the @code{Reply-To} header (@code{message-goto-reply-to}).
584 @findex message-goto-newsgroups
585 Go to the @code{Newsgroups} header (@code{message-goto-newsgroups}).
589 @findex message-goto-distribution
590 Go to the @code{Distribution} header (@code{message-goto-distribution}).
594 @findex message-goto-followup-to
595 Go to the @code{Followup-To} header (@code{message-goto-followup-to}).
599 @findex message-goto-keywords
600 Go to the @code{Keywords} header (@code{message-goto-keywords}).
604 @findex message-goto-summary
605 Go to the @code{Summary} header (@code{message-goto-summary}).
609 @findex message-insert-or-toggle-importance
610 This inserts the @samp{Importance:} header with a value of
611 @samp{high}. This header is used to signal the importance of the
612 message to the receiver. If the header is already present in the
613 buffer, it cycles between the three valid values according to RFC
614 1376: @samp{low}, @samp{normal} and @samp{high}.
618 @findex message-generate-unsubscribed-mail-followup-to
619 Insert a reasonable @samp{Mail-Followup-To:} header
620 (@pxref{Mailing Lists}) in a post to an
621 unsubscribed list. When making original posts to a mailing list you are
622 not subscribed to, you have to type in a @samp{Mail-Followup-To:} header
623 by hand. The contents, usually, are the addresses of the list and your
624 own address. This function inserts such a header automatically. It
625 fetches the contents of the @samp{To:} header in the current mail
626 buffer, and appends the current @code{user-mail-address}.
628 If the optional argument @code{include-cc} is non-nil, the addresses in
629 the @samp{Cc:} header are also put into the @samp{Mail-Followup-To:}
634 @subsection Commands to change headers
640 @findex message-sort-headers
641 @vindex message-header-format-alist
642 Sort headers according to @code{message-header-format-alist}
643 (@code{message-sort-headers}).
647 @findex message-insert-to
648 Insert a @code{To} header that contains the @code{Reply-To} or
649 @code{From} header of the message you're following up
650 (@code{message-insert-to}).
654 @findex message-insert-newsgroups
655 Insert a @code{Newsgroups} header that reflects the @code{Followup-To}
656 or @code{Newsgroups} header of the article you're replying to
657 (@code{message-insert-newsgroups}).
661 @findex message-to-list-only
662 Send a message to the list only. Remove all addresses but the list
663 address from @code{To:} and @code{Cc:} headers.
667 @findex message-insert-disposition-notification-to
668 Insert a request for a disposition
669 notification. (@code{message-insert-disposition-notification-to}).
670 This means that if the recipient support RFC 2298 she might send you a
671 notification that she received the message.
673 @item M-x message-insert-importance-high
674 @kindex M-x message-insert-importance-high
675 @findex message-insert-importance-high
677 Insert an @samp{Importance} header with a value of @samp{high},
678 deleting headers if necessary.
680 @item M-x message-insert-importance-low
681 @kindex M-x message-insert-importance-low
682 @findex message-insert-importance-low
684 Insert an @samp{Importance} header with a value of @samp{low}, deleting
685 headers if necessary.
689 @findex message-change-subject
691 Change the current @samp{Subject} header. Ask for new @samp{Subject}
692 header and append @samp{(was: <Old Subject>)}. The old subject can be
693 stripped on replying, see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}
694 (@pxref{Message Headers}).
698 @findex message-cross-post-followup-to
699 @vindex message-cross-post-default
702 Ask for an additional @samp{Newsgroups} and @samp{FollowUp-To} for a
703 cross-post. @code{message-cross-post-followup-to} mangles
704 @samp{FollowUp-To} and @samp{Newsgroups} header to point to group.
705 If @code{message-cross-post-default} is @code{nil} or if called with a
706 prefix-argument @samp{Follow-Up} is set, but the message is not
711 @findex message-reduce-to-to-cc
712 Replace contents of @samp{To} header with contents of @samp{Cc} or
717 @findex message-insert-wide-reply
718 Insert @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers as if you were doing a wide
723 @findex message-add-archive-header
724 @vindex message-archive-header
725 @vindex message-archive-note
727 Insert @samp{X-No-Archive: Yes} in the header and a note in the body.
728 The header and the note can be customized using
729 @code{message-archive-header} and @code{message-archive-note}. When
730 called with a prefix argument, ask for a text to insert. If you don't
731 want the note in the body, set @code{message-archive-note} to
743 @findex message-goto-body
744 Move to the beginning of the body of the message
745 (@code{message-goto-body}).
749 @findex message-goto-signature
750 Move to the signature of the message (@code{message-goto-signature}).
754 @findex message-beginning-of-line
755 @vindex message-beginning-of-line
756 If at beginning of header value, go to beginning of line, else go to
757 beginning of header value. (The header value comes after the header
758 name and the colon.) This behaviour can be disabled by toggling
759 the variable @code{message-beginning-of-line}.
771 @findex message-yank-original
772 Yank the message in the buffer @code{gnus-article-copy} into the message
773 buffer. Normally @code{gnus-article-copy} is what you are replying to
774 (@code{message-yank-original}).
778 @findex message-yank-buffer
779 Prompt for a buffer name and yank the contents of that buffer into the
780 message buffer (@code{message-yank-buffer}).
784 @findex message-fill-yanked-message
785 Fill the yanked message (@code{message-fill-yanked-message}). Warning:
786 Can severely mess up the yanked text if its quoting conventions are
787 strange. You'll quickly get a feel for when it's safe, though. Anyway,
788 just remember that @kbd{C-x u} (@code{undo}) is available and you'll be
793 @findex message-insert-signature
794 Insert a signature at the end of the buffer
795 (@code{message-insert-signature}).
799 @findex message-insert-headers
800 Insert the message headers (@code{message-insert-headers}).
804 @findex message-mark-inserted-region
805 Mark some region in the current article with enclosing tags.
806 See @code{message-mark-insert-begin} and @code{message-mark-insert-end}.
810 @findex message-mark-insert-file
811 Insert a file in the current article with enclosing tags.
812 See @code{message-mark-insert-begin} and @code{message-mark-insert-end}.
824 Message is a @acronym{MIME}-compliant posting agent. The user generally
825 doesn't have to do anything to make the @acronym{MIME} happen---Message will
826 automatically add the @code{Content-Type} and
827 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} headers.
829 The most typical thing users want to use the multipart things in
830 @acronym{MIME} for is to add ``attachments'' to mail they send out. This can
831 be done with the @kbd{C-c C-a} command, which will prompt for a file
832 name and a @acronym{MIME} type.
834 You can also create arbitrarily complex multiparts using the MML
835 language (@pxref{Composing, , Composing, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
841 @cindex internationalized domain names
842 @cindex non-ascii domain names
844 Message is a @acronym{IDNA}-compliant posting agent. The user
845 generally doesn't have to do anything to make the @acronym{IDNA}
846 happen---Message will encode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in @code{From},
847 @code{To}, and @code{Cc} headers automatically.
849 Until @acronym{IDNA} becomes more well known, Message queries you
850 whether @acronym{IDNA} encoding of the domain name really should
851 occur. Some users might not be aware that domain names can contain
852 non-@acronym{ASCII} now, so this gives them a safety net if they accidently
853 typed a non-@acronym{ASCII} domain name.
855 @vindex message-use-idna
856 The @code{message-use-idna} variable control whether @acronym{IDNA} is
857 used. If the variable is @code{nil} no @acronym{IDNA} encoding will
858 ever happen, if it is set to the symbol @code{ask} the user will be
859 queried (the default), and if set to @code{t} @acronym{IDNA} encoding
860 happens automatically.
862 @findex message-idna-to-ascii-rhs
863 If you want to experiment with the @acronym{IDNA} encoding, you can
864 invoke @kbd{M-x message-idna-to-ascii-rhs RET} in the message buffer
865 to have the non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names encoded while you edit the message.
867 Note that you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU
868 Libidn} installed in order to use this functionality.
880 Using the MML language, Message is able to create digitally signed and
881 digitally encrypted messages. Message (or rather MML) currently
882 support @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC 2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME}.
883 Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @acronym{MIME} part is
884 done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
885 C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
891 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
893 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
897 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
899 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
903 @findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgpmime
905 Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
909 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
911 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
915 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
917 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
921 @findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
923 Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
927 @findex mml-unsecure-message
928 Remove security related MML tags from message.
932 These commands do not immediately sign or encrypt the message, they
933 merely insert the proper MML secure tag to instruct the MML engine to
934 perform that operation when the message is actually sent. They may
935 perform other operations too, such as locating and retrieving a
936 @acronym{S/MIME} certificate of the person you wish to send encrypted mail
937 to. When the mml parsing engine converts your MML into a properly
938 encoded @acronym{MIME} message, the secure tag will be replaced with either
939 a part or a multipart tag. If your message contains other mml parts,
940 a multipart tag will be used; if no other parts are present in your
941 message a single part tag will be used. This way, message mode will
942 do the Right Thing (TM) with signed/encrypted multipart messages.
944 @vindex mml-signencrypt-style-alist
945 By default, when encrypting a message, Gnus will use the ``signencrypt''
946 mode. If you would like to disable this for a particular message,
947 give the @code{mml-secure-message-encrypt-*} command a prefix argument. (for
948 example, @kbd{C-u C-c C-m c p}). Additionally, by default Gnus will
949 separately sign, then encrypt a message which has the mode
950 signencrypt. If you would like to change this behavior you can
951 customize the @code{mml-signencrypt-style-alist} variable. For
956 (setq mml-signencrypt-style-alist '(("smime" combined)
958 ("pgpmime" combined)))
961 Will cause Gnus to sign and encrypt in one pass, thus generating a
962 single signed and encrypted part. Note that combined sign and encrypt
963 does not work with all supported OpenPGP implementations (in
964 particular, @acronym{PGP} version 2 do not support this).
966 Since signing and especially encryption often is used when sensitive
967 information is sent, you may want to have some way to ensure that your
968 mail is actually signed or encrypted. After invoking the above
969 sign/encrypt commands, it is possible to preview the raw article by
970 using @kbd{C-u C-c RET P} (@code{mml-preview}). Then you can
971 verify that your long rant about what your ex-significant other or
972 whomever actually did with that funny looking person at that strange
973 party the other night, actually will be sent encrypted.
975 @emph{Note!} Neither @acronym{PGP/MIME} nor @acronym{S/MIME} encrypt/signs
976 RFC822 headers. They only operate on the @acronym{MIME} object. Keep this
977 in mind before sending mail with a sensitive Subject line.
979 Actually using the security commands above is not very difficult. At
980 least not compared with making sure all involved programs talk with each
981 other properly. Thus, we now describe what external libraries or
982 programs are required to make things work, and some small general hints.
984 @subsection Using S/MIME
986 @emph{Note!} This section assume you have a basic familiarity with
987 modern cryptography, @acronym{S/MIME}, various PKCS standards, OpenSSL and
990 The @acronym{S/MIME} support in Message (and MML) require OpenSSL. OpenSSL
991 perform the actual @acronym{S/MIME} sign/encrypt operations. OpenSSL can
992 be found at @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL 0.9.6 and later
993 should work. Version 0.9.5a cannot extract mail addresses from
994 certificates, and it insert a spurious CR character into @acronym{MIME}
995 separators so you may wish to avoid it if you would like to avoid
996 being regarded as someone who send strange mail. (Although by sending
997 @acronym{S/MIME} messages you've probably already lost that contest.)
999 To be able to send encrypted mail, a personal certificate is not
1000 required. Message (MML) need a certificate for the person to whom you
1001 wish to communicate with though. You're asked for this when you type
1002 @kbd{C-c C-m c s}. Currently there are two ways to retrieve this
1003 certificate, from a local file or from DNS. If you chose a local
1004 file, it need to contain a X.509 certificate in @acronym{PEM} format.
1005 If you chose DNS, you're asked for the domain name where the
1006 certificate is stored, the default is a good guess. To my belief,
1007 Message (MML) is the first mail agent in the world to support
1008 retrieving @acronym{S/MIME} certificates from DNS, so you're not
1009 likely to find very many certificates out there. At least there
1010 should be one, stored at the domain @code{simon.josefsson.org}. LDAP
1011 is a more popular method of distributing certificates, support for it
1012 is planned. (Meanwhile, you can use @code{ldapsearch} from the
1013 command line to retrieve a certificate into a file and use it.)
1015 As for signing messages, OpenSSL can't perform signing operations
1016 without some kind of configuration. Especially, you need to tell it
1017 where your private key and your certificate is stored. MML uses an
1018 Emacs interface to OpenSSL, aptly named @code{smime.el}, and it
1019 contain a @code{custom} group used for this configuration. So, try
1020 @kbd{M-x customize-group RET smime RET} and look around.
1022 Currently there is no support for talking to a CA (or RA) to create
1023 your own certificate. None is planned either. You need to do this
1024 manually with OpenSSL or using some other program. I used Netscape
1025 and got a free @acronym{S/MIME} certificate from one of the big CA's on the
1026 net. Netscape is able to export your private key and certificate in
1027 PKCS #12 format. Use OpenSSL to convert this into a plain X.509
1028 certificate in PEM format as follows.
1031 $ openssl pkcs12 -in ns.p12 -clcerts -nodes > key+cert.pem
1034 The @file{key+cert.pem} file should be pointed to from the
1035 @code{smime-keys} variable. You should now be able to send signed mail.
1037 @emph{Note!} Your private key is stored unencrypted in the file, so take
1038 care in handling it.
1040 @subsection Using PGP/MIME
1042 @acronym{PGP/MIME} requires an external OpenPGP implementation, such
1043 as @uref{http://www.gnupg.org/, GNU Privacy Guard}. One Emacs
1044 interface to OpenPGP implementations, PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
1045 Manual}), is included, but Mailcrypt and Florian Weimer's
1046 @code{gpg.el} are also supported.
1048 @vindex gpg-temp-directory
1049 Note, if you are using the @code{gpg.el} you must make sure that the
1050 directory specified by @code{gpg-temp-directory} have permissions
1053 Creating your own OpenPGP key is described in detail in the
1054 documentation of your OpenPGP implementation, so we refer to it.
1056 @node Various Commands
1057 @section Various Commands
1063 @findex message-caesar-buffer-body
1064 Caesar rotate (aka. rot13) the current message
1065 (@code{message-caesar-buffer-body}). If narrowing is in effect, just
1066 rotate the visible portion of the buffer. A numerical prefix says how
1067 many places to rotate the text. The default is 13.
1071 @findex message-elide-region
1072 @vindex message-elide-ellipsis
1073 Elide the text between point and mark (@code{message-elide-region}).
1074 The text is killed and replaced with the contents of the variable
1075 @code{message-elide-ellipsis}. The default value is to use an ellipsis
1080 @findex message-kill-to-signature
1081 Kill all the text up to the signature, or if that's missing, up to the
1082 end of the message (@code{message-kill-to-signature}).
1086 @findex message-delete-not-region
1087 Delete all text in the body of the message that is outside the region
1088 (@code{message-delete-not-region}).
1092 @findex message-newline-and-reformat
1093 Insert four newlines, and then reformat if inside quoted text.
1098 > This is some quoted text. And here's more quoted text.
1101 If point is before @samp{And} and you press @kbd{M-RET}, you'll get:
1104 > This is some quoted text.
1108 > And here's more quoted text.
1111 @samp{*} says where point will be placed.
1115 @findex message-rename-buffer
1116 Rename the buffer (@code{message-rename-buffer}). If given a prefix,
1117 prompt for a new buffer name.
1122 @vindex message-tab-body-function
1123 If non-@code{nil} execute the function specified in
1124 @code{message-tab-body-function}. Otherwise use the function bound to
1125 @kbd{TAB} in @code{text-mode-map} or @code{global-map}.
1136 @findex message-send-and-exit
1137 Send the message and bury the current buffer
1138 (@code{message-send-and-exit}).
1142 @findex message-send
1143 Send the message (@code{message-send}).
1147 @findex message-dont-send
1148 Bury the message buffer and exit (@code{message-dont-send}).
1152 @findex message-kill-buffer
1153 Kill the message buffer and exit (@code{message-kill-buffer}). It will
1154 delete the message frame if it has been created exclusively for the
1155 message buffer. If the option
1156 @code{message-kill-buffer-and-remove-file} is non-@code{nil} and the
1157 backup file has been created for the message buffer, it will also remove
1158 the file after prompting to the user.
1162 @findex message-mimic-kill-buffer
1163 @vindex message-kill-buffer-and-remove-file
1164 This is an imitation for @code{kill-buffer}
1165 (@code{message-mimic-kill-buffer}). It dynamically binds the variable
1166 @code{message-kill-buffer-and-remove-file} to @code{nil} and calls the
1167 function @code{message-kill-buffer}.
1174 @section Mail Aliases
1175 @cindex mail aliases
1178 @vindex message-mail-alias-type
1179 The @code{message-mail-alias-type} variable controls what type of mail
1180 alias expansion to use. Currently only one form is supported---Message
1181 uses @code{mailabbrev} to handle mail aliases. If this variable is
1182 @code{nil}, no mail alias expansion will be performed.
1184 @code{mailabbrev} works by parsing the @file{/etc/mailrc} and
1185 @file{~/.mailrc} files. These files look like:
1188 alias lmi "Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@ifi.uio.no>"
1189 alias ding "ding@@ifi.uio.no (ding mailing list)"
1192 After adding lines like this to your @file{~/.mailrc} file, you should
1193 be able to just write @samp{lmi} in the @code{To} or @code{Cc} (and so
1194 on) headers and press @kbd{SPC} to expand the alias.
1196 No expansion will be performed upon sending of the message---all
1197 expansions have to be done explicitly.
1203 @findex ispell-message
1205 There are two popular ways to have Emacs spell-check your messages:
1206 @code{ispell} and @code{flyspell}. @code{ispell} is the older and
1207 probably more popular package. You typically first write the message,
1208 and then run the entire thing through @code{ispell} and fix all the
1209 typos. To have this happen automatically when you send a message, put
1210 something like the following in your @file{.emacs} file:
1213 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
1216 @vindex ispell-message-dictionary-alist
1217 If you're in the habit of writing in different languages, this can be
1218 controlled by the @code{ispell-message-dictionary-alist} variable:
1221 (setq ispell-message-dictionary-alist
1222 '(("^Newsgroups:.*\\bde\\." . "deutsch8")
1223 (".*" . "default")))
1226 @code{ispell} depends on having the external @samp{ispell} command
1229 The other popular method is using @code{flyspell}. This package checks
1230 your spelling while you're writing, and marks any mis-spelled words in
1233 To use @code{flyspell}, put something like the following in your
1237 (defun my-message-setup-routine ()
1239 (add-hook 'message-setup-hook 'my-message-setup-routine)
1242 @code{flyspell} depends on having the external @samp{ispell} command
1250 * Message Headers:: General message header stuff.
1251 * Mail Headers:: Customizing mail headers.
1252 * Mail Variables:: Other mail variables.
1253 * News Headers:: Customizing news headers.
1254 * News Variables:: Other news variables.
1255 * Insertion Variables:: Customizing how things are inserted.
1256 * Various Message Variables:: Other message variables.
1257 * Sending Variables:: Variables for sending.
1258 * Message Buffers:: How Message names its buffers.
1259 * Message Actions:: Actions to be performed when exiting.
1263 @node Message Headers
1264 @section Message Headers
1266 Message is quite aggressive on the message generation front. It has to
1267 be -- it's a combined news and mail agent. To be able to send combined
1268 messages, it has to generate all headers itself (instead of letting the
1269 mail/news system do it) to ensure that mail and news copies of messages
1270 look sufficiently similar.
1274 @item message-generate-headers-first
1275 @vindex message-generate-headers-first
1276 If @code{t}, generate all required headers before starting to
1277 compose the message. This can also be a list of headers to generate:
1280 (setq message-generate-headers-first
1284 @vindex message-required-headers
1285 The variables @code{message-required-headers},
1286 @code{message-required-mail-headers} and
1287 @code{message-required-news-headers} specify which headers are
1290 Note that some headers will be removed and re-generated before posting,
1291 because of the variable @code{message-deletable-headers} (see below).
1293 @item message-draft-headers
1294 @vindex message-draft-headers
1295 When running Message from Gnus, the message buffers are associated
1296 with a draft group. @code{message-draft-headers} says which headers
1297 should be generated when a draft is written to the draft group.
1299 @item message-from-style
1300 @vindex message-from-style
1301 Specifies how @code{From} headers should look. There are four valid
1306 Just the address -- @samp{king@@grassland.com}.
1309 @samp{king@@grassland.com (Elvis Parsley)}.
1312 @samp{Elvis Parsley <king@@grassland.com>}.
1315 Look like @code{angles} if that doesn't require quoting, and
1316 @code{parens} if it does. If even @code{parens} requires quoting, use
1317 @code{angles} anyway.
1321 @item message-deletable-headers
1322 @vindex message-deletable-headers
1323 Headers in this list that were previously generated by Message will be
1324 deleted before posting. Let's say you post an article. Then you decide
1325 to post it again to some other group, you naughty boy, so you jump back
1326 to the @code{*post-buf*} buffer, edit the @code{Newsgroups} line, and
1327 ship it off again. By default, this variable makes sure that the old
1328 generated @code{Message-ID} is deleted, and a new one generated. If
1329 this isn't done, the entire empire would probably crumble, anarchy would
1330 prevail, and cats would start walking on two legs and rule the world.
1333 @item message-default-headers
1334 @vindex message-default-headers
1335 This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message
1338 @item message-subject-re-regexp
1339 @vindex message-subject-re-regexp
1343 Responses to messages have subjects that start with @samp{Re: }. This
1344 is @emph{not} an abbreviation of the English word ``response'', but is
1345 Latin, and means ``in response to''. Some illiterate nincompoops have
1346 failed to grasp this fact, and have ``internationalized'' their software
1347 to use abonimations like @samp{Aw: } (``antwort'') or @samp{Sv: }
1348 (``svar'') instead, which is meaningless and evil. However, you may
1349 have to deal with users that use these evil tools, in which case you may
1350 set this variable to a regexp that matches these prefixes. Myself, I
1351 just throw away non-compliant mail.
1353 Here's an example of a value to deal with these headers when
1354 responding to a message:
1357 (setq message-subject-re-regexp
1358 "^\\(\\(\\([Rr][Ee]\\|[Ss][Vv]\\|[Aa][Ww]\\): *\\)+\\)")
1361 @item message-subject-trailing-was-query
1362 @vindex message-subject-trailing-was-query
1363 @vindex message-subject-trailing-was-ask-regexp
1364 @vindex message-subject-trailing-was-regexp
1365 Controls what to do with trailing @samp{(was: <old subject>)} in subject
1366 lines. If @code{nil}, leave the subject unchanged. If it is the symbol
1367 @code{ask}, query the user what do do. In this case, the subject is
1368 matched against @code{message-subject-trailing-was-ask-regexp}. If
1369 @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query} is t, always strip the
1370 trailing old subject. In this case,
1371 @code{message-subject-trailing-was-regexp} is used.
1373 @item message-alternative-emails
1374 @vindex message-alternative-emails
1375 A regexp to match the alternative email addresses. The first matched
1376 address (not primary one) is used in the @code{From} field.
1378 @item message-allow-no-recipients
1379 @vindex message-allow-no-recipients
1380 Specifies what to do when there are no recipients other than
1381 @code{Gcc} or @code{Fcc}. If it is @code{always}, the posting is
1382 allowed. If it is @code{never}, the posting is not allowed. If it is
1383 @code{ask} (the default), you are prompted.
1385 @item message-hidden-headers
1386 @vindex message-hidden-headers
1387 A regexp, a list of regexps, or a list where the first element is
1388 @code{not} and the rest are regexps. It says which headers to keep
1389 hidden when composing a message.
1392 (setq message-hidden-headers
1393 '(not "From" "Subject" "To" "Cc" "Newsgroups"))
1400 @section Mail Headers
1403 @item message-required-mail-headers
1404 @vindex message-required-mail-headers
1405 @xref{News Headers}, for the syntax of this variable. It is
1406 @code{(From Date Subject (optional . In-Reply-To) Message-ID Lines
1407 (optional . User-Agent))} by default.
1409 @item message-ignored-mail-headers
1410 @vindex message-ignored-mail-headers
1411 Regexp of headers to be removed before mailing. The default is
1412 @samp{^[GF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|^Xref:\\|^X-Draft-From:}.
1414 @item message-default-mail-headers
1415 @vindex message-default-mail-headers
1416 This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message
1417 buffers that are initialized as mail.
1422 @node Mail Variables
1423 @section Mail Variables
1426 @item message-send-mail-function
1427 @vindex message-send-mail-function
1428 @findex message-send-mail-with-sendmail
1429 @findex message-send-mail-with-mh
1430 @findex message-send-mail-with-qmail
1431 @findex message-smtpmail-send-it
1432 @findex smtpmail-send-it
1433 @findex feedmail-send-it
1434 Function used to send the current buffer as mail. The default is
1435 @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}. Other valid values include
1436 @code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
1437 @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}, @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
1438 @code{feedmail-send-it}.
1440 @item message-mh-deletable-headers
1441 @vindex message-mh-deletable-headers
1442 Most versions of MH doesn't like being fed messages that contain the
1443 headers in this variable. If this variable is non-@code{nil} (which is
1444 the default), these headers will be removed before mailing when sending
1445 messages via MH. Set it to @code{nil} if your MH can handle these
1448 @item message-qmail-inject-program
1449 @vindex message-qmail-inject-program
1451 Location of the qmail-inject program.
1453 @item message-qmail-inject-args
1454 @vindex message-qmail-inject-args
1455 Arguments passed to qmail-inject programs.
1456 This should be a list of strings, one string for each argument. It
1457 may also be a function.
1459 For e.g., if you wish to set the envelope sender address so that bounces
1460 go to the right place or to deal with listserv's usage of that address, you
1461 might set this variable to @code{'("-f" "you@@some.where")}.
1463 @item message-sendmail-f-is-evil
1464 @vindex message-sendmail-f-is-evil
1466 Non-@code{nil} means don't add @samp{-f username} to the sendmail
1467 command line. Doing so would be even more evil than leaving it out.
1469 @item message-sendmail-envelope-from
1470 @vindex message-sendmail-envelope-from
1471 When @code{message-sendmail-f-is-evil} is @code{nil}, this specifies
1472 the address to use in the @acronym{SMTP} envelope. If it is
1473 @code{nil}, use @code{user-mail-address}. If it is the symbol
1474 @code{header}, use the @samp{From} header of the message.
1476 @item message-mailer-swallows-blank-line
1477 @vindex message-mailer-swallows-blank-line
1478 Set this to non-@code{nil} if the system's mailer runs the header and
1479 body together. (This problem exists on Sunos 4 when sendmail is run
1480 in remote mode.) The value should be an expression to test whether
1481 the problem will actually occur.
1483 @item message-send-mail-partially-limit
1484 @vindex message-send-mail-partially-limit
1485 @cindex split large message
1486 The limitation of messages sent as message/partial. The lower bound
1487 of message size in characters, beyond which the message should be sent
1488 in several parts. If it is @code{nil}, the size is unlimited.
1494 @section News Headers
1496 @vindex message-required-news-headers
1497 @code{message-required-news-headers} a list of header symbols. These
1498 headers will either be automatically generated, or, if that's
1499 impossible, they will be prompted for. The following symbols are valid:
1505 @findex user-full-name
1506 @findex user-mail-address
1507 This required header will be filled out with the result of the
1508 @code{message-make-from} function, which depends on the
1509 @code{message-from-style}, @code{user-full-name},
1510 @code{user-mail-address} variables.
1514 This required header will be prompted for if not present already.
1518 This required header says which newsgroups the article is to be posted
1519 to. If it isn't present already, it will be prompted for.
1522 @cindex organization
1523 @vindex message-user-organization
1524 @vindex message-user-organization-file
1525 This optional header will be filled out depending on the
1526 @code{message-user-organization} variable.
1527 @code{message-user-organization-file} will be used if this variable is
1528 @code{t}. This variable can also be a string (in which case this string
1529 will be used), or it can be a function (which will be called with no
1530 parameters and should return a string to be used).
1534 This optional header will be computed by Message.
1538 @vindex message-user-fqdn
1539 @vindex mail-host-address
1540 @vindex user-mail-address
1543 @cindex i-did-not-set--mail-host-address--so-tickle-me
1544 This required header will be generated by Message. A unique ID will be
1545 created based on the date, time, user name and system name. For the
1546 domain part, message will look (in this order) at
1547 @code{message-user-fqdn}, @code{system-name}, @code{mail-host-address}
1548 and @code{message-user-mail-address} (i.e. @code{user-mail-address})
1549 until a probably valid fully qualified domain name (FQDN) was found.
1553 This optional header will be filled out according to the
1554 @code{message-newsreader} local variable.
1557 This optional header is filled out using the @code{Date} and @code{From}
1558 header of the article being replied to.
1562 @vindex message-expires
1563 This extremely optional header will be inserted according to the
1564 @code{message-expires} variable. It is highly deprecated and shouldn't
1565 be used unless you know what you're doing.
1568 @cindex Distribution
1569 @vindex message-distribution-function
1570 This optional header is filled out according to the
1571 @code{message-distribution-function} variable. It is a deprecated and
1572 much misunderstood header.
1576 @vindex message-user-path
1577 This extremely optional header should probably never be used.
1578 However, some @emph{very} old servers require that this header is
1579 present. @code{message-user-path} further controls how this
1580 @code{Path} header is to look. If it is @code{nil}, use the server name
1581 as the leaf node. If it is a string, use the string. If it is neither
1582 a string nor @code{nil}, use the user name only. However, it is highly
1583 unlikely that you should need to fiddle with this variable at all.
1587 @cindex Mime-Version
1588 In addition, you can enter conses into this list. The car of this cons
1589 should be a symbol. This symbol's name is the name of the header, and
1590 the cdr can either be a string to be entered verbatim as the value of
1591 this header, or it can be a function to be called. This function should
1592 return a string to be inserted. For instance, if you want to insert
1593 @code{Mime-Version: 1.0}, you should enter @code{(Mime-Version . "1.0")}
1594 into the list. If you want to insert a funny quote, you could enter
1595 something like @code{(X-Yow . yow)} into the list. The function
1596 @code{yow} will then be called without any arguments.
1598 If the list contains a cons where the car of the cons is
1599 @code{optional}, the cdr of this cons will only be inserted if it is
1602 If you want to delete an entry from this list, the following Lisp
1603 snippet might be useful. Adjust accordingly if you want to remove
1607 (setq message-required-news-headers
1608 (delq 'Message-ID message-required-news-headers))
1611 Other variables for customizing outgoing news articles:
1615 @item message-syntax-checks
1616 @vindex message-syntax-checks
1617 Controls what syntax checks should not be performed on outgoing posts.
1618 To disable checking of long signatures, for instance, add
1621 (signature . disabled)
1630 Check the subject for commands.
1633 Insert a new @code{Sender} header if the @code{From} header looks odd.
1634 @item multiple-headers
1635 Check for the existence of multiple equal headers.
1638 Check for the existence of version and sendsys commands.
1640 Check whether the @code{Message-ID} looks ok.
1642 Check whether the @code{From} header seems nice.
1645 Check for too long lines.
1647 Check for invalid characters.
1649 Check for excessive size.
1651 Check whether there is any new text in the messages.
1653 Check the length of the signature.
1656 Check whether the article has an @code{Approved} header, which is
1657 something only moderators should include.
1659 Check whether the article is empty.
1660 @item invisible-text
1661 Check whether there is any invisible text in the buffer.
1663 Check whether any of the headers are empty.
1664 @item existing-newsgroups
1665 Check whether the newsgroups mentioned in the @code{Newsgroups} and
1666 @code{Followup-To} headers exist.
1667 @item valid-newsgroups
1668 Check whether the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-to} headers
1669 are valid syntactically.
1670 @item repeated-newsgroups
1671 Check whether the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-to} headers
1672 contains repeated group names.
1673 @item shorten-followup-to
1674 Check whether to add a @code{Followup-to} header to shorten the number
1675 of groups to post to.
1678 All these conditions are checked by default.
1680 @item message-ignored-news-headers
1681 @vindex message-ignored-news-headers
1682 Regexp of headers to be removed before posting. The default is@*
1683 @samp{^NNTP-Posting-Host:\\|^Xref:\\|^[BGF]cc:\\|^Resent-Fcc:\\|^X-Draft-From:}.
1685 @item message-default-news-headers
1686 @vindex message-default-news-headers
1687 This string is inserted at the end of the headers in all message
1688 buffers that are initialized as news.
1693 @node News Variables
1694 @section News Variables
1697 @item message-send-news-function
1698 @vindex message-send-news-function
1699 Function used to send the current buffer as news. The default is
1700 @code{message-send-news}.
1702 @item message-post-method
1703 @vindex message-post-method
1704 Gnusish @dfn{select method} (see the Gnus manual for details) used for
1705 posting a prepared news message.
1710 @node Insertion Variables
1711 @section Insertion Variables
1714 @item message-ignored-cited-headers
1715 @vindex message-ignored-cited-headers
1716 All headers that match this regexp will be removed from yanked
1717 messages. The default is @samp{.}, which means that all headers will be
1720 @item message-cite-prefix-regexp
1721 @vindex message-cite-prefix-regexp
1722 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
1724 @item message-citation-line-function
1725 @vindex message-citation-line-function
1726 @cindex attribution line
1727 Function called to insert the citation line. The default is
1728 @code{message-insert-citation-line}, which will lead to citation lines
1732 Hallvard B Furuseth <h.b.furuseth@@usit.uio.no> writes:
1735 Point will be at the beginning of the body of the message when this
1738 Note that Gnus provides a feature where clicking on `writes:' hides the
1739 cited text. If you change the citation line too much, readers of your
1740 messages will have to adjust their Gnus, too. See the variable
1741 @code{gnus-cite-attribution-suffix}. @xref{Article Highlighting, ,
1742 Article Highlighting, gnus}, for details.
1744 @item message-yank-prefix
1745 @vindex message-yank-prefix
1748 When you are replying to or following up an article, you normally want
1749 to quote the person you are answering. Inserting quoted text is done
1750 by @dfn{yanking}, and each line you yank will have
1751 @code{message-yank-prefix} prepended to it (except for quoted and
1752 empty lines which uses @code{message-yank-cited-prefix}). The default
1755 @item message-yank-cited-prefix
1756 @vindex message-yank-cited-prefix
1760 When yanking text from an article which contains no text or already
1761 cited text, each line will be prefixed with the contents of this
1762 variable. The default is @samp{>}. See also
1763 @code{message-yank-prefix}.
1765 @item message-yank-add-new-references
1766 @vindex message-yank-add-new-references
1768 Non-@code{nil} means new IDs will be added to References field when an
1769 article is yanked by the command @code{message-yank-original}
1770 interactively. If it is a symbol @code{message-id-only}, only an ID
1771 from Message-ID field is used, otherwise IDs extracted from References,
1772 In-Reply-To and Message-ID fields are used.
1774 @item message-list-references-add-position
1775 @vindex message-list-references-add-position
1777 Integer value means position for adding to References field when an
1778 article is yanked by the command @code{message-yank-original}
1781 @item message-indentation-spaces
1782 @vindex message-indentation-spaces
1783 Number of spaces to indent yanked messages.
1785 @item message-cite-function
1786 @vindex message-cite-function
1787 @findex message-cite-original
1788 @findex sc-cite-original
1789 @findex message-cite-original-without-signature
1791 Function for citing an original message. The default is
1792 @code{message-cite-original}, which simply inserts the original message
1793 and prepends @samp{> } to each line.
1794 @code{message-cite-original-without-signature} does the same, but elides
1795 the signature. You can also set it to @code{sc-cite-original} to use
1798 @item message-suspend-font-lock-when-citing
1799 @vindex message-suspend-font-lock-when-citing
1800 If non-@code{nil}, suspend font-lock'ing while citing an original
1801 message. Some lazy demand-driven fontification tools (or Emacs itself)
1802 have a bug that they often miss a buffer to be fontified. It will
1803 mostly occur when Emacs prompts user for any inputs in the minibuffer.
1804 Setting this option to non-@code{nil} may help you to avoid unpleasant
1805 errors even if it is an add-hoc expedient.
1807 @item message-indent-citation-function
1808 @vindex message-indent-citation-function
1809 Function for modifying a citation just inserted in the mail buffer.
1810 This can also be a list of functions. Each function can find the
1811 citation between @code{(point)} and @code{(mark t)}. And each function
1812 should leave point and mark around the citation text as modified.
1814 @item message-mark-insert-begin
1815 @vindex message-mark-insert-begin
1816 String to mark the beginning of some inserted text.
1818 @item message-mark-insert-end
1819 @vindex message-mark-insert-end
1820 String to mark the end of some inserted text.
1822 @item message-signature
1823 @vindex message-signature
1824 String to be inserted at the end of the message buffer. If @code{t}
1825 (which is the default), the @code{message-signature-file} file will be
1826 inserted instead. If a function, the result from the function will be
1827 used instead. If a form, the result from the form will be used instead.
1828 If this variable is @code{nil}, no signature will be inserted at all.
1830 @item message-signature-file
1831 @vindex message-signature-file
1832 File containing the signature to be inserted at the end of the buffer.
1833 The default is @file{~/.signature}.
1835 @item message-signature-insert-empty-line
1836 @vindex message-signature-insert-empty-line
1837 If @code{t} (the default value) an empty line is inserted before the
1838 signature separator.
1842 Note that RFC1036bis says that a signature should be preceded by the three
1843 characters @samp{-- } on a line by themselves. This is to make it
1844 easier for the recipient to automatically recognize and process the
1845 signature. So don't remove those characters, even though you might feel
1846 that they ruin your beautiful design, like, totally.
1848 Also note that no signature should be more than four lines long.
1849 Including @acronym{ASCII} graphics is an efficient way to get
1850 everybody to believe that you are silly and have nothing important to
1854 @node Various Message Variables
1855 @section Various Message Variables
1858 @item message-default-charset
1859 @vindex message-default-charset
1861 Symbol naming a @acronym{MIME} charset. Non-@acronym{ASCII}
1862 characters in messages are assumed to be encoded using this charset.
1863 The default is @code{nil}, which means ask the user. (This variable
1864 is used only on non-@sc{mule} Emacsen. @xref{Charset Translation, ,
1865 Charset Translation, emacs-mime, Emacs MIME Manual}, for details on
1866 the @sc{mule}-to-@acronym{MIME} translation process.
1868 @item message-signature-separator
1869 @vindex message-signature-separator
1870 Regexp matching the signature separator. It is @samp{^-- *$} by
1873 @item mail-header-separator
1874 @vindex mail-header-separator
1875 String used to separate the headers from the body. It is @samp{--text
1876 follows this line--} by default.
1878 @item message-directory
1879 @vindex message-directory
1880 Directory used by many mailey things. The default is @file{~/Mail/}.
1882 @item message-auto-save-directory
1883 @vindex message-auto-save-directory
1884 Directory where Message auto-saves buffers if Gnus isn't running. If
1885 @code{nil}, Message won't auto-save. The default is @file{~/Mail/drafts/}.
1887 @item message-signature-setup-hook
1888 @vindex message-signature-setup-hook
1889 Hook run when initializing the message buffer. It is run after the
1890 headers have been inserted but before the signature has been inserted.
1892 @item message-setup-hook
1893 @vindex message-setup-hook
1894 Hook run as the last thing when the message buffer has been initialized,
1895 but before yanked text is inserted.
1897 @item message-header-setup-hook
1898 @vindex message-header-setup-hook
1899 Hook called narrowed to the headers after initializing the headers.
1901 For instance, if you're running Gnus and wish to insert a
1902 @samp{Mail-Copies-To} header in all your news articles and all messages
1903 you send to mailing lists, you could do something like the following:
1906 (defun my-message-header-setup-hook ()
1907 (let ((group (or gnus-newsgroup-name "")))
1908 (when (or (message-fetch-field "newsgroups")
1909 (gnus-group-find-parameter group 'to-address)
1910 (gnus-group-find-parameter group 'to-list))
1911 (insert "Mail-Copies-To: never\n"))))
1913 (add-hook 'message-header-setup-hook
1914 'my-message-header-setup-hook)
1917 @item message-send-hook
1918 @vindex message-send-hook
1919 Hook run before sending messages.
1921 If you want to add certain headers before sending, you can use the
1922 @code{message-add-header} function in this hook. For instance:
1923 @findex message-add-header
1926 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'my-message-add-content)
1927 (defun my-message-add-content ()
1928 (message-add-header "X-In-No-Sense: Nonsense")
1929 (message-add-header "X-Whatever: no"))
1932 This function won't add the header if the header is already present.
1934 @item message-send-mail-hook
1935 @vindex message-send-mail-hook
1936 Hook run before sending mail messages. This hook is run very late --
1937 just before the message is actually sent as mail.
1939 @item message-send-news-hook
1940 @vindex message-send-news-hook
1941 Hook run before sending news messages. This hook is run very late --
1942 just before the message is actually sent as news.
1944 @item message-sent-hook
1945 @vindex message-sent-hook
1946 Hook run after sending messages.
1948 @item message-cancel-hook
1949 @vindex message-cancel-hook
1950 Hook run when cancelling news articles.
1952 @item message-mode-syntax-table
1953 @vindex message-mode-syntax-table
1954 Syntax table used in message mode buffers.
1956 @item message-strip-special-text-properties
1957 @vindex message-strip-special-text-properties
1958 Emacs has a number of special text properties which can break message
1959 composing in various ways. If this option is set, message will strip
1960 these properties from the message composition buffer. However, some
1961 packages requires these properties to be present in order to work. If
1962 you use one of these packages, turn this option off, and hope the
1963 message composition doesn't break too bad.
1965 @item message-send-method-alist
1966 @vindex message-send-method-alist
1968 Alist of ways to send outgoing messages. Each element has the form
1971 (TYPE PREDICATE FUNCTION)
1976 A symbol that names the method.
1979 A function called without any parameters to determine whether the
1980 message is a message of type @var{type}.
1983 A function to be called if @var{predicate} returns non-@code{nil}.
1984 @var{function} is called with one parameter -- the prefix.
1988 ((news message-news-p message-send-via-news)
1989 (mail message-mail-p message-send-via-mail))
1998 @node Sending Variables
1999 @section Sending Variables
2003 @item message-fcc-handler-function
2004 @vindex message-fcc-handler-function
2005 A function called to save outgoing articles. This function will be
2006 called with the name of the file to store the article in. The default
2007 function is @code{message-output} which saves in Unix mailbox format.
2009 @item message-courtesy-message
2010 @vindex message-courtesy-message
2011 When sending combined messages, this string is inserted at the start of
2012 the mailed copy. If the string contains the format spec @samp{%s}, the
2013 newsgroups the article has been posted to will be inserted there. If
2014 this variable is @code{nil}, no such courtesy message will be added.
2015 The default value is @samp{"The following message is a courtesy copy of
2016 an article\\nthat has been posted to %s as well.\\n\\n"}.
2018 @item message-fcc-externalize-attachments
2019 @vindex message-fcc-externalize-attachments
2020 If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Fcc copies; if it is
2021 non-@code{nil}, attach local files as external parts.
2023 @item message-interactive
2024 @vindex message-interactive
2025 If non-@code{nil} wait for and display errors when sending a message;
2026 if @code{nil} let the mailer mail back a message to report errors.
2031 @node Message Buffers
2032 @section Message Buffers
2034 Message will generate new buffers with unique buffer names when you
2035 request a message buffer. When you send the message, the buffer isn't
2036 normally killed off. Its name is changed and a certain number of old
2037 message buffers are kept alive.
2040 @item message-generate-new-buffers
2041 @vindex message-generate-new-buffers
2042 If non-@code{nil}, generate new buffers. The default is @code{t}. If
2043 this is a function, call that function with three parameters: The type,
2044 the to address and the group name. (Any of these may be @code{nil}.)
2045 The function should return the new buffer name.
2047 @item message-use-multi-frames
2048 @vindex message-use-multi-frames
2049 If non-@code{nil}, generate new frames. The default is @code{nil}.
2051 @item message-delete-frame-on-exit
2052 @vindex message-delete-frame-on-exit
2053 The @code{message-delete-frame-on-exit} variable says whether to delete
2054 the frame after sending the message or killing the message buffer. If it
2055 is @code{nil} (which is the default), don't delete the frame. If it is
2056 @code{ask}, ask wheter to delete the frame. If it is @code{t}, always
2059 @item message-max-buffers
2060 @vindex message-max-buffers
2061 This variable says how many old message buffers to keep. If there are
2062 more message buffers than this, the oldest buffer will be killed. The
2063 default is 10. If this variable is @code{nil}, no old message buffers
2064 will ever be killed.
2066 @item message-send-rename-function
2067 @vindex message-send-rename-function
2068 After sending a message, the buffer is renamed from, for instance,
2069 @samp{*reply to Lars*} to @samp{*sent reply to Lars*}. If you don't
2070 like this, set this variable to a function that renames the buffer in a
2071 manner you like. If you don't want to rename the buffer at all, you can
2075 (setq message-send-rename-function 'ignore)
2078 @item message-kill-buffer-on-exit
2079 @vindex message-kill-buffer-on-exit
2080 If non-@code{nil}, kill the buffer immediately on exit.
2082 @item message-kill-buffer-query-function
2083 @vindex message-kill-buffer-query-function
2084 @findex message-kill-buffer
2085 @findex message-mimic-kill-buffer
2086 Function used to prompt user whether to kill the message buffer when the
2087 command @code{message-kill-buffer} or @code{message-mimic-kill-buffer}
2088 is used. It defaults to @code{yes-or-no-p}. You may alter the value to
2089 @code{y-or-n-p}, @code{nnheader-Y-or-n-p}, etc. If it is @code{t}, the
2090 buffer will be killed without query.
2092 @item message-kill-buffer-and-remove-file
2093 @vindex message-kill-buffer-and-remove-file
2094 @findex message-kill-buffer
2095 @findex message-mimic-kill-buffer
2096 If it is non-@code{nil}, remove the backup file if it exists with a
2097 query to the user, after the message buffer is killed. Otherwise the
2098 file won't be removed. It defaults to @code{t}. However, it is treated
2099 as @code{nil} when the command `message-mimic-kill-buffer' is used.
2104 @node Message Actions
2105 @section Message Actions
2107 When Message is being used from a news/mail reader, the reader is likely
2108 to want to perform some task after the message has been sent. Perhaps
2109 return to the previous window configuration or mark an article as
2112 @vindex message-kill-actions
2113 @vindex message-postpone-actions
2114 @vindex message-exit-actions
2115 @vindex message-send-actions
2116 The user may exit from the message buffer in various ways. The most
2117 common is @kbd{C-c C-c}, which sends the message and exits. Other
2118 possibilities are @kbd{C-c C-s} which just sends the message, @kbd{C-c
2119 C-d} which postpones the message editing and buries the message buffer,
2120 and @kbd{C-c C-k} which kills the message buffer. Each of these actions
2121 have lists associated with them that contains actions to be executed:
2122 @code{message-send-actions}, @code{message-exit-actions},
2123 @code{message-postpone-actions}, and @code{message-kill-actions}.
2125 Message provides a function to interface with these lists:
2126 @code{message-add-action}. The first parameter is the action to be
2127 added, and the rest of the arguments are which lists to add this action
2128 to. Here's an example from Gnus:
2132 `(set-window-configuration ,(current-window-configuration))
2133 'exit 'postpone 'kill)
2136 This restores the Gnus window configuration when the message buffer is
2137 killed, postponed or exited.
2139 An @dfn{action} can be either: a normal function, or a list where the
2140 @code{car} is a function and the @code{cdr} is the list of arguments, or
2141 a form to be @code{eval}ed.
2145 @chapter Compatibility
2146 @cindex compatibility
2148 Message uses virtually only its own variables---older @code{mail-}
2149 variables aren't consulted. To force Message to take those variables
2150 into account, you can put the following in your @file{.emacs} file:
2153 (require 'messcompat)
2156 This will initialize many Message variables from the values in the
2157 corresponding mail variables.
2164 * Responses:: Standard rules for determining where responses go.
2171 To determine where a message is to go, the following algorithm is used
2176 A @dfn{reply} is when you want to respond @emph{just} to the person who
2177 sent the message via mail. There will only be one recipient. To
2178 determine who the recipient will be, the following headers are
2189 A @dfn{wide reply} is a mail response that includes @emph{all} entities
2190 mentioned in the message you are responded to. All mailboxes from the
2191 following headers will be concatenated to form the outgoing
2192 @code{To}/@code{Cc} headers:
2196 (unless there's a @code{Reply-To}, in which case that is used instead).
2203 If a @code{Mail-Copies-To} header is present, it will also be included
2204 in the list of mailboxes. If this header is @samp{never}, that means
2205 that the @code{From} (or @code{Reply-To}) mailbox will be suppressed.
2209 A @dfn{followup} is a response sent via news. The following headers
2210 (listed in order of precedence) determine where the response is to be
2221 If a @code{Mail-Copies-To} header is present, it will be used as the
2222 basis of the new @code{Cc} header, except if this header is