-\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
+\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- -*- coding: iso-latin-1 -*-
@setfilename gnus
-@settitle Gnus 5.6.27 Manual
+@settitle Gnus Manual
@synindex fn cp
@synindex vr cp
@synindex pg cp
@c @direntry
-@c * Gnus: (gnus). The news reader Gnus.
+@c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
@c @end direntry
@iftex
@finalout
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\newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
+\newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
\newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
\newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
\newcommand{\gnustilde}{\symbol{"7E}}
\newcommand{\gnusless}{{$<$}}
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+\newcommand{\gnusbraceleft}{{$>$}}
+\newcommand{\gnusbraceright}{{$>$}}
\newcommand{\gnushead}{\raisebox{-1cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/gnus-head.eps,height=1cm}}}
\newcommand{\gnusinteresting}{
\thispagestyle{empty}
-Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
-Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
@tex
@titlepage
-@title Gnus 5.6.27 Manual
+@title Gnus Manual
@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
luck.
-This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.6.27.
+This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.8.6.
@end ifinfo
Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
-you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
-even read news with it!
+you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
+can even read news with it!
Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
@end iftex
-
@menu
* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
* The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
* Key Index:: Key Index.
-@end menu
-
-@node Starting Up
-@chapter Starting Gnus
-@cindex starting up
-
-@kindex M-x gnus
-@findex gnus
-If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
-and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
-your Emacs.
-
-@findex gnus-other-frame
-@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
-If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
-@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
-If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
-variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
-@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
+@detailmenu
+ --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
-If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
-terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
+Starting Gnus
-@menu
* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
-@end menu
+New Groups
-@node Finding the News
-@section Finding the News
-@cindex finding news
-
-@vindex gnus-select-method
-@c @head
-The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
-news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
-@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
-native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
-foreign groups.
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
-For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
-you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
+The Group Buffer
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
-@end lisp
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
-If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
+Group Buffer Format
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
-@end lisp
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
-If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
-certainly be much faster.
+Group Topics
-@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
-@cindex NNTPSERVER
-@cindex @sc{nntp} server
-If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
-@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
-Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
-(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
-that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
-@vindex gnus-nntp-server
-If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
-@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
-@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
+Misc Group Stuff
-@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
-You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
-@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
-(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
-in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
-type in the name of any server you feel like visiting.
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
-@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
-@kindex B (Group)
-However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
-interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
-better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
-let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
-to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
-maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
+The Summary Buffer
-@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
-@c @head
-A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
-@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
-listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
-@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
-files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
-appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
-groups are.
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
-For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
-would typically set this variable to
+Summary Buffer Format
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
-@end lisp
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+Choosing Articles
-@node The First Time
-@section The First Time
-@cindex first time usage
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
-If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
-be subscribed by default.
+Reply, Followup and Post
-@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
-If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
-will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
-killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
-something useful.
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
-Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
-picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
-here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
+Marking Articles
-You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
-help you with most common problems.
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
-use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
-special.
+Marking Articles
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
-@node The Server is Down
-@section The Server is Down
-@cindex server errors
+Threading
-If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
-problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
-the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
-Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
-without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
-will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
-given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
-for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
-groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
-buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
+Customizing Threading
-@findex gnus-no-server
-@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
-@c @head
-If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
-your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
-@code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
-if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
-your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
-1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
-levels.)
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
+Decoding Articles
-@node Slave Gnusae
-@section Slave Gnusae
-@cindex slave
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
-You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
-same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
-are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
-that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
+Decoding Variables
-The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
-@code{.newsrc} file.
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
-To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
-Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
-@dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
-taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
-conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
-me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
-Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+Article Treatment
-Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
-however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
-@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
-files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
-on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
-starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
-information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
-they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
-Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
-information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
+Alternative Approaches
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
-@node Fetching a Group
-@section Fetching a Group
-@cindex fetching a group
+Various Summary Stuff
-@findex gnus-fetch-group
-It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
-group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
-perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
-command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
-It takes the group name as a parameter.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+The Article Buffer
-@node New Groups
-@section New Groups
-@cindex new groups
-@cindex subscription
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
-@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
-If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
-you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
-also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
-@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
-@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
-is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
-@code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
-when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+Composing Messages
-@menu
-* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
-* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
-* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
-@end menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Post:: Posting and following up.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+Select Methods
-@node Checking New Groups
-@subsection Checking New Groups
+* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
-Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
-list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
-dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
-@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
-server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
-cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
-groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
-@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
-Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
-Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
+The Server Buffer
-I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
-server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
-fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
-@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
-few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
-work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
-supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
-You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
-whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
-it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
-@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
-issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
-subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
-if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
-that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
-Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
+Getting News
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-@node Subscription Methods
-@subsection Subscription Methods
+Getting Mail
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
-What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
-@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
-This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
-with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
+Mail Sources
-Some handy pre-fab functions are:
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
-@table @code
+Choosing a Mail Backend
-@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
-Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
-zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
-(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
-@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
-Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
-new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
+Browsing the Web
-@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
-@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
-function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
-@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
-alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into it's
-hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
-@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
-up. Or something like that.
+Other Sources
-@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
-Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
-you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
-to will be subscribed hierarchically.
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
-@item gnus-subscribe-killed
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
-Kill all new groups.
+Document Groups
-@end table
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
-A closely related variable is
-@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
-mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
-hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
-will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
-hierarchy or not.
+SOUP
-One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
-(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
-@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
-will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@sc{imap}
-@node Filtering New Groups
-@subsection Filtering New Groups
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
-A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
-subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
-the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
+Combined Groups
-@example
-options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
-@end example
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
-This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
-person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
-groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
-be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
-be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
-subscribing these groups.
-@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
-variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
+Gnus Unplugged
-@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
-@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
-If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
-set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
-@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
-same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
-and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
-subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
+* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
+* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
+* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
-@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
-Yet another variable that meddles here is
-@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
-@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
-thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
-meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
-more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
-that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
-@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
-don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
+Agent Categories
-New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
-@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+Agent Commands
-@node Changing Servers
-@section Changing Servers
-@cindex changing servers
+* Group Agent Commands::
+* Summary Agent Commands::
+* Server Agent Commands::
-Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
-This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
-very flaky and you want to use another.
+Scoring
-Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
-@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
-@emph{Wrong!}
+GroupLens
-Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
-@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
-you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
-change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
-worthless.
+* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
+* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
+* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
+* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
-Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
-file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
-common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
-functions more than absolutely necessary.
+Advanced Scoring
-@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
-@findex gnus-change-server
-If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
-the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
-article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
-gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
-will prompt for the method you want to move to.
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
-@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
-You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
-gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
-move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
+Various
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
-and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
-gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
-that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
+* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
+* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
+* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
+* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
+* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
+* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
+* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
+* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
+* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
+* Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
+* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
+* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
+* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
+* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
+* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
+* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+Formatting Variables
-@node Startup Files
-@section Startup Files
-@cindex startup files
-@cindex .newsrc
-@cindex .newsrc.el
-@cindex .newsrc.eld
+* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
+* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
+* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
+* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
+* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
-Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
-information is traditionally stored in this file.
+XEmacs Enhancements
-Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
-keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
-@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
-the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
-the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
-files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
-@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
-That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
-@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
-@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
-recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
-never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
-not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
+Picons
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
-You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
-the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
-However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
-Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right?
+* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
+* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
+* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
+* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
+* Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
-@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
-If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
-will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
-save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
-will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
-so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
-You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
-@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
-Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
-the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
-saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
-several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
+Appendices
-@vindex gnus-startup-file
-The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
-The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
-file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
+* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
+* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
+* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
+* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
+* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
+* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
-@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
-@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
-files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
-saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
-@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
-@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
-control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
-startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
+History
-@lisp
-(defun turn-off-backup ()
- (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
+* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
+* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
-(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
-(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
-@end lisp
+New Features
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
-(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
-(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
-and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
-@file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
-with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
-suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
-@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
-and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+Customization
+* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
+* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
+* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
+* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
-@node Auto Save
-@section Auto Save
-@cindex dribble file
-@cindex auto-save
+Gnus Reference Guide
-Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
-catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
-special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
-Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
-@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
-this file.
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
+* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
+* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
+* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
+* Group Info:: The group info format.
+* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
+* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
+* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
-If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
-read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
-saved.
+Backend Interface
-@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
-If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
-maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
+* Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
+* Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
-@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
-Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
-this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
-into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
-normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
-file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
+Various File Formats
-@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
-If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
-read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+Emacs for Heathens
-@node The Active File
-@section The Active File
-@cindex active file
-@cindex ignored groups
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
-When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
-articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
-file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
+@end detailmenu
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
-Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
-regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
-any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
-ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
-recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
-Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
+@node Starting Up
+@chapter Starting Gnus
+@cindex starting up
-@c This variable is
-@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
-@c if you set it to anything else.
+@kindex M-x gnus
+@findex gnus
+If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
+and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
+your Emacs.
-@vindex gnus-read-active-file
-@c @head
-The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
-can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
-reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
+@findex gnus-other-frame
+@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
+If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
+@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
-Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
-you actually subscribe to.
+If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
+variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
+@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
-Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
-variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
-present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
-considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
+If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
+terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
-This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
-attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
-servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
-support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
-at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
-is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
+@menu
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+@end menu
-If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
-lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
-@sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
-read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
-performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
-@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
-In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
-kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
+@node Finding the News
+@section Finding the News
+@cindex finding news
-Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
-secondary select methods.
+@vindex gnus-select-method
+@c @head
+The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
+news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
+@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
+native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
+foreign groups.
+For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
+you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
-@node Startup Variables
-@section Startup Variables
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
-@item gnus-load-hook
-@vindex gnus-load-hook
-A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
-normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
-times you start Gnus.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-before-startup-hook
-@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
-A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
+If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
+certainly be much faster.
-@item gnus-startup-hook
-@vindex gnus-startup-hook
-A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
+@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
+@cindex NNTPSERVER
+@cindex @sc{nntp} server
+If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
+@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
+Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
+(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
+that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
-@item gnus-started-hook
-@vindex gnus-started-hook
-A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
-successfully.
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
+@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
+@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
-@item gnus-started-hook
-@vindex gnus-started-hook
-A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
-generating the group buffer.
+@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
+@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
+(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
+in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
+type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
+will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
+gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
+server.)
-@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
-@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
-startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
-@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
-bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
-best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
-in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+@kindex B (Group)
+However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
+interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
+better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
+let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
+to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
+maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
-@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
-If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
-your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
-of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
-@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
+@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
+@c @head
+A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
+listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
+@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
+files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
+appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
+groups are.
-@item gnus-no-groups-message
-@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
-Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
+would typically set this variable to
-@item gnus-play-startup-jingle
-@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
-If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-startup-jingle
-@vindex gnus-startup-jingle
-Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
-default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
-@end table
+@node The First Time
+@section The First Time
+@cindex first time usage
+If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
+be subscribed by default.
-@node The Group Buffer
-@chapter The Group Buffer
-@cindex group buffer
+@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
+If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
+will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
+killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
+something useful.
-The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
-is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
-long as Gnus is active.
+Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
+picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
+here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
-\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
-\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
-\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
-\put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
-\put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
-\put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
+help you with most common problems.
-@menu
-* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
-* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
-* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
-* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
-* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
-* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
-* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
-* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
-* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
-* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
-* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
-* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
-* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
-* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
-* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
-* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
-* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
-@end menu
+If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
+use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
+special.
-@node Group Buffer Format
-@section Group Buffer Format
+@node The Server is Down
+@section The Server is Down
+@cindex server errors
-@menu
-* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
-* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
-* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
-@end menu
+If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
+problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
+the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
+Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
+without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
+will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
+given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
+for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
+groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
+buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
-@node Group Line Specification
-@subsection Group Line Specification
-@cindex group buffer format
+@findex gnus-no-server
+@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
+@c @head
+If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
+your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
+@code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
+if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
+your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
+1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
+levels.)
-The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
-make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
-Here's a couple of example group lines:
+@node Slave Gnusae
+@section Slave Gnusae
+@cindex slave
-@example
- 25: news.announce.newusers
- * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
-@end example
+You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
+same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
+are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
+that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
-Quite simple, huh?
+The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
+@code{.newsrc} file.
-You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
-@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
-ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
-asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
+To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
+Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
+@dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
+taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
+conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
+me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
+Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
-@vindex gnus-group-line-format
-You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
-@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
-lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
-a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
-@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+Anyways, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
+however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
+@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
+files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
+on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
+starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
+information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
+they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
-@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
+Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
+information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
-There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
-the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
-even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
-never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
-text properties.
-(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
-layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
-instead of wasting time reading news.)
+@node Fetching a Group
+@section Fetching a Group
+@cindex fetching a group
-Here's a list of all available format characters:
+@findex gnus-fetch-group
+It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
+group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
+perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
+command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
+It takes the group name as a parameter.
-@table @samp
-@item M
-An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
+@node New Groups
+@section New Groups
+@cindex new groups
+@cindex subscription
-@item S
-Whether the group is subscribed.
-
-@item L
-Level of subscribedness.
+@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
+If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
+you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
+also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
+@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
+@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
+is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
+@code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
+when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
-@item N
-Number of unread articles.
+@menu
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
+@end menu
-@item I
-Number of dormant articles.
-@item T
-Number of ticked articles.
+@node Checking New Groups
+@subsection Checking New Groups
-@item R
-Number of read articles.
+Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
+list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
+dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
+@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
+server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
+cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
+groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
+@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
+Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
+Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
-@item t
-Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
-minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
+server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
+fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
+@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
+few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
+work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
+supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
+You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
+whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
+it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
+@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
-@item y
-Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
+This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
+issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
+subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
+if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
+that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
+Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
-@item i
-Number of ticked and dormant articles.
-@item g
-Full group name.
+@node Subscription Methods
+@subsection Subscription Methods
-@item G
-Group name.
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
+What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
+@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
-@item D
-Newsgroup description.
+This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
+with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
-@item o
-@samp{m} if moderated.
+Some handy pre-fab functions are:
-@item O
-@samp{(m)} if moderated.
+@table @code
-@item s
-Select method.
+@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
+Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
+zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
+(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
-@item n
-Select from where.
+@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
+Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
+new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
-@item z
-A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
-used.
+@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
-@item P
-Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
+function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
+alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
+hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
+@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
+up. Or something like that.
-@item c
-@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
-Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
-variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
-The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
+@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
+Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
+you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
+to will be subscribed hierarchically.
-@item m
-@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
-@cindex %
-@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
-the group lately.
+@item gnus-subscribe-killed
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
+Kill all new groups.
-@item d
-A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
-Timestamp}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-topics
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
+Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
+parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
+topic parameter that looks like
-@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
-parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
-be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
-specifier.
-@end table
+@example
+"nnslashdot"
+@end example
-@cindex *
-All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
-if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
-group, or a bogus native group.
+will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
+that topic.
+If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
+top-level topic.
-@node Group Modeline Specification
-@subsection Group Modeline Specification
-@cindex group modeline
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
-The mode line can be changed by setting
-@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
-doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
+A closely related variable is
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
+mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
+hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
+will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
+hierarchy or not.
-@table @samp
-@item S
-The native news server.
-@item M
-The native select method.
-@end table
+One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
+(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
+will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
-@node Group Highlighting
-@subsection Group Highlighting
-@cindex highlighting
-@cindex group highlighting
+@node Filtering New Groups
+@subsection Filtering New Groups
-@vindex gnus-group-highlight
-Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
-that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
-something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
+A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
+subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
+the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
-Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
-background is dark:
+@example
+options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
+@end example
-@lisp
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2 '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3 '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5 '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
+This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
+person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
+groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
+be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
+be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
+subscribing these groups.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
+variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
-(setq gnus-group-highlight
- '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
- ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
- ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
- ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
- (t . my-group-face-5)))
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
+If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
+set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
+@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
+same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
+and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
+subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
-Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
+@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
+Yet another variable that meddles here is
+@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
+@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
+thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
+meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
+more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
+that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
+don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
-Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
-include:
+New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
-@table @code
-@item group
-The group name.
-@item unread
-The number of unread articles in the group.
-@item method
-The select method.
-@item mailp
-Whether the group is a mail group.
-@item level
-The level of the group.
-@item score
-The score of the group.
-@item ticked
-The number of ticked articles in the group.
-@item total
-The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
-MIN-NUMBER plus one.
-@item topic
-When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
-topic being inserted.
-@end table
-When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
-of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
-functions for snarfing info on the group.
+@node Changing Servers
+@section Changing Servers
+@cindex changing servers
-@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
-@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
-@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
-It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
-calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
+Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
+This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
+very flaky and you want to use another.
+Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
+@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
-@node Group Maneuvering
-@section Group Maneuvering
-@cindex group movement
+@emph{Wrong!}
-All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
-expected, hopefully.
+Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
+@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
+you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
+change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
+worthless.
-@table @kbd
+Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
+file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
+common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
+functions more than absolutely necessary.
-@item n
-@kindex n (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
-Go to the next group that has unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
+@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
+@findex gnus-change-server
+If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
+the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
+article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
+gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
+will prompt for the method you want to move to.
-@item p
-@itemx DEL
-@kindex DEL (Group)
-@kindex p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
-Go to the previous group that has unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
+move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
-@item N
-@kindex N (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-group
-Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
+that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
-@item P
-@kindex P (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-group
-Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
+since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
+affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
-@item M-n
-@kindex M-n (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
-Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
-(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
-@item M-p
-@kindex M-p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
-Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
-(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
-@end table
+@node Startup Files
+@section Startup Files
+@cindex startup files
+@cindex .newsrc
+@cindex .newsrc.el
+@cindex .newsrc.eld
-Three commands for jumping to groups:
+Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
+information is traditionally stored in this file.
-@table @kbd
+Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
+keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
+@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
+the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
+the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
+files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
+@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
-@item j
-@kindex j (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
-Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
-(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
-like living groups.
+That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
+@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
+@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
+recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
+never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
+not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
-@item ,
-@kindex , (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
-Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
-(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
+@vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
+You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
+the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
+However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
+Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
+@code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
+@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
+convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
-@item .
-@kindex . (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
-Jump to the first group with unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
+If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
+will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
+save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
+will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
+so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
+You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
+@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
+Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
+the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
+saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
+several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
-@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
-If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
-commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
-the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
-is @code{t}.
+@vindex gnus-startup-file
+The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
+The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
+file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
+files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
+saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
+@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
+@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
+control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
+startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
-@node Selecting a Group
-@section Selecting a Group
-@cindex group selection
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-@table @kbd
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-group
-Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
-first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
-unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
-this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
-group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
-determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
-positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
-negative, Gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
+(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
+(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
+and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
+@file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
+with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
+suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
+@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
+and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-select-group
-Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
-@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
-does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
-entry.
-@item M-RET
-@kindex M-RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
-This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
-minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
-scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
-expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
-enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
-(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
-which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
-summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
-@item M-SPACE
-@kindex M-SPACE (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
-This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
-command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
-(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
+@node Auto Save
+@section Auto Save
+@cindex dribble file
+@cindex auto-save
-@item M-C-RET
-@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
-Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
-doing any processing of its contents
-(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
-turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
-manner will have no permanent effects.
+Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
+catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
+special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
+Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
+@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
+this file.
-@end table
+If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
+read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
+saved.
-@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
-The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
-to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
-(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
-before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
-should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
-number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
-is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
-be fetched.
+@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
+maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
-@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
-@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
-automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
+@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
+Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
+into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
+normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
+file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
-@table @code
+@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
+read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
-@item nil
-Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
-full summary buffer.
-
-@item t
-Select the first unread article when entering the group.
-
-@item best
-Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
-group.
-@end table
-
-If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
-binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
-in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
-selected.
+@node The Active File
+@section The Active File
+@cindex active file
+@cindex ignored groups
-@node Subscription Commands
-@section Subscription Commands
-@cindex subscription
+When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
+articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
+file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
+Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
+regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
+any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
+ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
+recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
+Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
-@item S t
-@itemx u
-@kindex S t (Group)
-@kindex u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
-@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
-Toggle subscription to the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+@c This variable is
+@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
+@c if you set it to anything else.
-@item S s
-@itemx U
-@kindex S s (Group)
-@kindex U (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
-Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
-subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
-(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
+@vindex gnus-read-active-file
+@c @head
+The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
+can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
+reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
-@item S k
-@itemx C-k
-@kindex S k (Group)
-@kindex C-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-group
-@c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
-Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
+Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
+you actually subscribe to.
-@item S y
-@itemx C-y
-@kindex S y (Group)
-@kindex C-y (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-yank-group
-Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
+Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
+variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
+present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
+considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
-@item C-x C-t
-@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
-Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
-really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
-kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
+This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
+attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
+servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
+support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
+at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
+is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
-@item S w
-@itemx C-w
-@kindex S w (Group)
-@kindex C-w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-region
-Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
+Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
+not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
+is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
-@item S z
-@kindex S z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
-Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
+lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
+@sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
+read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
+performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
+@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
-@item S C-k
-@kindex S C-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-level
-Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
-These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
-be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
-really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
-groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
-kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
-@file{.newsrc} file.
+If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
+different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
-@end table
+In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
+kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
-Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
+secondary select methods.
-@node Group Data
-@section Group Data
+@node Startup Variables
+@section Startup Variables
-@table @kbd
+@table @code
-@item c
-@kindex c (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
-@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
-@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
-Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
-@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
-the group buffer.
+@item gnus-load-hook
+@vindex gnus-load-hook
+A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
+normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
+times you start Gnus.
-@item C
-@kindex C (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
-Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
+@item gnus-before-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
+A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
-@item M-c
-@kindex M-c (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data
-Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
-read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+@item gnus-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-startup-hook
+A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
-@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
-and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
-clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
-caution.
+@item gnus-started-hook
+@vindex gnus-started-hook
+A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
+successfully.
-@end table
+@item gnus-setup-news-hook
+@vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
+A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
+generating the group buffer.
+@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
+startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
+@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
+bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
+best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
+in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
-@node Group Levels
-@section Group Levels
-@cindex group level
-@cindex level
+@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
+your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
+of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
+@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
-All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
-group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
-can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
-(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
-a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+@item gnus-no-groups-message
+@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
+Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
-Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
+@item gnus-play-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
+If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-startup-jingle
+Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
+default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
-@item S l
-@kindex S l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
-Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
-next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
-prompted for a level.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-level-killed
-@vindex gnus-level-zombie
-@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
-@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
-Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
-@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
-@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
-@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
-unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
-(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
-(default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
-same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
-you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
-groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
-reasons of efficiency.
-It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
-low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
+@node The Group Buffer
+@chapter The Group Buffer
+@cindex group buffer
-If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
-Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
-them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
+The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
+is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
+long as Gnus is active.
-@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
-@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
-Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
-(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
-which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
-(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
-relevant valid ranges.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
+\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
+\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
+\put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
+\put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
+\put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
-If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
-will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
-particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
-will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
-handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
-rest.
+@menu
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
-All groups with a level less than or equal to
-@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
-by default.
-@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
-If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
-groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
-@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
-listed.
+@node Group Buffer Format
+@section Group Buffer Format
-@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
-If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
-give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
-use this level as the ``work'' level.
+@menu
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-activate-level
-Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
-on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
-activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
-to 5. The default is 6.
+@node Group Line Specification
+@subsection Group Line Specification
+@cindex group buffer format
-@node Group Score
-@section Group Score
-@cindex group score
-@cindex group rank
-@cindex rank
+The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
+make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
-You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
-is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
-group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
-reason?
+Here's a couple of example group lines:
-This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
-group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
-Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
-the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
-that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
-on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
-part and the score is the least significant part.))
+@example
+ 25: news.announce.newusers
+ * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
+@end example
-@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
-If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
-read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
-the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
-sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
-action after each summary exit, you can add
-@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
-@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
-slow things down somewhat.
+Quite simple, huh?
+You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
+@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
+ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
+asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
-@node Marking Groups
-@section Marking Groups
-@cindex marking groups
+@vindex gnus-group-line-format
+You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
+@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
+lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
+a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
-subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
-numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
-bidding on those groups.
+@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
-However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
-perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
-with the process mark and then execute the command.
+There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
+the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
+even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
+never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
+text properties.
-@table @kbd
+(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
+layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
+instead of wasting time reading news.)
-@item #
-@kindex # (Group)
-@itemx M m
-@kindex M m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-group
-Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
+Here's a list of all available format characters:
-@item M-#
-@kindex M-# (Group)
-@itemx M u
-@kindex M u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
-Remove the mark from the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
+@table @samp
-@item M U
-@kindex M U (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
-Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
+@item M
+An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
-@item M w
-@kindex M w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-region
-Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
+@item S
+Whether the group is subscribed.
-@item M b
-@kindex M b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
-Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
+@item L
+Level of subscribedness.
-@item M r
-@kindex M r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
-Mark all groups that match some regular expression
-(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
-@end table
+@item N
+Number of unread articles.
-Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+@item I
+Number of dormant articles.
-@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
-If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
-with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
-(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
-the command to be executed.
+@item T
+Number of ticked articles.
+@item R
+Number of read articles.
-@node Foreign Groups
-@section Foreign Groups
-@cindex foreign groups
+@item t
+Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
+minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
-Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
-groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
-special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
-groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
-consulted.
+@item y
+Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
-@table @kbd
+@item i
+Number of ticked and dormant articles.
-@item G m
-@kindex G m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-group
-@cindex making groups
-Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
-for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
-to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+@item g
+Full group name.
-@item G r
-@kindex G r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-rename-group
-@cindex renaming groups
-Rename the current group to something else
-(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
-groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
-on some backends.
+@item G
+Group name.
-@item G c
-@kindex G c (Group)
-@cindex customizing
-@findex gnus-group-customize
-Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
+@item D
+Newsgroup description.
-@item G e
-@kindex G e (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
-@cindex renaming groups
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
-group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
+@item o
+@samp{m} if moderated.
-@item G p
-@kindex G p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
+@item O
+@samp{(m)} if moderated.
-@item G E
-@kindex G E (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
+@item s
+Select method.
-@item G d
-@kindex G d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
-@cindex nndir
-Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
-for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
+@item n
+Select from where.
-@item G h
-@kindex G h (Group)
-@cindex help group
-@findex gnus-group-make-help-group
-Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
+@item z
+A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
+used.
-@item G a
-@kindex G a (Group)
-@cindex (ding) archive
-@cindex archive group
-@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
-@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
-@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
-Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
-default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
-(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
-group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
+@item P
+Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
-@item G k
-@kindex G k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
-@cindex nnkiboze
-Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
-match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
-strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
-@xref{Kibozed Groups}.
+@item c
+@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
+Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
+variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
+The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
-@item G D
-@kindex G D (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
-@cindex nneething
-Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
-@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
-@xref{Anything Groups}.
+@item m
+@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
+@cindex %
+@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
+the group lately.
-@item G f
-@kindex G f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
-@cindex ClariNet Briefs
-@cindex nndoc
-Make a group based on some file or other
-(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
-command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
-Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
-@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
-@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
-this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file type.
-@xref{Document Groups}.
+@item d
+A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
+Timestamp}).
-@item G w
-@kindex G w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
-@cindex nnweb
-Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
-(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
-command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
-search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
-include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
-@xref{Web Searches}.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
+parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier.
+@end table
-If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
-to a particular group by using a match string like
-@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+@cindex *
+All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
+if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
+group, or a bogus native group.
-@item G DEL
-@kindex G DEL (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-delete-group
-This function will delete the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
-actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
-group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
-absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
-read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
-@item G V
-@kindex G V (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
-Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
-(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
+@node Group Modeline Specification
+@subsection Group Modeline Specification
+@cindex group modeline
-@item G v
-@kindex G v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
-Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
-(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
+The mode line can be changed by setting
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
+
+@table @samp
+@item S
+The native news server.
+@item M
+The native select method.
@end table
-@xref{Select Methods} for more information on the various select
-methods.
-@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
-If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
-Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
-This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
-groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
-@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
-newsgroups.
+@node Group Highlighting
+@subsection Group Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex group highlighting
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight
+Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
+that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
+something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
-@node Group Parameters
-@section Group Parameters
-@cindex group parameters
+Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
+background is dark:
-The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
-Here's an example group parameter list:
+@lisp
+(cond (window-system
+ (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
+ (defface my-group-face-1
+ '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-2
+ '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-3
+ '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-4
+ '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-5
+ '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
-@example
-((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
- (auto-expire . t))
-@end example
+(setq gnus-group-highlight
+ '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
+ ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
+ ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
+ ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
+ (t . my-group-face-5)))
+@end lisp
-We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
-the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
-parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
-not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
+Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
-The following group parameters can be used:
+Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
+include:
@table @code
-@item to-address
-@cindex to-address
-Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
+@item group
+The group name.
+@item unread
+The number of unread articles in the group.
+@item method
+The select method.
+@item mailp
+Whether the group is a mail group.
+@item level
+The level of the group.
+@item score
+The score of the group.
+@item ticked
+The number of ticked articles in the group.
+@item total
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
+MIN-NUMBER plus one.
+@item topic
+When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
+topic being inserted.
+@end table
-@example
-(to-address . "some@@where.com")
-@end example
+When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
+of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
+functions for snarfing info on the group.
-This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
-lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
-the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
-ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
-that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
+@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
+@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
+@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
+It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
+calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
-Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
-or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
-@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
-the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
-group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
-list address instead.
-@item to-list
-@cindex to-list
-Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
+@node Group Maneuvering
+@section Group Maneuvering
+@cindex group movement
-@example
-(to-list . "some@@where.com")
-@end example
+All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
+expected, hopefully.
-It is totally ignored
-when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
-you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
+@table @kbd
-If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
-@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
-then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
-sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
-@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+@item n
+@kindex n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
+Go to the next group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
-If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
-@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
-sending the message.
+@item p
+@itemx DEL
+@kindex DEL (Group)
+@kindex p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
+Go to the previous group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
-@item visible
-@cindex visible
-If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
-that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
-of whether it has any unread articles.
+@item N
+@kindex N (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
-@item broken-reply-to
-@cindex broken-reply-to
-Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
-headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
-reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
-@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
-broken behavior. So there!
+@item P
+@kindex P (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
-@item to-group
-@cindex to-group
-Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
-posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
+@item M-n
+@kindex M-n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
-@item newsgroup
-@cindex newsgroup
-If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
-will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
-This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
-news group.
+@item M-p
+@kindex M-p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
+@end table
-@item gcc-self
-@cindex gcc-self
-If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
-composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
-@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
-generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
-be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
-precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
-(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+Three commands for jumping to groups:
-@item auto-expire
-@cindex auto-expire
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
-. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
-alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+@table @kbd
-@item total-expire
-@cindex total-expire
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like
-@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
-expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
-caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
-expiry.
+@item j
+@kindex j (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
+Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
+(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
+like living groups.
-@item expiry-wait
-@cindex expiry-wait
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
-. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
-The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
-the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+@item ,
+@kindex , (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
+Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
+(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
-@item score-file
-@cindex score file group parameter
-Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
-@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
-interactive score entries will be put into this file.
+@item .
+@kindex . (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
+Jump to the first group with unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
+@end table
-@item adapt-file
-@cindex adapt file group parameter
-Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
-@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
-All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
+@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
+If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
+commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
+the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
+is @code{t}.
-@item admin-address
-When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
-unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
-messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
-put the admin address somewhere convenient.
-@item display
-Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
-display on entering the group. Valid values are:
+@node Selecting a Group
+@section Selecting a Group
+@cindex group selection
-@table @code
-@item all
-Display all articles, both read and unread.
+@table @kbd
-@item default
-Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
-ticked articles.
-@end table
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-group
+Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
+first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
+unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
+this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
+group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
+determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
+positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
+negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
-@item comment
-Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
-are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
-Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
-groups.
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group
+Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
+@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
+does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
+entry.
-@item @var{(variable form)}
-You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
-are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
-you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
-that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
-in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
-@code{eval}ed there.
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
+This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
+minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
+scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
+expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
+enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
+(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
+which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
+summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
-This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
-If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
-something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
-group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
-@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
+@item M-SPACE
+@kindex M-SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
+This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
+command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
+(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
+
+@item M-C-RET
+@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
+Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
+doing any processing of its contents
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
+turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
+manner will have no permanent effects.
@end table
-Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
-might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}).
+@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
+The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
+to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
+(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
+before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
+should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
+number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
+is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
+be fetched.
+@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
-@node Listing Groups
-@section Listing Groups
-@cindex group listing
+@table @code
-These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
+@item nil
+Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
+full summary buffer.
-@table @kbd
+@item t
+Select the first unread article when entering the group.
-@item l
-@itemx A s
-@kindex A s (Group)
-@kindex l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-groups
-List all groups that have unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
-command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
-only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
-@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
-groups).
+@item best
+Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
+group.
-@item L
-@itemx A u
-@kindex A u (Group)
-@kindex L (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
-List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
-(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
-this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
-it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
-unsubscribed groups).
+@end table
-@item A l
-@kindex A l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-level
-List all unread groups on a specific level
-(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
-with no unread articles.
+This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
+be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
+Useful functions include:
-@item A k
-@kindex A k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-killed
-List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
-prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
-currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
-from the server.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
+Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
+don't select the article.
-@item A z
-@kindex A z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
-List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Select the first unread article.
-@item A m
-@kindex A m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-matching
-List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
+@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Select the highest-scored unread article.
+@end table
-@item A M
-@kindex A M (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
-List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
-@item A A
-@kindex A A (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-active
-List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
-server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
-might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
-to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
-thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
-don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
-Take the output with some grains of salt.
+If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
+in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
+selected.
-@item A a
-@kindex A a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-apropos
-List all groups that have names that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
-@item A d
-@kindex A d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
-List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
+@node Subscription Commands
+@section Subscription Commands
+@cindex subscription
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-@cindex visible group parameter
-Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
-always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
-add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
-get the same effect.
-
-@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
-Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
-group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
-@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
-groups. It is @code{t} by default.
-
-
-@node Sorting Groups
-@section Sorting Groups
-@cindex sorting groups
-
-@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
-@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
-The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
-group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
-@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
-include:
-
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
-Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
+@item S t
+@itemx u
+@kindex S t (Group)
+@kindex u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
+Toggle subscription to the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
-Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
+@item S s
+@itemx U
+@kindex S s (Group)
+@kindex U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
+Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
+subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
-Sort by group level.
+@item S k
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex S k (Group)
+@kindex C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
+Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
-Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
+@item S y
+@itemx C-y
+@kindex S y (Group)
+@kindex C-y (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-yank-group
+Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
-Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
-are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
+@item C-x C-t
+@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
+Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
+really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
+kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
-Sort by number of unread articles.
+@item S w
+@itemx C-w
+@kindex S w (Group)
+@kindex C-w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-region
+Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
-Sort alphabetically on the select method.
+@item S z
+@kindex S z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
+Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+@item S C-k
+@kindex S C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-level
+Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
+These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
+be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
+really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
+groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
+kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
+@file{.newsrc} file.
@end table
-@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
-functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
-the last one.
+Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
-There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
-some sorting criteria:
+@node Group Data
+@section Group Data
@table @kbd
-@item G S a
-@kindex G S a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
-
-@item G S u
-@kindex G S u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
-Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
-@item G S l
-@kindex G S l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
-Sort the group buffer by group level
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
+@item c
+@kindex c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
+@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
+Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
+@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
+the group buffer.
-@item G S v
-@kindex G S v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
-Sort the group buffer by group score
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item C
+@kindex C (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
+Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
-@item G S r
-@kindex G S r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
-Sort the group buffer by group rank
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
+read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
-@item G S m
-@kindex G S m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
+clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
+caution.
@end table
-When given a prefix, all these commands will sort in reverse order.
-You can also sort a subset of the groups:
+@node Group Levels
+@section Group Levels
+@cindex group level
+@cindex level
-@table @kbd
-@item G P a
-@kindex G P a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
-group name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
+All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
+group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
+can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
+a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
-@item G P u
-@kindex G P u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by the number of
-unread articles (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
+Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
-@item G P l
-@kindex G P l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group level
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
+@table @kbd
-@item G P v
-@kindex G P v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group score
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item S l
+@kindex S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
+Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
+next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
+prompted for a level.
+@end table
-@item G P r
-@kindex G P r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer by group rank
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@vindex gnus-level-killed
+@vindex gnus-level-zombie
+@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
+Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
+@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
+unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
+(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
+(default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
+same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
+you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
+groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
+reasons of efficiency.
-@item G P m
-@kindex G P m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
-Sort the process/prefixed groups in the group buffer alphabetically by
-backend name (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
+low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
-@end table
+If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
+Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
+them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
+@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
+Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
+(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
+which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
+(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
+relevant valid ranges.
+@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
+If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
+will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
+particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
+will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
+handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
+rest.
-@node Group Maintenance
-@section Group Maintenance
-@cindex bogus groups
+If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
+one with the best level.
-@table @kbd
-@item b
-@kindex b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
-Find bogus groups and delete them
-(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
+@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
+All groups with a level less than or equal to
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
+by default.
-@item F
-@kindex F (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
-Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
-If given a prefix, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
-for new groups.
+@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
+If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
+groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
+@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
+listed.
-@item C-c C-x
-@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
-Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
-process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
+@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
+If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
+give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
+use this level as the ``work'' level.
-@item C-c M-C-x
-@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
-Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
-(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
+@vindex gnus-activate-level
+Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
+on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
+activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
+to 5. The default is 6.
-@end table
+@node Group Score
+@section Group Score
+@cindex group score
+@cindex group rank
+@cindex rank
-@node Browse Foreign Server
-@section Browse Foreign Server
-@cindex foreign servers
-@cindex browsing servers
+You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
+is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
+group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
+reason?
-@table @kbd
-@item B
-@kindex B (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
-You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
-then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
-(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
-@end table
+This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
+to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
+the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
+score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
+called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
+a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
+of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
+least significant part.))
-@findex gnus-browse-mode
-A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
-will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
-a lot) like a normal group buffer.
+@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
+If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
+read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
+the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
+sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
+action after each summary exit, you can add
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
+slow things down somewhat.
-Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
-@table @kbd
-@item n
-@kindex n (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-next-group
-Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+@node Marking Groups
+@section Marking Groups
+@cindex marking groups
-@item p
-@kindex p (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-group
-Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
+subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
+numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
+bidding on those groups.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-read-group
-Enter the current group and display the first article
-(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
+However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
+perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
+with the process mark and then execute the command.
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-select-group
-Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
+@table @kbd
-@item u
-@kindex u (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
-Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
-subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+@item #
+@kindex # (Group)
+@itemx M m
+@kindex M m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-group
+Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
-@item l
-@itemx q
-@kindex q (Browse)
-@kindex l (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-exit
-Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+@item M-#
+@kindex M-# (Group)
+@itemx M u
+@kindex M u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
+Remove the mark from the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
-Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
-there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
-@end table
+@item M U
+@kindex M U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
+Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
+@item M w
+@kindex M w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-region
+Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
-@node Exiting Gnus
-@section Exiting Gnus
-@cindex exiting Gnus
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
+Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
-Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
+@item M r
+@kindex M r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
+Mark all groups that match some regular expression
+(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
+@end table
-@table @kbd
-@item z
-@kindex z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-suspend
-Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
-but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
-is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
+Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
-@item q
-@kindex q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-exit
-@c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
-Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
+@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
+If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
+with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
+(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
+the command to be executed.
-@item Q
-@kindex Q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-quit
-Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
-The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
-@end table
-@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
-@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
-@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
-@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
-@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
-exiting Gnus.
+@node Foreign Groups
+@section Foreign Groups
+@cindex foreign groups
-@findex gnus-unload
-@cindex unloading
-If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
-the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
-trying to customize meta-variables.
+Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
+groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
+special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
+groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
+consulted.
-Note:
+@table @kbd
-@quotation
-Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
-numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
-behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
-plastic chair.
-@end quotation
+@item G m
+@kindex G m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-group
+@cindex making groups
+Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
+for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
+to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+@item G r
+@kindex G r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-rename-group
+@cindex renaming groups
+Rename the current group to something else
+(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
+groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
+on some backends.
-@node Group Topics
-@section Group Topics
-@cindex topics
+@item G c
+@kindex G c (Group)
+@cindex customizing
+@findex gnus-group-customize
+Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
-If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
-them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
-here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
-you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
-even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
-groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
+@item G e
+@kindex G e (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
+@cindex renaming groups
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
+group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
-Here's an example:
+@item G E
+@kindex G E (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
-@example
-Gnus
- Emacs -- I wuw it!
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- Naughty Emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
+@item G d
+@kindex G d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
+@cindex nndir
+Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
+for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
+
+@item G h
+@kindex G h (Group)
+@cindex help group
+@findex gnus-group-make-help-group
+Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
+
+@item G a
+@kindex G a (Group)
+@cindex (ding) archive
+@cindex archive group
+@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
+@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
+@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
+Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
+default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
+(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
+group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
+
+@item G k
+@kindex G k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
+@cindex nnkiboze
+Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
+match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
+strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
+@xref{Kibozed Groups}.
+
+@item G D
+@kindex G D (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
+@cindex nneething
+Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
+@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
+@xref{Anything Groups}.
+
+@item G f
+@kindex G f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
+@cindex ClariNet Briefs
+@cindex nndoc
+Make a group based on some file or other
+(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
+Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
+@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
+@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
+If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
+type. @xref{Document Groups}.
+
+@item G u
+@kindex G u (Group)
+@vindex gnus-useful-groups
+@findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
+Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
+(@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
+
+@item G w
+@kindex G w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex nnweb
+Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
+(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
+search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
+include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+@xref{Web Searches}.
+
+If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
+to a particular group by using a match string like
+@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+
+@item G DEL
+@kindex G DEL (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-delete-group
+This function will delete the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
+actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
+group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
+absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
+read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
+
+@item G V
+@kindex G V (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
+Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
+
+@item G v
+@kindex G v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
+Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
+@end table
+
+@xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
+methods.
+
+@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
+If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
+Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
+This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
+groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
+@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
+newsgroups.
+
+
+@node Group Parameters
+@section Group Parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+
+The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
+Here's an example group parameter list:
+
+@example
+((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
+ (auto-expire . t))
+@end example
+
+We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
+the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
+parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
+not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
+
+The following group parameters can be used:
+
+@table @code
+@item to-address
+@cindex to-address
+Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
+
+@example
+(to-address . "some@@where.com")
+@end example
+
+This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
+lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
+the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
+ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
+that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
+
+Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
+or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
+@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
+the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
+group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
+list address instead.
+
+@item to-list
+@cindex to-list
+Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
+
+@example
+(to-list . "some@@where.com")
@end example
-@findex gnus-topic-mode
-@kindex t (Group)
-To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
-@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
-is a toggling command.)
+It is totally ignored
+when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
+you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
+
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
+@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
+then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
+sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
+@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
+sending the message.
+
+@item visible
+@cindex visible
+If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
+that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
+of whether it has any unread articles.
+
+@item broken-reply-to
+@cindex broken-reply-to
+Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
+headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
+reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
+@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
+broken behavior. So there!
+
+@item to-group
+@cindex to-group
+Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
+posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
+
+@item newsgroup
+@cindex newsgroup
+If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
+will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
+This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
+news group.
+
+@item gcc-self
+@cindex gcc-self
+If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
+composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
+@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
+generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
+be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
+precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+
+@item auto-expire
+@cindex auto-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
+. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
+alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+
+@item total-expire
+@cindex total-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like
+@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
+expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
+caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
+expiry.
+
+@item expiry-wait
+@cindex expiry-wait
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
+. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
+The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
+the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+
+@item score-file
+@cindex score file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
+interactive score entries will be put into this file.
+
+@item adapt-file
+@cindex adapt file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
+All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
+
+@item admin-address
+When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
+unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
+messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
+put the admin address somewhere convenient.
+
+@item display
+Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
+display on entering the group. Valid values are:
+
+@table @code
+@item all
+Display all articles, both read and unread.
+
+@item default
+Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
+ticked articles.
+@end table
+
+@item comment
+Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
+are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
+Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
+groups.
+
+@item charset
+Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
+@code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
+used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
+
+@item (@var{variable} @var{form})
+You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
+are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
+you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
+that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
+in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
+@code{eval}ed there.
+
+This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
+If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
+something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
+group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
+@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
+
+@item posting-style
+You can store additional posting style information for this group only
+here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
+@code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
+the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
+take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
+
+For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
+instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
+like this in the group parameters:
+
+@example
+(posting-style
+ (name "Funky Name")
+ (signature "Funky Signature"))
+@end example
+
+@end table
+
+Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
+might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}).
+
+
+@node Listing Groups
+@section Listing Groups
+@cindex group listing
+
+These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item l
+@itemx A s
+@kindex A s (Group)
+@kindex l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-groups
+List all groups that have unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
+command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
+only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
+groups).
+
+@item L
+@itemx A u
+@kindex A u (Group)
+@kindex L (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
+List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
+(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
+this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
+it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
+unsubscribed groups).
+
+@item A l
+@kindex A l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-level
+List all unread groups on a specific level
+(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
+with no unread articles.
+
+@item A k
+@kindex A k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-killed
+List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
+prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
+currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
+from the server.
+
+@item A z
+@kindex A z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
+List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
+
+@item A m
+@kindex A m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-matching
+List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
+
+@item A M
+@kindex A M (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
+List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
+
+@item A A
+@kindex A A (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-active
+List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
+server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
+might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
+to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
+thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
+don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
+Take the output with some grains of salt.
+
+@item A a
+@kindex A a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-apropos
+List all groups that have names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
+
+@item A d
+@kindex A d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
+List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
+
+@item A c
+@kindex A c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-cached
+List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@cindex visible group parameter
+Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
+always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
+add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
+get the same effect.
+
+@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
+Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
+group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
+@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
+groups. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+
+@node Sorting Groups
+@section Sorting Groups
+@cindex sorting groups
+
+@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
+@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
+The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
+group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
+include:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
+Sort by group level.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
+Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
+are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+Sort by number of unread articles.
+
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
+Sort alphabetically on the select method.
+
+
+@end table
+
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
+functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
+the last one.
+
+
+There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
+some sorting criteria:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G S a
+@kindex G S a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item G S u
+@kindex G S u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item G S l
+@kindex G S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the group buffer by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item G S v
+@kindex G S v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the group buffer by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G S r
+@kindex G S r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the group buffer by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G S m
+@kindex G S m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
+commands will sort in reverse order.
+
+You can also sort a subset of the groups:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G P a
+@kindex G P a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item G P u
+@kindex G P u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
+Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item G P l
+@kindex G P l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
+Sort the groups by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item G P v
+@kindex G P v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
+Sort the groups by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G P r
+@kindex G P r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
+Sort the groups by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item G P m
+@kindex G P m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
+Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+
+@node Group Maintenance
+@section Group Maintenance
+@cindex bogus groups
+
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@kindex b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
+Find bogus groups and delete them
+(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
+
+@item F
+@kindex F (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
+Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
+With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
+for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
+to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
+zombies.
+
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
+
+@item C-c M-C-x
+@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
+Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
+(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Browse Foreign Server
+@section Browse Foreign Server
+@cindex foreign servers
+@cindex browsing servers
+
+@table @kbd
+@item B
+@kindex B (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
+then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
+(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
+@end table
+
+@findex gnus-browse-mode
+A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
+will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
+a lot) like a normal group buffer.
+
+Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item n
+@kindex n (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+
+@item p
+@kindex p (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-read-group
+Enter the current group and display the first article
+(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-select-group
+Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
+
+@item u
+@kindex u (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
+Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
+subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+
+@item l
+@itemx q
+@kindex q (Browse)
+@kindex l (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-exit
+Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
+Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
+there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Exiting Gnus
+@section Exiting Gnus
+@cindex exiting Gnus
+
+Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item z
+@kindex z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-suspend
+Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
+but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
+is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
+
+@item q
+@kindex q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
+Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
+
+@item Q
+@kindex Q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quit
+Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
+The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
+@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
+@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
+exiting Gnus.
+
+@findex gnus-unload
+@cindex unloading
+If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
+the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
+trying to customize meta-variables.
+
+Note:
+
+@quotation
+Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
+numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
+behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
+plastic chair.
+@end quotation
+
+
+@node Group Topics
+@section Group Topics
+@cindex topics
+
+If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
+them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
+here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
+you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
+even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
+groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
+
+@findex gnus-topic-mode
+@kindex t (Group)
+To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
+@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
+is a toggling command.)
+
+Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
+dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
+press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
+@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
+bothered?
+
+If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
+the hook for the group mode:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@menu
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
+
+Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
+really neat, I think.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
+The topic lines themselves are created according to the
+@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+Valid elements are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item i
+Indentation.
+@item n
+Topic name.
+@item v
+Visibility.
+@item l
+Level.
+@item g
+Number of groups in the topic.
+@item a
+Number of unread articles in the topic.
+@item A
+Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
+Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
+@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
+The default is 2.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
+The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
+topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
+
+
+@node Topic Commands
+@subsection Topic Commands
+@cindex topic commands
+
+When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
+available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
+definitions slightly.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
+Prompt for a new topic name and create it
+(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+
+@item T m
+@kindex T m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-group
+Move the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T j
+@kindex T j (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
+Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
+
+@item T c
+@kindex T c (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
+Copy the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T D
+@kindex T D (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
+Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
+This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
+topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
+remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
+the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
+(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
+topic.
+
+This command uses the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item T M
+@kindex T M (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
+Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
+
+@item T C
+@kindex T C (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
+Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
+
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
+Toggle hiding empty topics
+(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
+
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
+Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
+Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
+
+@item T TAB
+@itemx TAB
+@kindex T TAB (Topic)
+@kindex TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-indent
+``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
+``un-indent'' the topic instead.
+
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unindent
+``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-select-group
+@itemx SPACE
+Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
+When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
+usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
+visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
+toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
+prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
+
+@item C-k
+@kindex C-k (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
+Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
+topic will be removed along with the topic.
+
+@item C-y
+@kindex C-y (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
+Yank the previously killed group or topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
+before all groups.
+
+@item T r
+@kindex T r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-rename
+Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
+
+@item T DEL
+@kindex T DEL (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-delete
+Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
+
+@item A T
+@kindex A T (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-list-active
+List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
+(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+@cindex parameters
+Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
+@xref{Topic Parameters}.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Topic Sorting
+@subsection Topic Sorting
+@cindex topic sorting
+
+You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
+commands:
+
+
+@table @kbd
+@item T S a
+@kindex T S a (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+
+@item T S u
+@kindex T S u (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item T S l
+@kindex T S l (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the current topic by group level
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item T S v
+@kindex T S v (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the current topic by group score
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S r
+@kindex T S r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the current topic by group rank
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S m
+@kindex T S m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
+
+
+@node Topic Topology
+@subsection Topic Topology
+@cindex topic topology
+@cindex topology
+
+So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
+
+So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
+that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
+just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
+follows:
+
+@lisp
+(("Gnus" visible)
+ (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
+ (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
+ (("Misc" visible)))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-topology
+This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
+for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
+file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
+to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
+setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
+
+This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
+and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
+allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
+
+
+@node Topic Parameters
+@subsection Topic Parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+
+All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
+ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
+parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
+parameters:
+
+@table @code
+@item subscribe
+When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
+@code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
+value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
+topic.
+
+@end table
+
+Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
+parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
+know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
+verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
+
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ Relief
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+@end example
+
+The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
+. "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
+@code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
+topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
+@* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
+. "religion.SCORE")}.
+
+Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
+will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
+group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
+score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
+get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
+
+This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
+there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
+parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
+@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
+gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
+of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
+happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
+happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
+
+
+@node Misc Group Stuff
+@section Misc Group Stuff
+
+@menu
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+@end menu
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
+Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
+@xref{The Server Buffer}.
+
+@item a
+@kindex a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-post-news
+Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
+prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
+
+@item m
+@kindex m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mail
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+
+@end table
+
+Variables for the group buffer:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-group-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
+is called after the group buffer has been
+created.
+
+@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called after the group buffer is
+generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
+unnatural way.
+
+@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
+generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
+
+@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
+whether they are empty or not.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Scanning New Messages
+@subsection Scanning New Messages
+@cindex new messages
+@cindex scanning new news
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item g
+@kindex g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
+Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
+this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
+command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
+backend(s).
+
+@item M-g
+@kindex M-g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
+@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
+Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
+@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
+to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
+
+@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
+@cindex activating groups
+@item C-c M-g
+@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
+Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
+
+@item R
+@kindex R (Group)
+@cindex restarting
+@findex gnus-group-restart
+Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
+file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
+Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
+
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
+
+@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
+news.
+
+
+@node Group Information
+@subsection Group Information
+@cindex group information
+@cindex information on groups
+
+@table @kbd
+
+
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+@cindex FAQ
+@cindex ange-ftp
+Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
+@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
+remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
+that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
+for fetching the file.
+
+If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
+through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
+
+@item H d
+@itemx C-c C-d
+@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
+@kindex H d (Group)
+@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
+@cindex describing groups
+@cindex group description
+@findex gnus-group-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
+a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
+
+@item M-d
+@kindex M-d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
+Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
+prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
+
+@item H v
+@itemx V
+@kindex V (Group)
+@kindex H v (Group)
+@cindex version
+@findex gnus-version
+Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
+Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item C-c C-i
+@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
+@cindex info
+@cindex manual
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Group Timestamp
+@subsection Group Timestamp
+@cindex timestamps
+@cindex group timestamps
+
+It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
+group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
+@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
+@end lisp
+
+After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
+
+This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
+use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in lines looking like:
+
+@example
+* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
+ 0: custom 19961002T012713
+@end example
+
+As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
+may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
+something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node File Commands
+@subsection File Commands
+@cindex file commands
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item r
+@kindex r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+@cindex reading init file
+Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
+@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+
+@item s
+@kindex s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
+@cindex saving .newsrc
+Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
+(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
+file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+
+@c @item Z
+@c @kindex Z (Group)
+@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
+@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node The Summary Buffer
+@chapter The Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary buffer
+
+A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
+move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
+
+The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
+group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+
+You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
+
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Format
+@section Summary Buffer Format
+@cindex summary buffer format
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+@end menu
+
+@findex mail-extract-address-components
+@findex gnus-extract-address-components
+@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
+Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
+variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
+@code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
+fast, and too simplistic solution; and
+@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
+slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
+cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extract-address-components
+ 'mail-extract-address-components)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
+@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
+article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
+with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Lines
+@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
+the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
+lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
+(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+
+The following format specification characters are understood:
+
+@table @samp
+@item N
+Article number.
+@item S
+Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
+@code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@item s
+Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
+had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
+(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
+@item F
+Full @code{From} header.
+@item n
+The name (from the @code{From} header).
+@item f
+The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
+(@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
+@item a
+The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
+spec in that it uses the function designated by the
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
+may be more thorough.
+@item A
+The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
+the @code{a} spec.
+@item L
+Number of lines in the article.
+@item c
+Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
+methods (like nnfolder).
+@item I
+Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item T
+Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
+pushes everything after it off the screen).
+@item [
+Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
+for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item ]
+Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
+for adopted articles.
+@item >
+One space for each thread level.
+@item <
+Twenty minus thread level spaces.
+@item U
+Unread.
+
+@item R
+This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
+mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
+or has been saved.
+
+@item i
+Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item z
+@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
+Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
+default level. If the difference between
+@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
+@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
+@item V
+Total thread score.
+@item x
+@code{Xref}.
+@item D
+@code{Date}.
+@item d
+The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
+@item o
+The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
+@item M
+@code{Message-ID}.
+@item r
+@code{References}.
+@item t
+Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
+down summary buffer generation somewhat.
+@item e
+An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
+article has any children.
+@item P
+The line number.
+@item O
+Download mark.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
+argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
+into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
+@end table
+
+The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
+have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
+compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
+that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
+variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
+buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
+
+The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
+(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
+
+This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
+
+
+@node To From Newsgroups
+@subsection To From Newsgroups
+@cindex To
+@cindex Newsgroups
+
+In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
+isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
+you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
+headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
+gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@vindex gnus-extra-headers
+The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
+instance:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
+storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
+
+@item
+@findex gnus-extra-header
+The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
+@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
+access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
+
+@example
+"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
+@end example
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
+summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
+@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
+@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
+headers are used instead.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
+A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
+to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
+you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
+this variable.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
+@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
+
+In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups))
+(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
+(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+ "Your Name Here")
+@end lisp
+
+Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
+the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
+nntp admin to add:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups:full
+@end example
+
+to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
+as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
+
+
+@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
+You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
+like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+
+Here are the elements you can play with:
+
+@table @samp
+@item G
+Group name.
+@item p
+Unprefixed group name.
+@item A
+Current article number.
+@item z
+Current article score.
+@item V
+Gnus version.
+@item U
+Number of unread articles in this group.
+@item e
+Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
+summary buffer.
+@item Z
+A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
+either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
+articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
+and no unselected ones.
+@item g
+Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
+shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
+@item S
+Subject of the current article.
+@item u
+User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
+@item s
+Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item d
+Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item t
+Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item r
+Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
+@item E
+Number of articles expunged by the score files.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Highlighting
+@subsection Summary Highlighting
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
+highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-update-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
+This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-summary-selected-face
+@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
+This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
+highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-summary-highlight
+@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
+Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
+list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
+. @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
+italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
+to something like
+@lisp
+(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
+ ((> score default) . bold))
+@end lisp
+As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
+@var{face} will be applied to the line.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Summary Maneuvering
+@section Summary Maneuvering
+@cindex summary movement
+
+All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
+behave pretty much as you'd expect.
+
+None of these commands select articles.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item G M-n
+@itemx M-n
+@kindex M-n (Summary)
+@kindex G M-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
+Go to the next summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
+
+@item G M-p
+@itemx M-p
+@kindex M-p (Summary)
+@kindex G M-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
+Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
+
+@item G j
+@itemx j
+@kindex j (Summary)
+@kindex G j (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
+Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+
+@item G g
+@kindex G g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
+Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
+without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
+@end table
+
+If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
+can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
+buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
+to the group buffer.
+
+Variables related to summary movement:
+
+@table @code
+
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
+@item gnus-auto-select-next
+If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
+no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
+the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
+empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
+this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
+next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
+special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
+next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
+@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
+the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
+@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
+without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+
+@item gnus-auto-select-same
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
+If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
+article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
+mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
+for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
+articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
+
+This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+
+@item gnus-summary-check-current
+@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
+If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
+to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
+Instead, they will choose the current article.
+
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
+centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
+slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
+set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
+action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
+buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
+threads.
+
+This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
+the given number of lines from the top.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Choosing Articles
+@section Choosing Articles
+@cindex selecting articles
+
+@menu
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Choosing Commands
+@subsection Choosing Commands
+
+None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
+and they all select and display an article.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
+unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
+@item G n
+@itemx n
+@kindex n (Summary)
+@kindex G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
+Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+
+@item G p
+@itemx p
+@kindex p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
+Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+
+@item G N
+@itemx N
+@kindex N (Summary)
+@kindex G N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-article
+Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+
+@item G P
+@itemx P
+@kindex P (Summary)
+@kindex G P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
+Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
+
+@item G C-n
+@kindex G C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
+Go to the next article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+
+@item G C-p
+@kindex G C-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
+Go to the previous article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+
+@item G f
+@itemx .
+@kindex G f (Summary)
+@kindex . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Go to the first unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
+
+@item G b
+@itemx ,
+@kindex G b (Summary)
+@kindex , (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Go to the article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+
+@item G l
+@itemx l
+@kindex l (Summary)
+@kindex G l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
+Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+
+@item G o
+@kindex G o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
+@cindex history
+@cindex article history
+Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
+command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
+history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
+For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
+@pxref{Article Backlog}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Choosing Variables
+@subsection Choosing Variables
+
+Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
+article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
+this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
+the server and display it in the article buffer.
+
+@item gnus-select-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
+exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+
+@item gnus-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-unread-mark
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
+be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
+only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
+marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
+instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
+@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Paging the Article
+@section Scrolling the Article
+@cindex article scrolling
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
+or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
+next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
+Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
+Scroll the current article one line forward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
+Scroll the current article one line backward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
+
+@item A g
+@itemx g
+@kindex A g (Summary)
+@kindex g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
+given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
+article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
+the way it came from the server.
+
+If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
+@kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
+encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+ '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
+ (2 . big5)))
+@end lisp
+
+then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
+
+@item A <
+@itemx <
+@kindex < (Summary)
+@kindex A < (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
+Scroll to the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+
+@item A >
+@itemx >
+@kindex > (Summary)
+@kindex A > (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
+Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+
+@item A s
+@itemx s
+@kindex A s (Summary)
+@kindex s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
+Perform an isearch in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
+
+@item h
+@kindex h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
+Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Reply Followup and Post
+@section Reply, Followup and Post
+
+@menu
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Summary Mail Commands
+@subsection Summary Mail Commands
+@cindex mail
+@cindex composing mail
+
+Commands for composing a mail message:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item S r
+@itemx r
+@kindex S r (Summary)
+@kindex r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+
+@item S R
+@itemx R
+@kindex R (Summary)
+@kindex S R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S w
+@kindex S w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
+Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
+goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
+
+@item S W
+@kindex S W (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
+message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S o m
+@kindex S o m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
+Forward the current article to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
+
+@item S m
+@itemx m
+@kindex m (Summary)
+@kindex S m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
+Send a mail to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
+
+@item S D b
+@kindex S D b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
+@cindex bouncing mail
+If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
+reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
+resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
+will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
+sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
+the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
+that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
+very well fail, though.
+
+@item S D r
+@kindex S D r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
+Not to be confused with the previous command,
+@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
+send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
+headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
+@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
+means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
+header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
+So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+
+This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
+ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
+@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
+to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
+
+This command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item S O m
+@kindex S O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
+Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
+result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
+uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item S M-c
+@kindex S M-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
+@cindex crossposting
+@cindex excessive crossposting
+Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
+current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+
+@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
+This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
+crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
+using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
+
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+
+
+@node Summary Post Commands
+@subsection Summary Post Commands
+@cindex post
+@cindex composing news
+
+Commands for posting a news article:
+
+@table @kbd
+@item S p
+@itemx a
+@kindex a (Summary)
+@kindex S p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
+Post an article to the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
+
+@item S f
+@itemx f
+@kindex f (Summary)
+@kindex S f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
+Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
+
+@item S F
+@itemx F
+@kindex S F (Summary)
+@kindex F (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S n
+@kindex S n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
-Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
-dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
-press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
-@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
-bothered?
+@item S N
+@kindex S N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
-If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
-the hook for the group mode:
+@item S o p
+@kindex S o p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
+Forward the current article to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
-@end lisp
+@item S O p
+@kindex S O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
+@cindex digests
+@cindex making digests
+Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S u
+@kindex S u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
+Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
+(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+@end table
+
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+
+
+@node Summary Message Commands
+@subsection Summary Message Commands
+
+@table @kbd
+@item S y
+@kindex S y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-message
+Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
+buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
+what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Canceling and Superseding
+@subsection Canceling Articles
+@cindex canceling articles
+@cindex superseding articles
+
+Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
+really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+
+Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
+@kindex C (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
+Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
+articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
+c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
+canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
+This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
+live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
+question.
+
+Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
+want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
+prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+
+If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
+corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
+your original article.
+
+@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
+@kindex S (Summary)
+Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
+(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
+where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
+usual way.
+
+The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
+sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
+have posted almost the same article twice.
+
+If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
+there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
+waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
+to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
+find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
+the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
+header by substituting one of those words for the word
+@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
+you would do normally. The previous article will be
+canceled/superseded.
+
+Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+
+
+@node Marking Articles
+@section Marking Articles
+@cindex article marking
+@cindex article ticking
+@cindex marks
+
+There are several marks you can set on an article.
+
+You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
+neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
+@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
+
+In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
@menu
-* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
-* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
-* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
-* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
-* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
@end menu
+@ifinfo
+There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
+@end ifinfo
-@node Topic Variables
-@subsection Topic Variables
-@cindex topic variables
+@menu
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+@end menu
-Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
-really neat, I think.
-@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
-The topic lines themselves are created according to the
-@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
-Valid elements are:
+@node Unread Articles
+@subsection Unread Articles
+
+The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
+other.
@table @samp
-@item i
-Indentation.
-@item n
-Topic name.
-@item v
-Visibility.
-@item l
-Level.
-@item g
-Number of groups in the topic.
-@item a
-Number of unread articles in the topic.
-@item A
-Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
+@item !
+@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
+Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
+you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
+reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
+tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
+article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
+Articles}).
+
+@item ?
+@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
+Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
+are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
+followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
+@item SPACE
+@vindex gnus-unread-mark
+Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+
+@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
-Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
-@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
-The default is 2.
-@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+@node Read Articles
+@subsection Read Articles
+@cindex expirable mark
-@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
-The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
-topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
+All the following marks mark articles as read.
+@table @samp
-@node Topic Commands
-@subsection Topic Commands
-@cindex topic commands
+@item r
+@vindex gnus-del-mark
+These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
+command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
-When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
-available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
-definitions slightly.
+@item R
+@vindex gnus-read-mark
+Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
-@table @kbd
+@item O
+@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
+Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
+@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+
+@item K
+@vindex gnus-killed-mark
+Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+
+@item X
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
+Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
+
+@item Y
+@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
+Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+
+@item C
+@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
+Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+
+@item G
+@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
+Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
+
+@item F
+@vindex gnus-souped-mark
+@sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
+
+@item Q
+@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
+Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
+Threading}.
+
+@item M
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
+Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
+(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
-Prompt for a new topic name and create it
-(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+@end table
-@item T m
-@kindex T m (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-move-group
-Move the current group to some other topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
+They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
-@item T c
-@kindex T c (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
-Copy the current group to some other topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+One more special mark, though:
-@item T D
-@kindex T D (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
-Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
-This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
-topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
-remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
-the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
-(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
-topic.
+@table @samp
+@item E
+@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
+Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
-This command uses the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
+automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
+control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
+articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
+any time.
+@end table
-@item T M
-@kindex T M (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
-Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
-@item T C
-@kindex T C (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
-Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
+@node Other Marks
+@subsection Other Marks
+@cindex process mark
+@cindex bookmarks
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
-Toggle hiding empty topics
-(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
+There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
+read or not.
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
-Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+@itemize @bullet
-@item T M-#
-@kindex T M-# (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
-Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
+@item
+You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
+long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
+before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
+in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
+encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-select-group
-@itemx SPACE
-Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
-When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
-usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
-visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
-toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
-prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-replied-mark
+All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
+answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
-@item T TAB
-@itemx TAB
-@kindex T TAB (Topic)
-@kindex TAB (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-indent
-``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
-previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
-``un-indent'' the topic instead.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-cached-mark
+Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-@item M-TAB
-@kindex M-TAB (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-unindent
-``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
-parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
+@item
+@vindex gnus-saved-mark
+Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
+religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
-@item C-k
-@kindex C-k (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
-Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
-topic will be removed along with the topic.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
+@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
+If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
+marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
+@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
-@item C-y
-@kindex C-y (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
-Yank the previously killed group or topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
-before all groups.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-process-mark
+Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
+variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
+instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
+all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
+marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
-@item T r
-@kindex T r (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-rename
-Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
+@end itemize
-@item T DEL
-@kindex T DEL (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-delete
-Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
+You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
+appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
+replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
-@item A T
-@kindex A T (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-list-active
-List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
-(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
+replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
+you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
-@item G p
-@kindex G p (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
-@cindex group parameters
-@cindex topic parameters
-@cindex parameters
-Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
-@xref{Topic Parameters}.
-@end table
+@node Setting Marks
+@subsection Setting Marks
+@cindex setting marks
+All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
-@node Topic Sorting
-@subsection Topic Sorting
-@cindex topic sorting
+@table @kbd
+@item M c
+@itemx M-u
+@kindex M c (Summary)
+@kindex M-u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
+@cindex mark as unread
+Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
+article as unread.
-You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
-commands:
+@item M t
+@itemx !
+@kindex ! (Summary)
+@kindex M t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
+Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
+@xref{Article Caching}.
+@item M ?
+@itemx ?
+@kindex ? (Summary)
+@kindex M ? (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
+Mark the current article as dormant
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-@table @kbd
-@item T S a
-@kindex T S a (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
-Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
+@item M d
+@itemx d
+@kindex M d (Summary)
+@kindex d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
+Mark the current article as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
-@item T S u
-@kindex T S u (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
-Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+@item D
+@kindex D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
+Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
-@item T S l
-@kindex T S l (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
-Sort the current topic by group level
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
+@item M k
+@itemx k
+@kindex k (Summary)
+@kindex M k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
+and then select the next unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
-@item T S v
-@kindex T S v (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
-Sort the current topic by group score
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item M K
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex M K (Summary)
+@kindex C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
-@item T S r
-@kindex T S r (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
-Sort the current topic by group rank
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item M C
+@kindex M C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
+Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
-@item T S m
-@kindex T S m (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item M C-c
+@kindex M C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
+Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
+articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
-@end table
+@item M H
+@kindex M H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
+Catchup the current group to point
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
-@xref{Sorting Groups} for more information about group sorting.
+@item C-w
+@kindex C-w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
+Mark all articles between point and mark as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+@item M V k
+@kindex M V k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
+Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
-@node Topic Topology
-@subsection Topic Topology
-@cindex topic topology
-@cindex topology
+@item M e
+@itemx E
+@kindex M e (Summary)
+@kindex E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
+Mark the current article as expirable
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
-So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
+Set a bookmark in the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
-@example
-Gnus
- Emacs -- I wuw it!
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- Naughty Emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
-@end example
+@item M B
+@kindex M B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
+Remove the bookmark from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
-So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
-that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
-just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
-follows:
+@item M V c
+@kindex M V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
+Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
+over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
-@lisp
-(("Gnus" visible)
- (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
- (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
- (("Misc" visible)))
-@end lisp
+@item M V u
+@kindex M V u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
+Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
-@vindex gnus-topic-topology
-This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
-for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
-file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
-to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
-setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
+@item M V m
+@kindex M V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
+Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
+score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@end table
-This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
-and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
-allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
+be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
+the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
+one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
+@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
+The default is @code{t}.
-@node Topic Parameters
-@subsection Topic Parameters
-@cindex topic parameters
+@node Generic Marking Commands
+@subsection Generic Marking Commands
-All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
-ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
-parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
+the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
+article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
+even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
+previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
+well.
-Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
-parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
-know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
-verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
+Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
+you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
+command should do.
-@example
-Gnus
- Emacs
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- Relief
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
-@end example
+To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
+different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
+buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
+to list in this manual.
-The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
-. "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
-@code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
-topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
-@samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
-. "religion.SCORE")}.
+While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
+altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
+@kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
+article, you could say something like:
-Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
-will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
-group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
-score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
-get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
+@end lisp
-This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
-there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
-parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
-@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
-gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
-of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
-happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
-happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
+or
+@lisp
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
+@end lisp
-@node Misc Group Stuff
-@section Misc Group Stuff
-@menu
-* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
-* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
-* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
-* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
-@end menu
+@node Setting Process Marks
+@subsection Setting Process Marks
+@cindex setting process marks
@table @kbd
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
-Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
-@xref{The Server Buffer}.
+@item M P p
+@itemx #
+@kindex # (Summary)
+@kindex M P p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Mark the current article with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
-@item a
-@kindex a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-post-news
-Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
-prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
+@item M P u
+@itemx M-#
+@kindex M P u (Summary)
+@kindex M-# (Summary)
+Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
-@item m
-@kindex m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+@item M P U
+@kindex M P U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Remove the process mark from all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@end table
+@item M P i
+@kindex M P i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
+Invert the list of process marked articles
+(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
-Variables for the group buffer:
+@item M P R
+@kindex M P R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
-@table @code
+@item M P G
+@kindex M P G (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
+Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
-@item gnus-group-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
-is called after the group buffer has been
-created.
+@item M P r
+@kindex M P r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
-@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called after the group buffer is
-generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
-unnatural way.
+@item M P t
+@kindex M P t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
-generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
+@item M P T
+@kindex M P T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
-whether they are empty or not.
+@item M P v
+@kindex M P v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
+Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
+
+@item M P s
+@kindex M P s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
+Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+
+@item M P S
+@kindex M P S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
+Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
-@end table
+@item M P a
+@kindex M P a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+@item M P b
+@kindex M P b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
-@node Scanning New Messages
-@subsection Scanning New Messages
-@cindex new messages
-@cindex scanning new news
+@item M P k
+@kindex M P k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
-@table @kbd
+@item M P y
+@kindex M P y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
+Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
-@item g
-@kindex g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
-Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
-this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
-command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
-backend(s).
+@item M P w
+@kindex M P w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
-@item M-g
-@kindex M-g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
-@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
-Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
-@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
-to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
+@end table
-@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
-@cindex activating groups
-@item C-c M-g
-@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
-Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
-@item R
-@kindex R (Group)
-@cindex restarting
-@findex gnus-group-restart
-Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
-file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
-Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
+@node Limiting
+@section Limiting
+@cindex limiting
-@end table
+It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
+subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
+commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
+buffer.
-@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
+All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
+from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
+additional articles.
-@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
-news.
+@table @kbd
+@item / /
+@itemx / s
+@kindex / / (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
-@node Group Information
-@subsection Group Information
-@cindex group information
-@cindex information on groups
+@item / a
+@kindex / a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
-@table @kbd
+@item / x
+@kindex / x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
+headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
+@item / u
+@itemx x
+@kindex / u (Summary)
+@kindex x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
+Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
+buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
+dormant articles will also be excluded.
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-@cindex FAQ
-@cindex ange-ftp
-Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
-@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
-remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
-that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
-for fetching the file.
+@item / m
+@kindex / m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
+Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
+with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
-If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
-through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
+@item / t
+@kindex / t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
+Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
+articles younger than that number of days.
-@item H d
-@itemx C-c C-d
-@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
-@kindex H d (Group)
-@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
-@cindex describing groups
-@cindex group description
-@findex gnus-group-describe-group
-Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
-a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
+@item / n
+@kindex / n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
+Limit the summary buffer to the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item M-d
-@kindex M-d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
-Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
-prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
+@item / w
+@kindex / w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
+Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
+the stack.
-@item H v
-@itemx V
-@kindex V (Group)
-@kindex H v (Group)
-@cindex version
-@findex gnus-version
-Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
+@item / v
+@kindex / v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
+score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
-Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
+@item / E
+@itemx M S
+@kindex M S (Summary)
+@kindex / E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
+Include all expunged articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
-@item C-c C-i
-@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
-@cindex info
-@cindex manual
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
-@end table
+@item / D
+@kindex / D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
+Include all dormant articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
+
+@item / *
+@kindex / * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
+Include all cached articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
+@item / d
+@kindex / d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
-@node Group Timestamp
-@subsection Group Timestamp
-@cindex timestamps
-@cindex group timestamps
+@item / M
+@kindex / M (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
+Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
-It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
-group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
-@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
+@item / T
+@kindex / T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
+Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
-@end lisp
+@item / c
+@kindex / c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
-After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
+@item / C
+@kindex / C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
+Mark all excluded unread articles as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
-This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
-use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
-@end lisp
-This will result in lines looking like:
+@node Threading
+@section Threading
+@cindex threading
+@cindex article threading
-@example
-* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
- 0: custom 19961002T012713
-@end example
+Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
+to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
+hierarchical fashion.
-As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
-may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
-something like:
+Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
+articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
+trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
+or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
+so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
+plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
+@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
-@end lisp
+First, a quick overview of the concepts:
+@table @dfn
+@item root
+The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
-@node File Commands
-@subsection File Commands
-@cindex file commands
+@item thread
+A tree-like article structure.
-@table @kbd
+@item sub-thread
+A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
-@item r
-@kindex r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-@cindex reading init file
-Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
-@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+@item loose threads
+Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
+already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
+summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
+belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
+called loose threads.
-@item s
-@kindex s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
-@cindex saving .newsrc
-Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
-(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
-file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+@item thread gathering
+An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
-@c @item Z
-@c @kindex Z (Group)
-@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
-@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
+@item sparse threads
+A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
+displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
@end table
-@node The Summary Buffer
-@chapter The Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary buffer
-
-A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
-move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
+@menu
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+@end menu
-The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
-group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
+@node Customizing Threading
+@subsection Customizing Threading
+@cindex customizing threading
@menu
-* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
-* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
-* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
-* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
-* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
-* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
-* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
-* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
-* Threading:: How threads are made.
-* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
-* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
-* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
-* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
-* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
-* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
-* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
-* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
-* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
-* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
-* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
-* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
-* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
-* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
-* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
-* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
-* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
-* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
@end menu
-@node Summary Buffer Format
-@section Summary Buffer Format
-@cindex summary buffer format
+@node Loose Threads
+@subsubsection Loose Threads
+@cindex <
+@cindex >
+@cindex loose threads
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
+and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
+Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
+read or killed the root in a previous session.
+
+When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
+something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
+There are four possible values:
@iftex
@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
-@end menu
-
-@findex mail-extract-address-components
-@findex gnus-extract-address-components
-@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
-Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
-variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
-@code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
-fast, and too simplistic solution; and
-@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
-slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
-cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead.
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
-@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
-article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
-with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
-
-
-@node Summary Buffer Lines
-@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
-the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
-lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
-(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+@cindex adopting articles
-The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+@table @code
-The following format specification characters are understood:
+@item adopt
+Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
+parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
+marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
+square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
-@table @samp
-@item N
-Article number.
-@item S
-Subject string.
-@item s
-Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
-had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
-(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
-@item F
-Full @code{From} header.
-@item n
-The name (from the @code{From} header).
-@item a
-The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
-spec in that it uses the function designated by the
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
-may be more thorough.
-@item A
-The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
-the @code{a} spec.
-@item L
-Number of lines in the article.
-@item c
-Number of characters in the article.
-@item I
-Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item T
-Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
-pushes everything after it off the screen).
-@item [
-Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
-for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item ]
-Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
-for adopted articles.
-@item >
-One space for each thread level.
-@item <
-Twenty minus thread level spaces.
-@item U
-Unread.
+@item dummy
+@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
+parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
+selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
+format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
+which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@item R
-This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
-mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
-or has been saved.
+@item empty
+Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
+subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
+use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Format}).)
-@item i
-Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item z
-@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
-Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
-default level. If the difference between
-@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
-@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
-@item V
-Total thread score.
-@item x
-@code{Xref}.
-@item D
-@code{Date}.
-@item d
-The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
-@item o
-The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
-@item M
-@code{Message-ID}.
-@item r
-@code{References}.
-@item t
-Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
-down summary buffer generation somewhat.
-@item e
-An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
-article has any children.
-@item P
-The line number.
-@item O
-Download mark.
-@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
-argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
-into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
+@item none
+Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
+display them after one another.
+
+@item nil
+Don't gather loose threads.
@end table
-The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
-have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
-compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
-that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
-variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
-buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
+@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
+subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
+super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
+presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
+you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
+first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
+variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
+everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
-The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
-(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
+@cindex fuzzy article gathering
+If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
+use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
+that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
+simplification is used.
+@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
+as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
-@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+ (concat
+ "\\`\\[?\\("
+ (mapconcat
+ 'identity
+ '("looking"
+ "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
+ "help" "query" "problem" "question"
+ "answer" "reference" "announce"
+ "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
+ ;; ...
+ )
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)\\s *\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
-You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
-like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
+subjects.
-Here are the elements you can play with:
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
+@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
+list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
+arrive at the simplified version of the string.
-@table @samp
-@item G
-Group name.
-@item p
-Unprefixed group name.
-@item A
-Current article number.
-@item z
-Current article score.
-@item V
-Gnus version.
-@item U
-Number of unread articles in this group.
-@item e
-Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
-summary buffer.
-@item Z
-A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
-either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
-articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
-and no unselected ones.
-@item g
-Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
-shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
-@item S
-Subject of the current article.
-@item u
-User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
-@item s
-Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item d
-Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item t
-Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item r
-Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
-@item E
-Number of articles expunged by the score files.
+Useful functions to put in this list include:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
+Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+Simplify fuzzily.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace.
@end table
+You may also write your own functions, of course.
+
-@node Summary Highlighting
-@subsection Summary Highlighting
+@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
+to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
+@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
+you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
+what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
+The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
+that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
+is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
+@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
+This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
+articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
+newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
+cholera:
-@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
-highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+This function is the default gathering function and looks at
+@code{Subject}s exclusively.
-@item gnus-summary-update-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
-This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
+@end table
-@item gnus-summary-selected-face
-@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
-This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
-highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
+If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
+something like:
-@item gnus-summary-highlight
-@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
-Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
-list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
-would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
-articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
@lisp
-(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
- ((> score default) . bold))
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
@end lisp
-As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
-@var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
-@end table
+@end table
-@node Summary Maneuvering
-@section Summary Maneuvering
-@cindex summary movement
-
-All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
-behave pretty much as you'd expect.
-None of these commands select articles.
+@node Filling In Threads
+@subsubsection Filling In Threads
-@table @kbd
-@item G M-n
-@itemx M-n
-@kindex M-n (Summary)
-@kindex G M-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
-Go to the next summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
+more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
+would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
+connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
+to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
+that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
+fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
+overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
+@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
+expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
-@item G M-p
-@itemx M-p
-@kindex M-p (Summary)
-@kindex G M-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
-Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
+This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
+visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
+(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
-@item G j
-@itemx j
-@kindex j (Summary)
-@kindex G j (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
-Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
+@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
+Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
+gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
+the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
+together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
+@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
+is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
+lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
+question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
+``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
+thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
+off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
+@code{nil} by default.
-@item G g
-@kindex G g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
-Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
-without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
@end table
-If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
-can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
-buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
-to the group buffer.
-Variables related to summary movement:
+@node More Threading
+@subsubsection More Threading
@table @code
+@item gnus-show-threads
+@vindex gnus-show-threads
+If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
+the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
+off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
+slower and more awkward.
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
-@item gnus-auto-select-next
-If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
-no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
-the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
-empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
-this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
-next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
-special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
-next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
-@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
-the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
-@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
-without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
+generated.
-@item gnus-auto-select-same
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
-If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
-article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
-mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
-for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) This variable is not
-particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
+All threads that have a total score (as defined by
+@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
+expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+threads are expunged.
-@item gnus-summary-check-current
-@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
-If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
-to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
-Instead, they will choose the current article.
+@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
+if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
+will be hidden.
-@item gnus-auto-center-summary
-@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
-centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
-slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
-set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
-action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
-buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
-threads.
+@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
+is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
+in a new thread.
-@end table
+@item gnus-thread-indent-level
+@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
+This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
+The default is 4.
+@item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+@vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
+arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
+arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
+using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
+up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
+Setting this variable to an alternate value
+(e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
+appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
+more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
-@node Choosing Articles
-@section Choosing Articles
-@cindex selecting articles
+@end table
-@menu
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
-@end menu
+@node Low-Level Threading
+@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
-@node Choosing Commands
-@subsection Choosing Commands
+@table @code
-None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
-and they all select and display an article.
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+Hook run before parsing any headers.
-@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
-unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@item gnus-alter-header-function
+@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
+If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
+article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
+the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
+if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
+in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
+variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
+meaningful. Here's one example:
-@item G n
-@itemx n
-@kindex n (Summary)
-@kindex G n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
-Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
-@item G p
-@itemx p
-@kindex p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
-Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
+ (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
+ (when (string-match
+ "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
+ (mail-header-set-id
+ (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
+ header))))
+@end lisp
-@item G N
-@itemx N
-@kindex N (Summary)
-@kindex G N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-article
-Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+@end table
-@item G P
-@itemx P
-@kindex P (Summary)
-@kindex G P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
-Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
-@item G C-n
-@kindex G C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
-Go to the next article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+@node Thread Commands
+@subsection Thread Commands
+@cindex thread commands
-@item G C-p
-@kindex G C-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
-Go to the previous article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+@table @kbd
-@item G f
-@itemx .
-@kindex G f (Summary)
-@kindex . (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Go to the first unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
+@item T k
+@itemx M-C-k
+@kindex T k (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
+remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
+articles instead.
-@item G b
-@itemx ,
-@kindex G b (Summary)
-@kindex , (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Go to the article with the highest score
-(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+@item T l
+@itemx M-C-l
+@kindex T l (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
+Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
-@item G l
-@itemx l
-@kindex l (Summary)
-@kindex G l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
-Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+@item T i
+@kindex T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
+Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
-@item G o
-@kindex G o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
-@cindex history
-@cindex article history
-Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
-command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
-history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
-For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
-@pxref{Article Backlog}.
-@end table
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@node Choosing Variables
-@subsection Choosing Variables
+@item T T
+@kindex T T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
+Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
-Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
+Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
-article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
-this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
-the server and display it in the article buffer.
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
+Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
-@item gnus-select-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
-exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+@item T S
+@kindex T S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
+Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
-@item gnus-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-unread-mark
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
-be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
-mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
-only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
-expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
-marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
-instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
-@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
+Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
-@end table
+@item T t
+@kindex T t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
+Re-thread the current article's thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
+summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+@item T ^
+@kindex T ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
+Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
-@node Paging the Article
-@section Scrolling the Article
-@cindex article scrolling
+@end table
+
+The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
+understand the numeric prefix.
@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
-or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
-next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Summary)
+@itemx M-C-n
+@kindex M-C-n (Summary)
+@itemx M-down
+@kindex M-down (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
+Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
-Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+@item T p
+@kindex T p (Summary)
+@itemx M-C-p
+@kindex M-C-p (Summary)
+@itemx M-up
+@kindex M-up (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
+Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
-Scroll the current article one line forward
-(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+@item T d
+@kindex T d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
+Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
-@item A g
-@itemx g
-@kindex A g (Summary)
-@kindex g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-article
-(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
-given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
-article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
-the way it came from the server.
+@item T u
+@kindex T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
+Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
-@item A <
-@itemx <
-@kindex < (Summary)
-@kindex A < (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
-Scroll to the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+@item T o
+@kindex T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
+Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+@end table
-@item A >
-@itemx >
-@kindex > (Summary)
-@kindex A > (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
-Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
+If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
+threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
+a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
+have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
+you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
+is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
+when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
+the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
+operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
+that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-@item A s
-@itemx s
-@kindex A s (Summary)
-@kindex s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
-Perform an isearch in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
-@item h
-@kindex h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
-Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
+@node Sorting
+@section Sorting
-@end table
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
+setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
+function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
+@code{(not some-function)} elements.
+By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
+predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
-@node Reply Followup and Post
-@section Reply, Followup and Post
+Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
+thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
+normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
-@menu
-* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
-* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
-@end menu
+If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
+last function in the list. You should probably always include
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
+functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
+equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
+ascending article order.
+If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
+by number, you could do something like:
-@node Summary Mail Commands
-@subsection Summary Mail Commands
-@cindex mail
-@cindex composing mail
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+ (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
+@end lisp
-Commands for composing a mail message:
+The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
+summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
+alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
+subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
+which the articles arrived.
-@table @kbd
+If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
+say something like:
-@item S r
-@itemx r
-@kindex S r (Summary)
-@kindex r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '((lambda (t1 t2)
+ (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
-@item S R
-@itemx R
-@kindex R (Summary)
-@kindex S R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
-original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
-command uses the process/prefix convention.
+@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
+The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
+@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
+functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
+tickles your fancy.
-@item S w
-@kindex S w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
-Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
-goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
-@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
+@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
+you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
+It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
+it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
+sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
-message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
+say something like:
-@item S o m
-@kindex S o m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
-Forward the current article to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
-headers of the forwarded article.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
+ gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+@end lisp
-@item S m
-@itemx m
-@kindex m (Summary)
-@kindex S m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
-Send a mail to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
-@item S D b
-@kindex S D b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
-@cindex bouncing mail
-If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
-reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
-resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
-will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
-sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
-the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
-that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
-very well fail, though.
-@item S D r
-@kindex S D r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
-Not to be confused with the previous command,
-@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
-send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
-headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
-@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
-means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
-header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
-So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+@node Asynchronous Fetching
+@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
+@cindex asynchronous article fetching
+@cindex article pre-fetch
+@cindex pre-fetch
+
+If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
+network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
+for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
+article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
+while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
-This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
-ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
-@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
-to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
-@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
+First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
+article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
-This command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
+quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
+know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
+article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
+connection is blocked.
-@item S O m
-@kindex S O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
-Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
-result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
-uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
+connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
+thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
+extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
-@item S M-c
-@kindex S M-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
-@cindex crossposting
-@cindex excessive crossposting
-Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
-current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
+the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
+loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
+also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
+extra connection.
-@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
-This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
-crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
-using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+you really want to.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous
+Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
+happen automatically.
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
+You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
+@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
+that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
+pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
+@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
+@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
+@findex gnus-async-read-p
+There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
+articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
+return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
+pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
+@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
+data structure as the only parameter.
-@node Summary Post Commands
-@subsection Summary Post Commands
-@cindex post
-@cindex composing news
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
-Commands for posting a news article:
+@lisp
+(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
+ "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
+ (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
+ (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
+ 100)))
-@table @kbd
-@item S p
-@itemx a
-@kindex a (Summary)
-@kindex S p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
-Post an article to the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
+(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
+@end lisp
-@item S f
-@itemx f
-@kindex f (Summary)
-@kindex S f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
-Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
+These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
+preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
+It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
-@item S F
-@itemx F
-@kindex S F (Summary)
-@kindex F (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
+@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
+Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
+@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
+articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
-@item S n
-@kindex S n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
+@table @code
+@item read
+Remove articles when they are read.
-@item S N
-@kindex S N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+@item exit
+Remove articles when exiting the group.
+@end table
-@item S o p
-@kindex S o p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
-Forward the current article to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
-headers of the forwarded article.
+The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
-@item S O p
-@kindex S O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
-@cindex digests
-@cindex making digests
-Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
+@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
+@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
+@c from the next group.
-@item S u
-@kindex S u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
-Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
-(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
-@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+@node Article Caching
+@section Article Caching
+@cindex article caching
+@cindex caching
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
+consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
+locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
+potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
+your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
-@node Canceling and Superseding
-@section Canceling Articles
-@cindex canceling articles
-@cindex superseding articles
+Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
-Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
-really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+@vindex gnus-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-use-cache
+To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
+all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
+over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
+cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
-Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
+When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
+cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
+expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
+keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
+as dormant, and don't worry.
-@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
-@kindex C (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
-Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
-articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
-c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
-canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
-This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
-Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
-live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
-question.
+@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
+@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
+The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
+variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
+dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
+put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
+articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
+symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
+@code{unread} and @code{read}.
-Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
-want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
-prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+@findex gnus-jog-cache
+So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
+picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
+subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
+store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
+command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
+really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
+Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
+to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
+not then be downloaded by this command.
-If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
-corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
-your original article.
+@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
+@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
+It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
+if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
+sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
+feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
-@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
-@kindex S (Summary)
-Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
-(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
-where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
-usual way.
+To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
+regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
+@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
+Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
+variables, the group is not cached.
-The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
-sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
-have posted almost the same article twice.
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
+@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
+The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
+file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
+of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
+offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
+files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
+file.
-If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
-there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
-waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
-to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
-find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
-the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
-header by substituting one of those words for the word
-@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
-you would do normally. The previous article will be
-canceled/superseded.
-Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+@node Persistent Articles
+@section Persistent Articles
+@cindex persistent articles
+
+Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
+In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
+useful in my opinion.
+
+Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
+that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
+(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
+that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
+the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
+the expiry going on at the news server.
+This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
+be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
+you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
-@node Marking Articles
-@section Marking Articles
-@cindex article marking
-@cindex article ticking
-@cindex marks
+@table @kbd
-There are several marks you can set on an article.
+@item *
+@kindex * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
+Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
-You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
-neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
-@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
+@item M-*
+@kindex M-* (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
+Remove the current article from the persistent articles
+(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
+article.
+@end table
-In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
+Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-@menu
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-@end menu
+To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
+you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
+interested in persistent articles:
-@ifinfo
-There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
-@end ifinfo
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
-* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
-@end menu
+@node Article Backlog
+@section Article Backlog
+@cindex backlog
+@cindex article backlog
-@node Unread Articles
-@subsection Unread Articles
+If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
+unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
+by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
+already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
+you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
+re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
+that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
+increase memory usage some.
-The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
-other.
+@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
+If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
+at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
+variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
+@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
+bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
+that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
-@table @samp
-@item !
-@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
-Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
+This variable is @code{nil} by default.
-@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
-you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
-reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
-tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
-article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
-Articles}).
-@item ?
-@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
-Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
+@node Saving Articles
+@section Saving Articles
+@cindex saving articles
-@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
-are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
-followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
+for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
+processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
+approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-@item SPACE
-@vindex gnus-unread-mark
-Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
+If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
+unwanted headers before saving the article.
-@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-saved-headers
+If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
+@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
+deleted before saving.
+@table @kbd
-@node Read Articles
-@subsection Read Articles
-@cindex expirable mark
+@item O o
+@itemx o
+@kindex O o (Summary)
+@kindex o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
+Save the current article using the default article saver
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
-All the following marks mark articles as read.
+@item O m
+@kindex O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
+Save the current article in mail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
-@table @samp
+@item O r
+@kindex O r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
+Save the current article in rmail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
-@item r
-@vindex gnus-del-mark
-These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
-command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
+@item O f
+@kindex O f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
+Save the current article in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
-@item R
-@vindex gnus-read-mark
-Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
+@item O F
+@kindex O F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
+Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
+file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
-@item O
-@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
-Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
-@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+@item O b
+@kindex O b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
+Save the current article body in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
-@item K
-@vindex gnus-killed-mark
-Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+@item O h
+@kindex O h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
+Save the current article in mh folder format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
-@item X
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
-Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
+@item O v
+@kindex O v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
+Save the current article in a VM folder
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
-@item Y
-@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
-Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+@item O p
+@kindex O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
+Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
+the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
+@end table
-@item C
-@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
-Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
+All these commands use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
+functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
+and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
+the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
+default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
+loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
+just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
+have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
+to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
+save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
+files.
-@item G
-@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
-Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
-@item F
-@vindex gnus-souped-mark
-@sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
+@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
+You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
+Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
+functions below, or you can create your own.
-@item Q
-@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
-Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
-Threading}.
+@table @code
-@item M
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
-Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
-(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@end table
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
+Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
-They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@vindex gnus-file-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
+the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-One more special mark, though:
+@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@table @samp
-@item E
-@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
-Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-folder-save-name
+@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
+@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
+@cindex rcvstore
+@cindex MH folders
+Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
+library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
+to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
+@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
+@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
-Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
-automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
-control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
-articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
-any time.
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
+reader to use this setting.
@end table
+@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
+All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
+in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
+@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+default.
-@node Other Marks
-@subsection Other Marks
-@cindex process mark
-@cindex bookmarks
+As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
+suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
+available functions that generate names:
-There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
-read or not.
+@table @code
-@itemize @bullet
+@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@item
-You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
-long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
-before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
-in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
-encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}
+@item gnus-numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-replied-mark
-All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
-answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item gnus-Plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-cached-mark
-Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
-the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}
+@item gnus-plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@end table
-@item
-@vindex gnus-saved-mark
-Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
-religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
+@vindex gnus-split-methods
+You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
+the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
+save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
+related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+like:
-@item
-@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
-@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
-If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
-marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
-@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
+@lisp
+(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
+ ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
+ (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
+ ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
+@end lisp
-@item
-@vindex gnus-process-mark
-Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
-variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
-instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
-all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
-marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
+We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
+elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
+a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
+head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
+group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
+@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
+the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
+result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
+called returns a string or a list of strings.
-@end itemize
+You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
+saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
+then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
+name completion over the results from applying this variable.
-You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
-appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
-replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
+This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
+means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
+@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
+name.
-Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
-replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
-you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
+Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
+lots of mail groups called things like
+@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
+these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
+following will do just that:
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-name (group)
+ (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
+ (substring group (match-end 0))))
-@node Setting Marks
-@subsection Setting Marks
-@cindex setting marks
+(setq gnus-split-methods
+ '((gnus-article-archive-name)
+ (my-save-name)))
+@end lisp
-All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
-@table @kbd
-@item M c
-@itemx M-u
-@kindex M c (Summary)
-@kindex M-u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
-@cindex mark as unread
-Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
-article as unread.
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
+@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
+(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
+the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
+all the files in the top level directory
+(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
+@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
+on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
+Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
-@item M t
-@itemx !
-@kindex ! (Summary)
-@kindex M t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
-Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
-@xref{Article Caching}
+This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
+is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
+names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
+@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
+contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
+for kill files.
-@item M ?
-@itemx ?
-@kindex ? (Summary)
-@kindex M ? (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
-Mark the current article as dormant
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}
+If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
+a spool, you could
-@item M d
-@itemx d
-@kindex M d (Summary)
-@kindex d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
-Mark the current article as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
+(setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
+@end lisp
-@item D
-@kindex D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
-Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
+Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
+ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
+the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
+around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
-@item M k
-@itemx k
-@kindex k (Summary)
-@kindex M k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
-and then select the next unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
-@item M K
-@itemx C-k
-@kindex M K (Summary)
-@kindex C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
+@node Decoding Articles
+@section Decoding Articles
+@cindex decoding articles
-@item M C
-@kindex M C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
-Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
+Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
+encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
-@item M C-c
-@kindex M C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
-Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
-articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+@menu
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+@end menu
-@item M H
-@kindex M H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
-Catchup the current group to point
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+@cindex series
+@cindex article series
+All these functions use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
+the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
+can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
+articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
-@item C-w
-@kindex C-w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
-Mark all articles between point and mark as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
+simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
+last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
-@item M V k
-@kindex M V k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
-Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
+For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
+will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
+([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
-@item M e
-@itemx E
-@kindex M e (Summary)
-@kindex E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
-Mark the current article as expirable
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
+series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
+commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
-@item M b
-@kindex M b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
-Set a bookmark in the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
-@item M B
-@kindex M B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
-Remove the bookmark from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
+@node Uuencoded Articles
+@subsection Uuencoded Articles
+@cindex uudecode
+@cindex uuencoded articles
-@item M V c
-@kindex M V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
-Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
-over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@table @kbd
-@item M V u
-@kindex M V u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
-Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+@item X u
+@kindex X u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
+Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
-@item M V m
-@kindex M V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
-Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
-score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
-@end table
+@item X U
+@kindex X U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
+Uudecodes and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
-The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
-be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
-the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
-one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
-@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
-@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
-The default is @code{t}.
+@item X v u
+@kindex X v u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
+Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+@item X v U
+@kindex X v U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
+Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
-@node Setting Process Marks
-@subsection Setting Process Marks
-@cindex setting process marks
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
+the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
+entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-@item M P p
-@itemx #
-@kindex # (Summary)
-@kindex M P p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
-Mark the current article with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
+@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
+the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
+articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
+@kbd{X u}.
-@item M P u
-@itemx M-#
-@kindex M P u (Summary)
-@kindex M-# (Summary)
-Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
+Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
+@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
+@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
+automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
+you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
+off.
-@item M P U
-@kindex M P U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
-Remove the process mark from all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@item M P i
-@kindex M P i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
-Invert the list of process marked articles
-(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
+@node Shell Archives
+@subsection Shell Archives
+@cindex unshar
+@cindex shell archives
+@cindex shared articles
-@item M P R
-@kindex M P R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
-Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
-expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
+Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
+sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
+some commands to deal with these:
-@item M P r
-@kindex M P r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
-Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+@table @kbd
-@item M P t
-@kindex M P t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@item X s
+@kindex X s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
+Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
-@item M P T
-@kindex M P T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@item X S
+@kindex X S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
+Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
-@item M P v
-@kindex M P v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
-Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
+@item X v s
+@kindex X v s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
+Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
-@item M P s
-@kindex M P s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
-Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+@item X v S
+@kindex X v S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
+Unshars, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@end table
-@item M P S
-@kindex M P S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
-Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
-@item M P a
-@kindex M P a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
-Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+@node PostScript Files
+@subsection PostScript Files
+@cindex PostScript
-@item M P b
-@kindex M P b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
-Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+@table @kbd
-@item M P k
-@kindex M P k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
+@item X p
+@kindex X p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
+Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
-@item M P y
-@kindex M P y (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
-Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
+@item X P
+@kindex X P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
+Unpack and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
-@item M P w
-@kindex M P w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
+@item X v p
+@kindex X v p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
+View the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+@item X v P
+@kindex X v P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
+View and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
@end table
-@node Limiting
-@section Limiting
-@cindex limiting
+@node Other Files
+@subsection Other Files
-It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
-subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
-commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
-buffer.
+@table @kbd
+@item X o
+@kindex X o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
+Save the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
-All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
-from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
-additional articles.
+@item X b
+@kindex X b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
+Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
+doesn't really work yet.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
-@item / /
-@itemx / s
-@kindex / / (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+@node Decoding Variables
+@subsection Decoding Variables
-@item / a
-@kindex / a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
+Adjective, not verb.
-@item / u
-@itemx x
-@kindex / u (Summary)
-@kindex x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
-Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
-buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
-dormant articles will also be excluded.
+@menu
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+@end menu
-@item / m
-@kindex / m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
-Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
-with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
-@item / t
-@kindex / t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
-Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
-articles younger than that number of days.
+@node Rule Variables
+@subsubsection Rule Variables
+@cindex rule variables
-@item / n
-@kindex / n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
-Limit the summary buffer to the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
+variables are of the form
-@item / w
-@kindex / w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
-Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
-the stack.
+@lisp
+ (list '(regexp1 command2)
+ '(regexp2 command2)
+ ...)
+@end lisp
-@item / v
-@kindex / v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
-score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+@table @code
-@item / E
-@itemx M S
-@kindex M S (Summary)
-@kindex / E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
-Include all expunged articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@cindex sox
+This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
+say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+ (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
+@end lisp
-@item / D
-@kindex / D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
-Include all dormant articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
+user and default view rules.
-@item / *
-@kindex / * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
-Include all cached articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
+@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
+archives.
+@end table
-@item / d
-@kindex / d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
-@item / T
-@kindex / T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
-Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
+@node Other Decode Variables
+@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
-@item / c
-@kindex / c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-@item / C
-@kindex / C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
-Mark all excluded unread articles as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
-also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
+successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
+and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
+anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-grab-view
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
+View the file.
+@item gnus-uu-grab-move
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
+Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
@end table
+@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
+@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
+that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
+time.
-@node Threading
-@section Threading
-@cindex threading
-@cindex article threading
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
-Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
-to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
-hierarchical fashion.
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
+kludgey.
-Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
-articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
-trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
-or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
-so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
-plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
-@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
+@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
-First, a quick overview of the concepts:
+@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
+looking for files to display.
-@table @dfn
-@item root
-The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
+@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
+Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
+after viewing it.
-@item thread
-A tree-like article structure.
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
+rules.
-@item sub-thread
-A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
+unpacking commands.
-@item loose threads
-Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
-already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
-summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
-belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
-called loose threads.
+@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
+from articles.
-@item thread gathering
-An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
+@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
+decoded articles as unread.
-@item sparse threads
-A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
-displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
+@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
+uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
-@end table
+@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
+@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@cindex metamail
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
+content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
+@code{metamail} for viewing.
-@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
-@end menu
+@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
+decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
+embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
+to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
+simply dropped them.
+@end table
-@node Customizing Threading
-@subsection Customizing Threading
-@cindex customizing threading
-@menu
-* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
-* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
-* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
-* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
-@end menu
+@node Uuencoding and Posting
+@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
+@table @code
-@node Loose Threads
-@subsubsection Loose Threads
-@cindex <
-@cindex >
-@cindex loose threads
+@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
+before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
+either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
+for you when you post the article.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
-@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
-and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
-Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
-read or killed the root in a previous session.
+@item gnus-uu-post-length
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
+Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
+many articles it takes to post the entire file.
-When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
-something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
-There are four possible values:
+@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
+thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
+to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
+seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
+think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
+article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
+variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
+at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
+Default is @code{t}.
-@cindex adopting articles
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item adopt
-Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
-parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
-marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
-square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+@node Viewing Files
+@subsection Viewing Files
+@cindex viewing files
+@cindex pseudo-articles
-@item dummy
-@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
-Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
-parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
-selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
-article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
-format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
-which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
+to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
+viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
+containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
+uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
+This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
+of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
-@item empty
-Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
-subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
-use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Format}).)
+Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
+extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
+``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
+will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
-@item none
-Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
-display them after one another.
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
+until the viewing is done before proceeding.
-@item nil
-Don't gather loose threads.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
+the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
+immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
+be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
-@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
-subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
-super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
-presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
-you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
-first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
-variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
-everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
+pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
+@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
+a list of parameters to that command.
-@cindex fuzzy article gathering
-If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
-use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
+If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
+pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
-that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
-simplification is used.
+So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
+@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
+Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
-@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
-as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
-@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
- (concat
- "\\`\\[?\\("
- (mapconcat
- 'identity
- '("looking"
- "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
- "help" "query" "problem" "question"
- "answer" "reference" "announce"
- "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
- ;; ...
- )
- "\\|")
- "\\)\\s *\\("
- (mapconcat 'identity
- '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
- "\\|")
- "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
-@end lisp
+@node Article Treatment
+@section Article Treatment
-All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
-subjects.
+Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
+object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
+written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
+writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
+these articles easier.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
-@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
-list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
-arrive at the simplified version of the string.
+@menu
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
+@end menu
-Useful functions to put in this list include:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
-Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
+@node Article Highlighting
+@subsection Article Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-Simplify fuzzily.
+Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
+you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
-@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
-@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
-Remove excessive whitespace.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-You may also write your own functions, of course.
+@item W H a
+@kindex W H a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight
+@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
+Do much highlighting of the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
+text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
+@item W H h
+@kindex W H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
+Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
+highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
+variable, which is a list where each element has the form
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
+@var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
+header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
+(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
+the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
+@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
-@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
-to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
-@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
-you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
-what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
-The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
+@item W H c
+@kindex W H c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
+Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
-@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
-that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
-is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
-@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
-This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
-articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
-newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
-cholera:
+Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
@table @code
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-This function is the default gathering function and looks at
-@code{Subject}s exclusively.
+@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
-@end table
+@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
+default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
-If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
-something like:
+@item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+@vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
+Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
- 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
+Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
-@end table
+@item gnus-cite-face-list
+@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
+List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
+When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
+Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
+This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+
+@item gnus-supercite-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
+Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
-@node Filling In Threads
-@subsubsection Filling In Threads
+@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
+that it's a citation.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
-@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
-If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
-more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
-would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
-connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
-to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
-that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
-fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
-overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
-@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
-expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
-This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
-visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
-(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
-@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
-@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
-Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
-gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
-the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
-together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
-@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
-is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
-lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
-question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
-``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
-thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
-off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
-@code{nil} by default.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
+Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
+cited text belonging to the attribution.
@end table
-@node More Threading
-@subsubsection More Threading
+@item W H s
+@kindex W H s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+@vindex gnus-signature-face
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
+Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
+Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
+highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
+default.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-show-threads
-@vindex gnus-show-threads
-If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
-the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
-off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
-slower and more awkward.
+@end table
-@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
-generated.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
-@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
-@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
-All threads that have a total score (as defined by
-@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
-expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
-threads are expunged.
-@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
-if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
-will be hidden.
+@node Article Fontisizing
+@subsection Article Fontisizing
+@cindex emphasis
+@cindex article emphasis
-@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
-this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
-is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
-in a new thread.
+@findex gnus-article-emphasize
+@kindex W e (Summary)
+People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
+like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
+this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
+(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
-@item gnus-thread-indent-level
-@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
-This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
-The default is 4.
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
+How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
+element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
+that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
+emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
+should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
+groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
+highlighting.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-emphasis
+ '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
+ ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+@end lisp
+@cindex slash
+@cindex asterisk
+@cindex underline
+@cindex /
+@cindex *
-@node Low-Level Threading
-@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
+By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
+@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
-@table @code
+If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
+customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
+to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
+say something like:
-@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
-@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
-Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
-@code{(gnus-decode-rfc1522)}, which means that QPized headers will be
-slightly decoded in a hackish way. This is likely to change in the
-future when Gnus becomes @sc{MIME}ified.
+@lisp
+(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-alter-header-function
-@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
-If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
-article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
-the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
-if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
-in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
-variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
-meaningful. Here's one example:
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
+If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
+syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
+parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
-(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
- (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
- (when (string-match
- "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
- (mail-header-set-id
- (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
- header))))
-@end lisp
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
-@end table
+@node Article Hiding
+@subsection Article Hiding
+@cindex article hiding
-@node Thread Commands
-@subsection Thread Commands
-@cindex thread commands
+Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
+too much cruft in most articles.
@table @kbd
-@item T k
-@itemx M-C-k
-@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
-remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
-articles instead.
+@item W W a
+@kindex W W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide
+Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
+(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
+headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
-@item T l
-@itemx M-C-l
-@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
-Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
+@item W W h
+@kindex W W h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
+Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
+Headers}.
-@item T i
-@kindex T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
-Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
+@item W W b
+@kindex W W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@item W W s
+@kindex W W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
+Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
+Signature}.
-@item T M-#
-@kindex T M-# (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@item W W l
+@kindex W W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}.
+These are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of
+all @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any
+leading @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping.
-@item T T
-@kindex T T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
-Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
+@table @code
-@item T s
-@kindex T s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
-Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
-(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
+@item gnus-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
+subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
-@item T h
-@kindex T h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
-Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+@end table
-@item T S
-@kindex T S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
-Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
+@item W W p
+@kindex W W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
+@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
+@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
+signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
+articles that have signatures in them do:
+@lisp
+;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
-Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
-@item T t
-@kindex T t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
-Re-thread the current article's thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
-summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
+;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
-@item T ^
-@kindex T ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
-Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
+ (mc-verify))))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+@item W W P
+@kindex W W P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
+Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
-The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
-understand the numeric prefix.
+@item W W B
+@kindex W W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@cindex banner
+@cindex OneList
+@cindex stripping advertisments
+@cindex advertisments
+Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
+annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
+groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
+the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
+group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
+which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
+removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
+signature should be removed.
-@table @kbd
+@item W W c
+@kindex W W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
+customizing the hiding:
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
-Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
+@table @code
-@item T p
-@kindex T p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
-Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
+allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
+by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
+specs are valid:
-@item T d
-@kindex T d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
-Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
+@table @samp
+@item b
+Starting point of the hidden text.
+@item e
+Ending point of the hidden text.
+@item l
+Number of characters in the hidden region.
+@item n
+Number of lines of hidden text.
+@end table
-@item T u
-@kindex T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
-Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
+@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
+@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
+The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
+shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
+and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
-@item T o
-@kindex T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
-Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
@end table
-@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
-If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
-threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
-a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
-wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
-have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
-you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
-is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
-when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
-the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
-operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
-that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+@item W W C-c
+@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
+following two variables:
-@node Sorting
-@section Sorting
+@table @code
+@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
+50), hide the cited text.
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
-@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
-If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
-setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which is a list of functions.
-By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
-predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
+@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
+is hidden.
+@end table
-Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
-thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
-normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread. If you use
-more than one function, the primary sort key should be the last function
-in the list. You should probably always include
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
-functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
-equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
-ascending article order.
+@item W W C
+@kindex W W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
+Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
+useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
+have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
-If you would like to sort by score, then by subject, and finally by
-number, you could do something like:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
- gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
- gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score))
-@end lisp
+All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
+prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
+hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
-The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
-summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
-alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
-subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
-which the articles arrived.
+Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
+citation customization.
-If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
-say something like:
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
+automatically.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '((lambda (t1 t2)
- (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
- gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
-@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
-The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
-@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
-functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
-tickles your fancy.
+@node Article Washing
+@subsection Article Washing
+@cindex washing
+@cindex article washing
-@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
-If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
-you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
-It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
-it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
-sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
+@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
-If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
-say something like:
+@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
+something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
+Cleaner, perhaps.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
- '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
- gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item W l
+@kindex W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
+Remove page breaks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
+delimiters.
+@item W r
+@kindex W r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
+Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
+Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
+(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
-@node Asynchronous Fetching
-@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
-@cindex asynchronous article fetching
-@cindex article pre-fetch
-@cindex pre-fetch
+It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
+positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
+#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
+is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
-If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
-network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
-for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
-article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
-while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+@item W t
+@kindex W t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
-First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
-article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
+@item W v
+@kindex W v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
-Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
-quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
-know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
-article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
-connection is blocked.
+@item W o
+@kindex W o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
+Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
-To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
-connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
-thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
-extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
+@item W d
+@kindex W d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
+@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
+@cindex Smartquotes
+@cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
+@cindex Latin 1
+Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
+@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
+whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
+interactively.
-Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
-the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
-loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
-also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
-extra connection.
+@item W w
+@kindex W w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
+Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
-you really want to.
+You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
+when filling.
-@vindex gnus-asynchronous
-Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
-happen automatically.
+@item W Q
+@kindex W Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
-@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
-You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
-@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
-that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
-the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
-pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
-@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
+@item W C
+@kindex W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
+Capitalize the first word in each sentence
+(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
-@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
-@findex gnus-async-read-p
-There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
-articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
-return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
-pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
-@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
-data structure as the only parameter.
+@item W c
+@kindex W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
+Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
+(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
+CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
-If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+@item W q
+@kindex W q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
+Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
+non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
+@samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
+readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
+Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
+header that says that this encoding has been done.
-@lisp
-(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
- "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
- (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
- (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
- 100)))
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Summary)
+@cindex x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\include{xface}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+Look for and display any X-Face headers
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
+function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
+If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
+sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
+face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
+is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
+The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
+program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
+@code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
+like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
+to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
+support, the default action is to display the face before the
+@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
+support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
+X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
+external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
+friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
+like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
+want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
+last.
-(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
-@end lisp
+@item W b
+@kindex W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
+Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
-These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
-preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
-It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
+@item W B
+@kindex W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
+Add clickable buttons to the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
-Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
-@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
-articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
+@item W W H
+@kindex W W H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
+Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
-@table @code
-@item read
-Remove articles when they are read.
+@item W E l
+@kindex W E l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
-@item exit
-Remove articles when exiting the group.
-@end table
+@item W E m
+@kindex W E m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
+lines with a single empty line.
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
-The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
+@item W E t
+@kindex W E t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
-@vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
-If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
-from the next group.
+@item W E a
+@kindex W E a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
+Do all the three commands above
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+@item W E A
+@kindex W E A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
-@node Article Caching
-@section Article Caching
-@cindex article caching
-@cindex caching
+@item W E s
+@kindex W E s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
+Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
-If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
-consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
-locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
-potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
-your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+@item W E e
+@kindex W E e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
+Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
-Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-@vindex gnus-cache-directory
-@vindex gnus-use-cache
-To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
-all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
-over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
-cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
-When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
-cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
-expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
-keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
-as dormant, and don't worry.
-When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
+@node Article Buttons
+@subsection Article Buttons
+@cindex buttons
-@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
-@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
-The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
-variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
-dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
-put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
-articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
-symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
-@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
+be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
+with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
+button on these references.
-@findex gnus-jog-cache
-So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
-picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
-subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
-store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
-command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
-really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
-Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
-to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
-not then be downloaded by this command.
+Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
+two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
+article heads:
-@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
-It is likely that you do not want caching on some groups. For instance,
-if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
-sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
-feel that it's neat to use twice as much space. To limit the caching,
-you could set the @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to
-@samp{^nnml}, for instance. This variable is @code{nil} by
-default.
+@table @code
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
-@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
-The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
-file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
-of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
-offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
-gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
-files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
-file.
+@item gnus-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-alist
+This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+@lisp
+(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
-@node Persistent Articles
-@section Persistent Articles
-@cindex persistent articles
+@table @var
-Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
-In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
-useful in my opinion.
+@item regexp
+All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
+external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
+@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
-Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
-that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
-(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
-that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
-the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
-the expiry going on at the news server.
+@item button-par
+Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
+is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
+highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
-This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
-be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
-you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+@item use-p
+This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
+this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
+avoid false matches.
-@table @kbd
+@item function
+This function will be called when you click on this button.
-@item *
-@kindex * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
-Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+@item data-par
+As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
+says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
-@item M-*
-@kindex M-* (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
-Remove the current article from the persistent articles
-(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
-article.
@end table
-Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-
-To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
-you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
-interested in persistent articles:
+So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
@end lisp
+@item gnus-header-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
+This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
+article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
+used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
-@node Article Backlog
-@section Article Backlog
-@cindex backlog
-@cindex article backlog
+@lisp
+(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
-If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
-unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
-by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
-already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
-you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
-re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
-that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
-increase memory usage some.
+@var{header} is a regular expression.
-@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
-If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
-at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
-variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
-@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
-bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
-that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
+@item gnus-button-url-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
+A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
+default values of the variables above.
-This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+@item gnus-article-button-face
+@vindex gnus-article-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@item gnus-article-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
+Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+@end table
-@node Saving Articles
-@section Saving Articles
-@cindex saving articles
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
-Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
-for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
-processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
-approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
-If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
-unwanted headers before saving the article.
+@node Article Date
+@subsection Article Date
-@vindex gnus-saved-headers
-If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
-@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
-deleted before saving.
+The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
+heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
+when the article was sent.
@table @kbd
-@item O o
-@itemx o
-@kindex O o (Summary)
-@kindex o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
-Save the current article using the default article saver
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+@item W T u
+@kindex W T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-ut
+Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
+(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
-@item O m
-@kindex O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
-Save the current article in mail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
+@item W T i
+@kindex W T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
+@cindex ISO 8601
+Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
+(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
-@item O r
-@kindex O r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
-Save the current article in rmail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
+@item W T l
+@kindex W T l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-local
+Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
-@item O f
-@kindex O f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
-Save the current article in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
+@item W T s
+@kindex W T s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-article-time-format
+@findex gnus-article-date-user
+@findex format-time-string
+Display the date using a user-defined format
+(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
+@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
+to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
+for a list of possible format specs.
-@item O F
-@kindex O F (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
-Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
-file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
+@item W T e
+@kindex W T e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
+@findex gnus-start-date-timer
+@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
+Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
+(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
-@item O b
-@kindex O b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
-Save the current article body in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
+@example
+X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
+@end example
-@item O h
-@kindex O h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
-Save the current article in mh folder format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
+The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
+whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
+replace it.
-@item O v
-@kindex O v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
-Save the current article in a VM folder
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
+An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
+into wonderful absurdities.
-@item O p
-@kindex O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
-Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
-the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
-@end table
+If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
-@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
-All these commands use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
-functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
-and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
-the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
-default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
-loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
-just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
-have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
-to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
-save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
-files.
+@lisp
+(gnus-start-date-timer)
+@end lisp
+in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
+you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
+command.
-@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
-You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
-Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
-functions below, or you can create your own.
+@item W T o
+@kindex W T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-original
+Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
+be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
+worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
+that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
+@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
-@table @code
+@end table
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
+preferred format automatically.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
-Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@vindex gnus-file-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
-the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@node Article Signature
+@subsection Article Signature
+@cindex signatures
+@cindex article signature
-@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
+body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
+that says what is to be considered a signature is
+@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
+@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
+non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
+of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
+from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-folder-save-name
-@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
-@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
-@cindex rcvstore
-@cindex MH folders
-Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
-library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
-to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
-@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
-@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-separator
+ '("^-- $" ; The standard
+ "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
+ "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
+ ; line of dashes. Shame!
+ "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
+ "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
+ "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
-reader to use this setting.
-@end table
+The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
+positives.
-@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
-All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
-in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
-@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
-default.
+@vindex gnus-signature-limit
+@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
+signature when displaying articles.
-As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
-suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
-available functions that generate names:
+@enumerate
+@item
+If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
+that integer.
+@item
+If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
+than that number.
+@item
+If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
+and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
+@item
+If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
+in question is not a signature.
+@end enumerate
-@table @code
+This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
+listed above. Here's an example:
-@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-signature-limit
+ '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
+separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
+the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
+signature after all.
-@item gnus-Plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@item gnus-plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@end table
+@node Article Miscellania
+@subsection Article Miscellania
-@vindex gnus-split-methods
-You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
-the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
-save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
-related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
-like:
+@table @kbd
+@item A t
+@kindex A t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-babel
+Translate the article from one language to another
+(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
-@lisp
-(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
- ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
- (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
- ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
-elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
-a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
-head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
-group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
-@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
-the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
-result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
-called returns a string or a list of strings.
-You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
-saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
-then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
-name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+@node MIME Commands
+@section @sc{mime} Commands
+@cindex MIME decoding
-This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
-means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
-@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
-name.
+The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
-Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
-lots of mail groups called things like
-@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
-these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
-following will do just that:
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@itemx K v
+@kindex b (Summary)
+@kindex K v (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K o
+@kindex K o (Summary)
+Save the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K c
+@kindex K c (Summary)
+Copy the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K e
+@kindex K e (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part externally.
+
+@item K i
+@kindex K i (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part internally.
+
+@item K |
+@kindex K | (Summary)
+Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
+@end table
-@lisp
-(defun my-save-name (group)
- (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
- (substring group (match-end 0))))
+The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
+the same manner:
-(setq gnus-split-methods
- '((gnus-article-archive-name)
- (my-save-name)))
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item K b
+@kindex K b (Summary)
+Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in from of them. This is
+mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
+parts.
+@item K m
+@kindex K m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
+Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
+This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
+be viewed in a more pleasant manner
+(@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
+
+@item X m
+@kindex X m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
+Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
-@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
-(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
-the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
-all the files in the top level directory
-(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
-@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
-on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
-Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
+@item M-t
+@kindex M-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
+Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
+
+@item W M w
+@kindex W M w (Summary)
+Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
+
+@item W M c
+@kindex W M c (Summary)
+Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
+
+This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
+charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
+prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
+MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
+the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@item W M v
+@kindex W M v (Summary)
+View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
-This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
-is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
-names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
-@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
-contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
-for kill files.
+@end table
-If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
-a spool, you could
+Relevant variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
+
+To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
-(setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
+(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
+ '("text/x-vcard"))
@end lisp
-Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
-ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
-the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
-around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
+@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
+@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
+@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
+For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
+handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
+users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
+the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
+save all jpegs into some directory).
-@node Decoding Articles
-@section Decoding Articles
-@cindex decoding articles
+Here's an example function the does the latter:
-Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
-encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
+ (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
+ (with-temp-buffer
+ (insert (mm-get-part handle))
+ (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
+(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
+ 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
-* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
-* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
-* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
-* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
-* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
-@cindex series
-@cindex article series
-All these functions use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
-the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
-can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
-articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
+@end table
-Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
-simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
-last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
-For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
-will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
-([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
+@node Charsets
+@section Charsets
+@cindex charsets
+
+People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
+charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
+newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
+just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
+help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
+what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
+hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
+This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
+variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
+default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+
+In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
+aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
+if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
+@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
+charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
+on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
+something some agents insist on having in there.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
+When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
+determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
+encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
+quoted-printable header encoding.
+
+This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
+for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
+header body-list}@code{)}, where:
-Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
-series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
-commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
+@table @var
+@item test
+is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
+variable to query,
+@item header
+is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
+means encode all charsets),
+@item body-list
+is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
+encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
+encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
+@end table
+@cindex Russian
+@cindex koi8-r
+@cindex koi8-u
+@cindex iso-8859-5
+@cindex coding system aliases
+@cindex preferred charset
-@node Uuencoded Articles
-@subsection Uuencoded Articles
-@cindex uudecode
-@cindex uuencoded articles
+Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
-@table @kbd
+If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
+charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
-@item X u
-@kindex X u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
-Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
+@lisp
+(put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
+ 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
-@item X U
-@kindex X U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
-Uudecodes and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
+the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
-@item X v u
-@kindex X v u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
-Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
-@item X v U
-@kindex X v U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
-Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
+@lisp
+(define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
-@end table
+This will almost do the right thing.
-Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
-the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
-entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
+something like
-All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
-@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
-the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
-articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
-@kbd{X u}.
+@lisp
+(codepage-setup 1251)
+(define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
-Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
-@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
-@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
-automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
-you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
-off.
+@node Article Commands
+@section Article Commands
-@node Shell Archives
-@subsection Shell Archives
-@cindex unshar
-@cindex shell archives
-@cindex shared articles
+@table @kbd
-Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
-sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
-some commands to deal with these:
+@item A P
+@cindex PostScript
+@cindex printing
+@kindex A P (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-print-article
+Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
+run just before printing the buffer.
-@table @kbd
+@end table
-@item X s
-@kindex X s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
-Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
-@item X S
-@kindex X S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
-Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
+@node Summary Sorting
+@section Summary Sorting
+@cindex summary sorting
-@item X v s
-@kindex X v s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
-Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
+You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
+can't really see why you'd want that.
-@item X v S
-@kindex X v S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
-Unshars, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
-@end table
+@table @kbd
+@item C-c C-s C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
+Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
-@node PostScript Files
-@subsection PostScript Files
-@cindex PostScript
+@item C-c C-s C-a
+@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
+Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
-@table @kbd
+@item C-c C-s C-s
+@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
+Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
-@item X p
-@kindex X p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
-Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
+@item C-c C-s C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
+Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
-@item X P
-@kindex X P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
-Unpack and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
+@item C-c C-s C-l
+@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
+Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
-@item X v p
-@kindex X v p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
-View the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+@item C-c C-s C-c
+@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
+Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
-@item X v P
-@kindex X v P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
-View and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
+@item C-c C-s C-i
+@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
+Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
@end table
+These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
+use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
+line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
+root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
+toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
+Commands}).
+
-@node Other Files
-@subsection Other Files
+@node Finding the Parent
+@section Finding the Parent
+@cindex parent articles
+@cindex referring articles
@table @kbd
-@item X o
-@kindex X o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
-Save the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
-
-@item X b
-@kindex X b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
-Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
-doesn't really work yet.
-@end table
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
+If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
+displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
+if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
+and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
+can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
+you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
+summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
+If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
+the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
+ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
+grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
+@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
+article.
-@node Decoding Variables
-@subsection Decoding Variables
+@item A R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
+@kindex A R (Summary)
+Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
+article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
-Adjective, not verb.
+@item A T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
+@kindex A T (Summary)
+Display the full thread where the current article appears
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
+headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
+you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
+to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
+visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
+faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
-@menu
-* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
-* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
-* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
+The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
+articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
+fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
+the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
+by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
+@item M-^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
+@kindex M-^ (Summary)
+@cindex Message-ID
+@cindex fetching by Message-ID
+You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
+matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
+@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
+that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
+have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+@end table
-@node Rule Variables
-@subsubsection Rule Variables
-@cindex rule variables
+The current select method will be used when fetching by
+@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
+by giving this command a prefix.
-Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
-variables are of the form
+@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
+If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
+support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
+updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
+necessary.
-@lisp
- (list '(regexp1 command2)
- '(regexp2 command2)
- ...)
-@end lisp
+It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
+@code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
+is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
+match.
-@table @code
+Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
+then ask Deja if that fails:
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@cindex sox
-This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
-for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
-say something like:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
- (list '(\"\\\\.au$\" \"sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio\")))
+(setq gnus-refer-article-method
+ '(current
+ (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
@end lisp
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
-user and default view rules.
-
-@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
-archives.
-@end table
-
-
-@node Other Decode Variables
-@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
-
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
+not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
+@code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
+@code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
+have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
+consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
-@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
-successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
-and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
-anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
-@table @code
+@node Alternative Approaches
+@section Alternative Approaches
-@item gnus-uu-grab-view
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
-View the file.
+Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
+Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
-@item gnus-uu-grab-move
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
-Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
-@end table
+@menu
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
+@end menu
-@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
-@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
-that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
-time.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+@node Pick and Read
+@subsection Pick and Read
+@cindex pick and read
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
-Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
-@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
-kludgey.
+Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
+a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
+buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
+articles with just an article buffer displayed.
-@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+@findex gnus-pick-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
+Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
+this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
+mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
+it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
-@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
-looking for files to display.
+Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
-@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
-Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
-after viewing it.
+@table @kbd
+@item .
+@kindex . (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
+Pick the article or thread on the current line
+(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
+entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
+it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
+thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
+at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
-rules.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-next-page
+Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
+at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
-unpacking commands.
+@item u
+@kindex u (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
+Unpick the thread or article
+(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
+thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
+just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
+the thread or article at that line.
-@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
-from articles.
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
+@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
+Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
+given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
+@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
+will still be visible when you are reading.
-@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
-decoded articles as unread.
+@end table
-@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
-uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
+pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
+which is mapped to the same function
+@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
-@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
+If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
-@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@cindex metamail
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
-commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
-content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
-@code{metamail} for viewing.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
-decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
-embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
-to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
-simply dropped them.
+@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
+If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
+all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
+The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
+standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
+displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
-@node Uuencoding and Posting
-@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
-@table @code
+@node Binary Groups
+@subsection Binary Groups
+@cindex binary groups
-@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
-before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
-either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
-for you when you post the article.
+@findex gnus-binary-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
+If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
+@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
+is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
+selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
+instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
-@item gnus-uu-post-length
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
-Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
-many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+@kindex g (Binary)
+@findex gnus-binary-show-article
+The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
+command, when you have turned on this mode
+(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
-thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
-to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
-seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
-think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
-@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
-article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
-variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
-at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
-Default is @code{t}.
-@end table
+@node Tree Display
+@section Tree Display
+@cindex trees
+@vindex gnus-use-trees
+If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
+@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
+additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
+in the tree buffer.
-@node Viewing Files
-@subsection Viewing Files
-@cindex viewing files
-@cindex pseudo-articles
+There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
-After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
-to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
-viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
-containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
-uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
-This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
-of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
+A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
-Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
-extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
-``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
-will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
+Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
+of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
-until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+@item gnus-selected-tree-face
+@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
+Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
+default is @code{modeline}.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
-the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
-immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
-be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
+@item gnus-tree-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
+A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
+though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
+is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
+the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
+length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
-pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
-@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
-a list of parameters to that command.
+Valid specs are:
-@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
-If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
-pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
+@table @samp
+@item n
+The name of the poster.
+@item f
+The @code{From} header.
+@item N
+The number of the article.
+@item [
+The opening bracket.
+@item ]
+The closing bracket.
+@item s
+The subject.
+@end table
-So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
-@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
-Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+Variables related to the display are:
-@node Article Treatment
-@section Article Treatment
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-brackets
+@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
+This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
+``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
+(@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
+default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
-Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
-object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
-written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
-writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
-these articles easier.
+@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
+nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
-@menu
-* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
-* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
-* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
-* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
-* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
-* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
-* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
-@end menu
+@end table
+@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
+@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
+buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
+windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
+higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
+have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
+buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
+other windows displayed next to it.
-@node Article Highlighting
-@subsection Article Highlighting
-@cindex highlight
+@item gnus-generate-tree-function
+@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
+@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
+The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
+functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
+@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
-Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
-you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
-@item W H a
-@kindex W H a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight
-Highlight the current article (@code{gnus-article-highlight}).
+@example
+@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
+ | \[Jan]
+ | \[odd]-[Eri]
+ | \(***)-[Eri]
+ | \[odd]-[Paa]
+ \[Bjo]
+ \[Gun]
+ \[Gun]-[Jor]
+@end example
-@item W H h
-@kindex W H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
-@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
-Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
-highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
-variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
-name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
-header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
-(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
-the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
-@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
+Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
-@item W H c
-@kindex W H c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
-Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+@example
+@{***@}
+ |--------------------------\-----\-----\
+(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
+ |--\-----\-----\ |
+[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
+ | | |--\
+[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
+ |
+ [Paa]
+@end example
-Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
+If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
+side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
+following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t
+ gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+ gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (horizontal 0.25
+ (summary 0.75 point)
+ (tree 1.0))
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+@xref{Windows Configuration}.
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
-default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+@node Mail Group Commands
+@section Mail Group Commands
+@cindex mail group commands
-@item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
-@vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
-Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
+Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
+invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
-@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
-Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
+All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item gnus-cite-face-list
-@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
-List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
-When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
-Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
-This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-supercite-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
-Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+@item B e
+@kindex B e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
+Expire all expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
-@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+@item B M-C-e
+@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
+Delete all the expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
+articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
+disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
-@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
-that it's a citation.
+@item B DEL
+@kindex B DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
+Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
+disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
+(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
+@item B m
+@kindex B m (Summary)
+@cindex move mail
+@findex gnus-summary-move-article
+@vindex gnus-preserve-marks
+Move the article from one mail group to another
+(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
+@item B c
+@kindex B c (Summary)
+@cindex copy mail
+@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
+Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
+(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
-Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
-cited text belonging to the attribution.
+@item B B
+@kindex B B (Summary)
+@cindex crosspost mail
+@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
+Crosspost the current article to some other group
+(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
+the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
+be properly updated.
-@end table
+@item B i
+@kindex B i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-import-article
+Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
+name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@item B r
+@kindex B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
+@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
+select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
+which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
+Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
+(which is the default).
-@item W H s
-@kindex W H s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-@vindex gnus-signature-face
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
-Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
-Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
-Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
-highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
-default.
+@item B w
+@itemx e
+@kindex B w (Summary)
+@kindex e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
+@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
+editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
+@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
-@end table
+@item B q
+@kindex B q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
+If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
+the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
+will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+@item B t
+@kindex B t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
+Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
+when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
-@node Article Fontisizing
-@subsection Article Fontisizing
-@cindex emphasis
-@cindex article emphasis
+@item B p
+@kindex B p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
+Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
+follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
+@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
+(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
+article from your news server (or rather, from
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
+report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
+it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
+propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
+just not have arrived yet.
-@findex gnus-article-emphasize
-@kindex W e (Summary)
-People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
-like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
-running the article through the @kbd{W e}
-(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-article-emphasis
-How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-article-emphasis} variable. This is an alist where the first
-element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
-that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
-emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
-should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
-groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
-highlighting.
+@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
+@cindex moving articles
+If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
+suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
+variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
+(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
+suggestions you find reasonable.
@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-emphasis
- '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
- ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+(setq gnus-move-split-methods
+ '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
+ ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
+ (".*" "nnml:misc")))
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
-By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
-@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
-If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
-customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
-to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
-say something like:
+@node Various Summary Stuff
+@section Various Summary Stuff
-@lisp
-(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
-@end lisp
+@menu
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+@end menu
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
+@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
+This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
-@node Article Hiding
-@subsection Article Hiding
-@cindex article hiding
+@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
+@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
+This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
+generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
+the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
+is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
+have been set.
-Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
-too much cruft in most articles.
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
+it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
+some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
+generated.
-@item W W a
-@kindex W W a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide
-Do maximum hiding on the summary buffer (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}).
+@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
+it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
+same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
+sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
+If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
+@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
+any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
+article---it'll be as if it never existed.
-@item W W h
-@kindex W W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
-Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
-Headers}.
+@vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+@item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
+of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
+list of articles to be selected.
-@item W W b
-@kindex W W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
+For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
+the list in one particular group:
-@item W W s
-@kindex W W s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
-Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
-Signature}.
+@lisp
+(defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
+ (if (string= group "some.group")
+ (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
+ articles))
+@end lisp
-@item W W p
-@kindex W W p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
-@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
-Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
-@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
-signature has been hidden.
+@end table
-@item W W P
-@kindex W W P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
-Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
-@item W W c
-@kindex W W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
-customizing the hiding:
+@node Summary Group Information
+@subsection Summary Group Information
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
-50), hide the cited text.
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
+current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
+FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
+on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
+In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
+be used for fetching the file.
-@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
-is hidden.
+@item H d
+@kindex H d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
+Give a brief description of the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
+rereading the description from the server.
-@item gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
-@vindex gnus-cited-text-button-line-format
-Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
-allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
-by this format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
-specs are valid:
+@item H h
+@kindex H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
+Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
+keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
-@table @samp
-@item b
-Start point of the hidden text.
-@item e
-End point of the hidden text.
-@item l
-Length of the hidden text.
+@item H i
+@kindex H i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
-@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
-@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
-The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
-@end table
+@node Searching for Articles
+@subsection Searching for Articles
-@item W W C
-@kindex W W C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
-Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
-useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
-in @code{gnus-article-display-hook} (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+@table @kbd
+
+@item M-s
+@kindex M-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
+Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
+
+@item M-r
+@kindex M-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
+Search through all previous articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
+@item &
+@kindex & (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
+This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
+match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
+(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
+backward instead.
+
+@item M-&
+@kindex M-& (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
+Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
+the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
@end table
-All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
-prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
-hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
+@node Summary Generation Commands
+@subsection Summary Generation Commands
-Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
-citation customization.
+@table @kbd
+@item Y g
+@kindex Y g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prepare
+Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
-@node Article Washing
-@subsection Article Washing
-@cindex washing
-@cindex article washing
+@item Y c
+@kindex Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
+Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
-We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
-@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+@end table
-@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
-something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
-Cleaner, perhaps.
-@table @kbd
+@node Really Various Summary Commands
+@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
-@item W l
-@kindex W l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
-Remove page breaks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article} for page
-delimiters.
+@table @kbd
-@item W r
-@kindex W r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
-Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
-Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
-(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
+@item A D
+@itemx C-d
+@kindex C-d (Summary)
+@kindex A D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
+If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
+a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
+guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
+to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
+whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
+some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
+fashion.
-It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
-positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
-#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
-is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+@item M-C-d
+@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-read-document
+This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
+several documents into one biiig group
+(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
+@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
+@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item W t
-@kindex W t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
+@item C-t
+@kindex C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
+Toggle truncation of summary lines
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
+line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
+to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
-@item W v
-@kindex W v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
-(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+@item =
+@kindex = (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
+Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
+If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
-@item W m
-@kindex W m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
-Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
+@item M-C-e
+@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
+Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
-@item W o
-@kindex W o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
-Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+@item M-C-a
+@kindex M-C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
+Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
-@item W d
-@kindex W d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
-Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}).
+@end table
-@item W w
-@kindex W w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
-Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}). If you use this
-function in @code{gnus-article-display-hook}, it should be run fairly
-late and certainly after any highlighting.
-You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
-when filling.
+@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary exit
+@cindex exiting groups
-@item W c
-@kindex W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
-Remove CR (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines)
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
+Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
+group and return you to the group buffer.
-@item W q
-@kindex W q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
-Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
-non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
-@samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
-readable to me.
+@table @kbd
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Summary)
-@cindex x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{xface}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
-Look for and display any X-Face headers
-(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
-function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
-If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
-sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
-face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
-is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
-The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
-face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
-@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
-support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
-X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
-external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
-want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
-last.
+@item Z Z
+@itemx q
+@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit
+@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
+Exit the current group and update all information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
+called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
+@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
+@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
+process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
+group mode having no more (unread) groups.
-@item W b
-@kindex W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
-Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
-@xref{Article Buttons}
+@item Z E
+@itemx Q
+@kindex Z E (Summary)
+@kindex Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
+Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
-@item W B
-@kindex W B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
-Add clickable buttons to the article headers
-(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
+@item Z c
+@itemx c
+@kindex Z c (Summary)
+@kindex c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
+Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
-@item W E l
-@kindex W E l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
+@item Z C
+@kindex Z C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
+Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
-@item W E m
-@kindex W E m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
-Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
-lines with a single empty line.
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
+@item Z n
+@kindex Z n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
-@item W E t
-@kindex W E t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
+@item Z R
+@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
+Exit this group, and then enter it again
+(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
+all articles, both read and unread.
-@item W E a
-@kindex W E a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
-Do all the three commands above
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+@item Z G
+@itemx M-g
+@kindex Z G (Summary)
+@kindex M-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
+Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
+group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
+articles, both read and unread.
-@item W E A
-@kindex W E A (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
+@item Z N
+@kindex Z N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-group
+Exit the group and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
-@item W E s
-@kindex W E s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
-Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
-body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
+@item Z P
+@kindex Z P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
+Exit the group and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+@item Z s
+@kindex Z s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
+Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
+and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
+given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
+command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
@end table
+@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
+@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
+with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
-@node Article Buttons
-@subsection Article Buttons
-@cindex buttons
+@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
+@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
+@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
+If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
+about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
+If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
+(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
+something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
+called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
+buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
+@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
+summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
-People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
-be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
-with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
-button on these references.
+There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
-Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
-Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
-two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
-article heads:
+@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
+The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
+read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
+summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
+@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
+this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
+other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
+neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
+both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-button-alist
-This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+@node Crosspost Handling
+@section Crosspost Handling
-@lisp
-(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
-@end lisp
+@cindex velveeta
+@cindex spamming
+Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
+read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
+posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
+several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
+by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
+heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
+(@pxref{NoCeM}).
-@table @var
+Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
+separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
+@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
+@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
+excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
-@item regexp
-All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
-external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
-@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
+@cindex cross-posting
+@cindex Xref
+@cindex @sc{nov}
+One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
+correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
+(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
+Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
+even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
+articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
+them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
+the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
+the cross reference mechanism.
-@item button-par
-Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
-is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
-highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
+@cindex LIST overview.fmt
+@cindex overview.fmt
+To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
+@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
+overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
+get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
+your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
+overview files.
-@item use-p
-This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
-this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
-avoid false matches.
+@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
+If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
+set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
+considerably.
-@item function
-This function will be called when you click on this button.
+C'est la vie.
-@item data-par
-As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
-says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@end table
-So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
+@node Duplicate Suppression
+@section Duplicate Suppression
-@lisp
-("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
-@end lisp
+By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
+article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
+(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
+approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
+reasons.
-@item gnus-header-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
-This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
-article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
-used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
+@enumerate
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+is evil and not very common.
-@lisp
-(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
-@end lisp
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
-@var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
+@item
+You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
+different @sc{nntp} servers.
-@item gnus-button-url-regexp
-@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
-A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
-default values of the variables above.
+@item
+You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
+@end enumerate
-@item gnus-article-button-face
-@vindex gnus-article-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
+I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
+well, but these four are the most common situations.
-@item gnus-article-mouse-face
-@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
-Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
+consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
+will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
+otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
+all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
+mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
+so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
+once.
+
+Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
+sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
+fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
+to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
+article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
+saw the article in.
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
+@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
+If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
+@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
+@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
+If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
+make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
+However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
+session are suppressed.
-@node Article Date
-@subsection Article Date
+@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
+suppression list. The default is 10000.
-The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
-heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
-when the article was sent.
+@item gnus-duplicate-file
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
+The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
+default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
+you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
+the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
+so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
+to you to figure out, I think.
-@item W T u
-@kindex W T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-ut
-Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
-(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
-@item W T i
-@kindex W T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
-@cindex ISO 8601
-Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
-(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
+@node The Article Buffer
+@chapter The Article Buffer
+@cindex article buffer
-@item W T l
-@kindex W T l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-local
-Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
+The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
+one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
+tell Gnus otherwise.
-@item W T s
-@kindex W T s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-article-time-format
-@findex gnus-article-date-user
-@findex format-time-string
-Display the date using a user-defined format
-(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
-@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
-to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
-for a list of possible format specs.
+@menu
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+@end menu
-@item W T e
-@kindex W T e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
-@findex gnus-start-date-timer
-@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
-Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
-(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). If you want to have this line
-updated continually, you can put
-@lisp
-(gnus-start-date-timer)
-@end lisp
+@node Hiding Headers
+@section Hiding Headers
+@cindex hiding headers
+@cindex deleting headers
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
-you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
-command.
+The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
+@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
-@item W T o
-@kindex W T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-original
-Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
-be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
-worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
-that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
-@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
+@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
+There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
+who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
+article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
+most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
+through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
+of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
+article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
-@end table
+Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+@table @code
-@node Article Signature
-@subsection Article Signature
-@cindex signatures
-@cindex article signature
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+@vindex gnus-visible-headers
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
+that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
+headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
-body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
-that says what is to be considered a signature is
-@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
-@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
-non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
-of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
-from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
+For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
+the article and the subject, you'd say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-separator
- '("^-- $" ; The standard
- "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
- "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
- ; line of dashes. Shame!
- "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
- "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
- "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
+(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
@end lisp
-The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
-positives.
-
-@vindex gnus-signature-limit
-@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
-signature.
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+remain visible.
-@enumerate
-@item
-If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
-that integer.
-@item
-If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
-than that number.
-@item
-If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
-and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
-@item
-If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
-in question is not a signature.
-@end enumerate
+@item gnus-ignored-headers
+@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
+This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
+variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
+should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
+hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
-This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
-listed above. Here's an example:
+For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
+and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-limit
- '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
+(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
@end lisp
-This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
-separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
-the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
-signature after all.
-
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+be removed.
-@node Article Commands
-@section Article Commands
+Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
+variable will have no effect.
-@table @kbd
+@end table
-@item A P
-@cindex PostScript
-@cindex printing
-@kindex A P (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-print-article
-Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
-run just before printing the buffer.
+@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
+Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
+can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
+variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
+the headers are to be displayed.
-@end table
+For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
+and then the subject, you might say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+@end lisp
-@node Summary Sorting
-@section Summary Sorting
-@cindex summary sorting
+Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
+variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
-You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
-can't really see why you'd want that.
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
+You can hide further boring headers by setting
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-header} to @code{head}. What this function
+does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
+list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
+lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
+from sight.
-@table @kbd
+These conditions are:
+@table @code
+@item empty
+Remove all empty headers.
+@item followup-to
+Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
+@code{Newsgroups} header.
+@item reply-to
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
+@code{From} header.
+@item newsgroups
+Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
+name.
+@item date
+Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
+old.
+@item long-to
+Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
+@item many-to
+Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
+@end table
-@item C-c C-s C-n
-@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
-Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
+To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
-@item C-c C-s C-a
-@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
-Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
+ '(empty followup-to reply-to))
+@end lisp
-@item C-c C-s C-s
-@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
-Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
+This is also the default value for this variable.
-@item C-c C-s C-d
-@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
-Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
-@item C-c C-s C-l
-@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
-Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
+@node Using MIME
+@section Using @sc{mime}
+@cindex @sc{mime}
-@item C-c C-s C-i
-@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
-Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
-@end table
+Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
+while people stand around yawning.
-These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
-use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
-line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
-root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
-toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
-Commands}).
+@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+while all newsreaders die of fear.
+@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
+other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
-@node Finding the Parent
-@section Finding the Parent
-@cindex parent articles
-@cindex referring articles
+@vindex gnus-display-mime-function
+@findex gnus-display-mime
+Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
+to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
+default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
+display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
+
+The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
+@sc{mime} button:
@table @kbd
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
-If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
-displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
-if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
-and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
-can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
-you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
-summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
+@findex gnus-article-press-button
+@item RET (Article)
+@itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
+Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
+(@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part
+@item M-RET (Article)
+@itemx v (Article)
+Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
+method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-save-part
+@item o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-copy-part
+@item c (Article)
+Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
+@item t (Article)
+View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
+@item | (Article)
+Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-inline-part
+@item i (Article)
+Insert the raw contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}).
-If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
-the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
-ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
-grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
-@kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
-article.
+@end table
-@item A R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
-@kindex A R (Summary)
-Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
-article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
+Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
+determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
+manual.
-@item A T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
-@kindex A T (Summary)
-Display the full thread where the current article appears
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
-headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
-you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
-to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
-visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
-faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
+It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
+buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
+group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
+decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
+comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
+because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
+try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
+to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
+to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
-@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
-The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
-articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
-fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
-the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
-by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
+Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
-@item M-^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
-@kindex M-^ (Summary)
-@cindex Message-ID
-@cindex fetching by Message-ID
-You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
-matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
-@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
-that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
-have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
-@end table
+Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
-The current select method will be used when fetching by
-@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
-by giving this command a prefix.
-@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
-If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
-support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
-you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
-would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
-updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
-necessary.
+@node Customizing Articles
+@section Customizing Articles
+@cindex article customization
-Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
-not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
-@code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
-@code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
-have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
-consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
+A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
+exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
+called automatically when you select the articles.
+To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
+``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
+be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
-@node Alternative Approaches
-@section Alternative Approaches
+Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
+for sensible values.
-Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
-Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
-@menu
-* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
-* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
-@end menu
+@item
+@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
+@item
+@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
-@node Pick and Read
-@subsection Pick and Read
-@cindex pick and read
+@item
+@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
-Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
-a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
-buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
-articles with just an article buffer displayed.
+@item
+An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
+than this number.
-@findex gnus-pick-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
-Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
-this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
-mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
-it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
+@item
+A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
+articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
+regexps in the list.
-Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
+@item
+A list where the first element is not a string:
-@table @kbd
-@item .
-@kindex . (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
-Pick the article or thread on the current line
-(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
-entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
-it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
-thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
-at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
+The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
+predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
+@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-next-page
-Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
-at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
+@lisp
+(or last
+ (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
-@item u
-@kindex u (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
-Unpick the thread or article
-(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
-thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
-just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
-the thread or article at that line.
+@end enumerate
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
-@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
-Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
-given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
-@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
-will still be visible when you are reading.
+You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
+to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
+be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
+considered to contain just a single part.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
+Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
+want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
+treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
+type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
+controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
+The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
+customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
+group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
+possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
+@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@item gnus-treat-translate
@end table
-All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
-pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
-which is mapped to the same function
-@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
+@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
+You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
+@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
+part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
+information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
+everything.
-If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
-@end lisp
+@node Article Keymap
+@section Article Keymap
-@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
+article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
+buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
+buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
+buffer.
-@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
-If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
-all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+A few additional keystrokes are available:
-@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
-The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
-standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
-displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
+@table @kbd
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-page
+Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
-@node Binary Groups
-@subsection Binary Groups
-@cindex binary groups
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-page
+Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
-@findex gnus-binary-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
-If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
-@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
-is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
-selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
-instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
+@item C-c ^
+@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-refer-article
+If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
+@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
+(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
-@kindex g (Binary)
-@findex gnus-binary-show-article
-The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
-command, when you have turned on this mode
-(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
+@item C-c C-m
+@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-mail
+Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
+given a prefix, include the mail.
-@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-show-summary
+Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
+(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
+
+@item TAB
+@kindex TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-button
+Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
+only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-button
+Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
-@node Tree Display
-@section Tree Display
-@cindex trees
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-use-trees
-If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
-@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
-additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
-in the tree buffer.
-There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
+@node Misc Article
+@section Misc Article
@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
-A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
-@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
-Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
-of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
+@item gnus-single-article-buffer
+@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
+If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
+(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
+article buffer.
-@item gnus-selected-tree-face
-@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
-Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
-default is @code{modeline}.
+@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
+@item gnus-article-decode-hook
+@cindex MIME
+Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
+@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
-@item gnus-tree-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
-A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
-though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
-is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
-the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
-length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
+@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
+This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
+article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
+depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
+the contents of the article buffer.
-Valid specs are:
+@item gnus-article-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
+Hook called in article mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
+@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
+@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
+This variable is a format string along the same lines as
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
+extensions:
@table @samp
-@item n
-The name of the poster.
-@item f
-The @code{From} header.
-@item N
-The number of the article.
-@item [
-The opening bracket.
-@item ]
-The closing bracket.
-@item s
-The subject.
+@item w
+The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
+character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
+performed.
+@item m
+The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
@end table
-@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+@vindex gnus-break-pages
-Variables related to the display are:
+@item gnus-break-pages
+Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
+is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
+page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
+paging will not be done.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-brackets
-@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
-This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
-``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
-(sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
-default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
+@item gnus-page-delimiter
+@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
+This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
+(formfeed).
+@end table
-@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
-nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
-@end table
+@node Composing Messages
+@chapter Composing Messages
+@cindex composing messages
+@cindex messages
+@cindex mail
+@cindex sending mail
+@cindex reply
+@cindex followup
+@cindex post
-@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
-@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
-buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
-windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
-higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
-have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
-buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
-other windows displayed next to it.
+@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
+All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
+where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
+article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
+Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
+on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
-@item gnus-generate-tree-function
-@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
-@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
-@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
-The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
-functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
-@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
+@menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Post:: Posting and following up.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+@end menu
-@end table
+Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
-Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
-@example
-@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
- | \[Jan]
- | \[odd]-[Eri]
- | \(***)-[Eri]
- | \[odd]-[Paa]
- \[Bjo]
- \[Gun]
- \[Gun]-[Jor]
-@end example
+@node Mail
+@section Mail
-Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
+Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
-@example
-@{***@}
- |--------------------------\-----\-----\
-(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
- |--\-----\-----\ |
-[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
- | | |--\
-[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
- |
- [Paa]
-@end example
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
+@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
+List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
-If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
-side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
-following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+@item gnus-add-to-list
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
+that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-trees t
- gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
- gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article
- (vertical 1.0
- (horizontal 0.25
- (summary 0.75 point)
- (tree 1.0))
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+@node Post
+@section Post
-@node Mail Group Commands
-@section Mail Group Commands
-@cindex mail group commands
+Variables for composing news articles:
-Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
-invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
+Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
+sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
+user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
+dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
+same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
+history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
+this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
+file.
-All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
+file. It is 1000 by default.
-@table @kbd
+@end table
-@item B e
-@kindex B e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-Expire all expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
-@item B M-C-e
-@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
-Delete all the expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
-articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
-disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+@node Posting Server
+@section Posting Server
-@item B DEL
-@kindex B DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
-Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
-disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
-(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
+(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+
+Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+
+It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
+server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
+reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
+(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
+then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
-@item B m
-@kindex B m (Summary)
-@cindex move mail
-@findex gnus-summary-move-article
-Move the article from one mail group to another
-(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
+this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
+can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
+the ``current'' server for posting.
-@item B c
-@kindex B c (Summary)
-@cindex copy mail
-@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
-Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
-(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
+If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
+Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
-@item B B
-@kindex B B (Summary)
-@cindex crosspost mail
-@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
-Crosspost the current article to some other group
-(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
-the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
-be properly updated.
+You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
+If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
+for posting.
-@item B i
-@kindex B i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-import-article
-Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
-name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
+you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
+groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
+@code{current}.
-@item B r
-@kindex B r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
-Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
-@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
-select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
-which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
-@item B w
-@itemx e
-@kindex B w (Summary)
-@kindex e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
-@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
-Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
-editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
-(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
-@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
+@node Mail and Post
+@section Mail and Post
-@item B q
-@kindex B q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
-If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
-the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
-will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
+posting:
-@item B t
-@kindex B t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
-Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
-when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@cindex mailing lists
-@item B p
-@kindex B p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
-Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
-follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
-@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
-(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
-article from your news server (or rather, from
-@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
-report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
-it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
-propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
-just not have arrived yet.
+If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
+gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
+problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
+One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
+@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
+really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
+lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
+still a pain, though.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
-@cindex moving articles
-If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
-suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
-variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
-(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
-suggestions you find reasonable.
+You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
+you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
+spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+@cindex ispell
+@findex ispell-message
@lisp
-(setq gnus-move-split-methods
- '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
- ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
- (".*" "nnml:misc")))
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
@end lisp
+If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
+you're in, you could say something like the following:
-@node Various Summary Stuff
-@section Various Summary Stuff
-
-@menu
-* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
-@end menu
-
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
-@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
-This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
-
-@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
-@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
-This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
-generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
-the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
-is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
-have been set.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (cond
+ ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
+ (t
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
-it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
-some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
+Modify to suit your needs.
-@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
-it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
-same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
-sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
-If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
-@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
-any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
-article---it'll be as if it never existed.
-@end table
+@node Archived Messages
+@section Archived Messages
+@cindex archived messages
+@cindex sent messages
+Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
+send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
+store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
+is the default.
-@node Summary Group Information
-@subsection Summary Group Information
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
+use to store sent messages. The default is:
-@table @kbd
+@lisp
+(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
+ (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
+@end lisp
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
-current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
-FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
-on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
-In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
-be used for fetching the file.
+You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
+@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
+for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
+directory chosen, you could say something like:
-@item H d
-@kindex H d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
-Give a brief description of the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
-rereading the description from the server.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-method
+ '(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
+@end lisp
-@item H h
-@kindex H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
-Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
-keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
+@cindex Gcc
+Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
+to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
+determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
-@item H i
-@kindex H i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
-@end table
+This variable can be used to do the following:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item a string
+Messages will be saved in that group.
+@item a list of strings
+Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+@item @code{nil}
+No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
+@end itemize
-@node Searching for Articles
-@subsection Searching for Articles
+Let's illustrate:
-@table @kbd
+Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
+@end lisp
-@item M-s
-@kindex M-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
+Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
+@end lisp
-@item M-r
-@kindex M-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
-Search through all previous articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
+Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
+ ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
+ (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+@end lisp
-@item &
-@kindex & (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
-This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
-match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
-(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
-backward instead.
+More complex stuff:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ "misc-mail")))
+@end lisp
-@item M-&
-@kindex M-& (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
-Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
-the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
-@end table
+How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
+messages in one file per month:
-@node Summary Generation Commands
-@subsection Summary Generation Commands
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
+@end lisp
-@table @kbd
+(XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
-@item Y g
-@kindex Y g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prepare
-Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
+Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
+group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
+you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
+archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
+Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
+enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
+group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
+if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
+nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
+continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
-@item Y c
-@kindex Y c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
-Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
+That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
+different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
+case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
+this will disable archiving.
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
+@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
+All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
+all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
+you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
+group names.
+If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
+message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
+current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
+of names).
-@node Really Various Summary Commands
-@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
+This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
+but the latter is the preferred method.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
-@item C-d
-@kindex C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
-If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
-a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
-guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
-to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
-whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
-some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
-fashion.
+@node Posting Styles
+@section Posting Styles
+@cindex posting styles
+@cindex styles
-@item M-C-d
-@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-read-document
-This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
-several documents into one biiig group
-(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
-@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
-@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+All them variables, they make my head swim.
-@item C-t
-@kindex C-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
-Toggle truncation of summary lines
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
-line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
-to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
+So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
+on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
+and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
+on?
-@item =
-@kindex = (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
-Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
-If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
+@vindex gnus-posting-styles
+One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
+variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
+came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
+a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
+variable:
-@item M-C-e
-@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
-Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
-group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
+@lisp
+((".*"
+ (signature "Peace and happiness")
+ (organization "What me?"))
+ ("^comp"
+ (signature "Death to everybody"))
+ ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
+ (organization "Emacs is it")))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
+@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
+``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
+over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
+applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
+the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
+@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
+signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
+The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
+string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
+If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
+match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
+in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
+with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
+referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
+any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
+to @dfn{match}.
-@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary exit
-@cindex exiting groups
+Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
+attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
+@code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
+attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
+a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
+article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
+If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
+result is thrown away.
+
+The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
+zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
+will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
+will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
+message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
+are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
+
+If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
+meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
+of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
+
+@findex message-mail-p
+@findex message-news-p
-Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
-group and return you to the group buffer.
+So here's a new example:
-@table @kbd
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-posting-styles
+ '((".*"
+ (signature-file "~/.signature")
+ (name "User Name")
+ ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
+ ("^rec.humor"
+ (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+ (signature my-quote-randomizer))
+ ((message-news-p)
+ (signature my-news-signature))
+ (header "From.*To" "larsi.*org"
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p)
+ (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
+ (address "user@@bar.foo")
+ (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
+ (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
+ ("^nn.+:"
+ (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
+@end lisp
-@item Z Z
-@itemx q
-@kindex Z Z (Summary)
-@kindex q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit
-@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
-Exit the current group and update all information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
-called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
-@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
-@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
-process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
-group mode having no more (unread) groups.
-@item Z E
-@itemx Q
-@kindex Z E (Summary)
-@kindex Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
-Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
+@node Drafts
+@section Drafts
+@cindex drafts
-@item Z c
-@itemx c
-@kindex Z c (Summary)
-@kindex c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
-Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
+If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
+you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
+craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
+the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
+other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
-@item Z C
-@kindex Z C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
-Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
+Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
+some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
+automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
+If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
+article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
+group.)
-@item Z n
-@kindex Z n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
-Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+@cindex nndraft
+@vindex nndraft-directory
+The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
+@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
+@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
+@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
+that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
+read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
-@item Z R
-@kindex Z R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
-Exit this group, and then enter it again
-(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
-all articles, both read and unread.
+If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
+to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
+unsubscribe it.
-@item Z G
-@itemx M-g
-@kindex Z G (Summary)
-@kindex M-g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
-Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
-group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
-articles, both read and unread.
+@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
+@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
+@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
+@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
+@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
+@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
+@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
+@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
+@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
+@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
+@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
+@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
-@item Z N
-@kindex Z N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-group
-Exit the group and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
+@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
+@kindex D e (Draft)
+When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
+draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
+that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
-@item Z P
-@kindex Z P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
-Exit the group and go to the previous group
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
+Articles}).
-@item Z s
-@kindex Z s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
-Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
-and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
-given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
-command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
-@end table
+@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
+doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
+(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
+command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
+in the buffer.
-@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
-@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
-group.
+If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
+@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
+as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
-@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
-@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
-@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
-If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
-about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
-If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
-(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
-something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
-called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
-buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
-@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
-summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
-There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
+@node Rejected Articles
+@section Rejected Articles
+@cindex rejected articles
-@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
-The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
-read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
-summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
-@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
-this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
-other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
-neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
-both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
+Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
+doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
+@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
+Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
+(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
+fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
+you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
+articles until some later time when the server feels better.
-@node Crosspost Handling
-@section Crosspost Handling
+The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
+(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
+typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
-@cindex velveeta
-@cindex spamming
-Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
-read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
-posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
-several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
-by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
-heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
-(@pxref{NoCeM}).
-Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
-separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
-@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
-@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
-excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+@node Select Methods
+@chapter Select Methods
+@cindex foreign groups
+@cindex select methods
-@cindex cross-posting
-@cindex Xref
-@cindex @sc{nov}
-One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
-correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
-(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
-does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
-Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
-even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
-articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
-them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
-the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
-the cross reference mechanism.
+A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
+default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
+@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+personal mail group.
-@cindex LIST overview.fmt
-@cindex overview.fmt
-To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
-in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
-@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
-overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
-get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
-your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
-overview files.
+A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
+a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
+list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
+@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
+name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
+value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
-@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
-If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
-set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
-considerably.
+One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
+we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
-C'est la vie.
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+group as.
-For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
+@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
+method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
+@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
+backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
-@node Duplicate Suppression
-@section Duplicate Suppression
+@menu
+* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+@end menu
-By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
-article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
-(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
-approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
-reasons.
-@enumerate
-@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
-is evil and not very common.
+@node The Server Buffer
+@section The Server Buffer
-@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
-@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
+Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
+one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
+connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
+one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
+backend represents a virtual server.
-@item
-You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
-different @sc{nntp} servers.
+For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
+different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
+use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
-@item
-You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
-@end enumerate
+These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
+complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
+@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
+hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
+server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
+select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
-I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
-well, but these four are the most common situations.
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
-consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
-will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
-otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
-all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
-mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
-so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
-once.
+@menu
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+@end menu
-Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
-sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
-fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
-to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
-article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
-saw the article in.
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
-@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
-If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
-@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
-@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
-If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
-make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
-However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
-session are suppressed.
+@node Server Buffer Format
+@subsection Server Buffer Format
+@cindex server buffer format
-@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
-This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
-suppression list. The default is 10000.
+@vindex gnus-server-line-format
+You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
+@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
+variable, with some simple extensions:
-@item gnus-duplicate-file
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
-The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
-default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
-@end table
+@table @samp
-If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
-you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
-the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
-so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
-to you to figure out, I think.
+@item h
+How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+@item n
+The name of this server.
-@node The Article Buffer
-@chapter The Article Buffer
-@cindex article buffer
+@item w
+Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
-The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
-one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
-tell Gnus otherwise.
+@item s
+The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@end table
-@menu
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
+The mode line can also be customized by using the
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
+@table @samp
+@item S
+Server name.
-@node Hiding Headers
-@section Hiding Headers
-@cindex hiding headers
-@cindex deleting headers
+@item M
+Server method.
+@end table
-The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
-@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
-@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
-There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
-who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
-article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
-most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
-through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
-@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
-of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
-article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
-Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+@node Server Commands
+@subsection Server Commands
+@cindex server commands
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-visible-headers
-@vindex gnus-visible-headers
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
-that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
-headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+@item a
+@kindex a (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-add-server
+Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
-For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
-the article and the subject, you'd say:
+@item e
+@kindex e (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-edit-server
+Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
-@end lisp
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-read-server
+Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-remain visible.
+@item q
+@kindex q (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
-@item gnus-ignored-headers
-@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
-This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
-variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
-should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
-hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
+@item k
+@kindex k (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-kill-server
+Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
-For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
-and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
+@item y
+@kindex y (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-yank-server
+Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
-@end lisp
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-be removed.
+@item l
+@kindex l (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-list-servers
+List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
-Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
-variable will have no effect.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-scan-server
+Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
+(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
+servers.
+
+@item g
+@kindex g (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
+Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
+(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
+a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
-Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
-can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
-variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
-the headers are to be displayed.
-For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
-and then the subject, you might say something like:
+@node Example Methods
+@subsection Example Methods
+
+Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+(nntp "news.funet.fi")
@end lisp
-Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
-variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
+Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
-@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
-You can hide further boring headers by entering
-@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers} into
-@code{gnus-article-display-hook}. What this function does depends on
-the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a list, but this
-list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is lists various
-@dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove from sight.
+@lisp
+(nnspool "")
+@end lisp
-These conditions are:
-@table @code
-@item empty
-Remove all empty headers.
-@item newsgroups
-Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
-name.
-@item followup-to
-Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
-@code{Newsgroups} header.
-@item reply-to
-Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
-@code{From} header.
-@item date
-Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
-old.
-@item long-to
-Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
-@item many-to
-Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
-@end table
+As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
+backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+will.
+
+After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
+@code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
-To include the four first elements, you could say something like;
+To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
+port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
+look like then:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
- '(empty newsgroups followup-to reply-to))
+(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
@end lisp
-This is also the default value for this variable.
+You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
+@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
+mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
+your private mail:
-@node Using MIME
-@section Using @sc{mime}
-@cindex @sc{mime}
+@lisp
+(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
+@end lisp
-Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
-while people stand around yawning.
+(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
+that.)
-@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
-while all newsreaders die of fear.
+Here's the method for a public spool:
-@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
-of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
-other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+@lisp
+(nnmh "public"
+ (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
+ (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-show-mime
-@vindex gnus-show-mime-method
-@vindex gnus-strict-mime
-@findex metamail-buffer
-Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
-@code{gnus-show-mime-method}, which is @code{metamail-buffer} by
-default. This function calls the external @code{metamail} program to
-actually do the work. One common problem with this program is that is
-thinks that it can't display 8-bit things in the Emacs buffer. To tell
-it the truth, put something like the following in your
-@file{.bash_profile} file. (You do use @code{bash}, don't you?)
+If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
+server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
+on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
+Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
+should probably look something like this:
-@example
-export MM_CHARSET="iso-8859-1"
-@end example
+@lisp
+(nntp "firewall"
+ (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
+ (nntp-rlogin-parameters
+ ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
+@end lisp
-For more information on @code{metamail}, see its manual page.
+If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
+server that would look something like this:
-Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
-@sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
-non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
-@sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
-set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
-buffer. These can't be avoided.
+@lisp
+(nntp "news"
+ (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
+ (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
+ (nntp-rlogin-parameters
+ ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
+@end lisp
-It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the summary
-buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
-group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
-decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
-comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume
-button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you,
-and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the
-program to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly
-decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
+This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
+provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
+connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
+@code{ssh} @file{config} file.
-Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+@node Creating a Virtual Server
+@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
-@node Customizing Articles
-@section Customizing Articles
-@cindex article customization
+If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
+articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
-The @code{gnus-article-display-hook} is called after the article has
-been inserted into the article buffer. It is meant to handle all
-treatment of the article before it is displayed.
+First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
+would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
-@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
-By default this hook just contains @code{gnus-article-hide-headers},
-@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}, and
-@code{gnus-article-maybe-highlight}, but there are thousands, nay
-millions, of functions you can put in this hook. For an overview of
-functions @pxref{Article Highlighting}, @pxref{Article Hiding},
-@pxref{Article Washing}, @pxref{Article Buttons} and @pxref{Article
-Date}. Note that the order of functions in this hook might affect
-things, so you may have to fiddle a bit to get the desired results.
-
-You can, of course, write your own functions. The functions are called
-from the article buffer, and you can do anything you like, pretty much.
-There is no information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can
-change everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead
-make them invisible if you want to make them go away.
+Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
+@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
+Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
+will contain the following:
-@node Article Keymap
-@section Article Keymap
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache")
+@end lisp
-Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
-article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
-buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
-buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
-buffer.
+Change that to:
-A few additional keystrokes are available:
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache"
+ (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+@end lisp
-@table @kbd
+Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
+@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
+buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-page
-Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-page
-Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+@node Server Variables
+@subsection Server Variables
-@item C-c ^
-@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-refer-article
-If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
-@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
-(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
+in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
+variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
+change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the "derived" variables.
-@item C-c C-m
-@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-mail
-Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
-given a prefix, include the mail.
+This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
+@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
+directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
+@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
+new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
+@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
+variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
+variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
+manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
-@item s
-@kindex s (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-show-summary
-Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
-(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+@lisp
+(nnml "public"
+ (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
+ (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
+@end lisp
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
-Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
-(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
-@item TAB
-@kindex TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-button
-Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
-only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+@node Servers and Methods
+@subsection Servers and Methods
-@item M-TAB
-@kindex M-TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-button
-Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+Wherever you would normally use a select method
+(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
+when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
+instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
+over.
-@end table
+@node Unavailable Servers
+@subsection Unavailable Servers
-@node Misc Article
-@section Misc Article
+If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
+@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
+with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
+will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
+actually the case or not.
-@table @code
+That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
+Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
+@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
+away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
+to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
+attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
+attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
+it will regard that server as ``down''.
-@item gnus-single-article-buffer
-@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
-If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
-(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
-article buffer.
+So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
+How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
-@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
-This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
-article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
-depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
-the contents of the article buffer.
+You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
+with the following commands:
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
-@item gnus-article-display-hook
-This hook is called as the last thing when displaying an article, and is
-intended for modifying the contents of the buffer, doing highlights,
-hiding headers, and the like.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-article-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
-Hook called in article mode buffers.
+@item O
+@kindex O (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-server
+Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
+(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
-@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
-@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+@item C
+@kindex C (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-server
+Close the connection (if any) to the server
+(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
-@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
-This variable is a format string along the same lines as
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
-accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
-extension:
+@item D
+@kindex D (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-deny-server
+Mark the current server as unreachable
+(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
-@table @samp
-@item w
-The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
-character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
-performed.
-@end table
+@item M-o
+@kindex M-o (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
+Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
-@vindex gnus-break-pages
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
+Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
-@item gnus-break-pages
-Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
-is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
-page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
-paging will not be done.
+@item R
+@kindex R (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
+Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
+(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
-@item gnus-page-delimiter
-@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
-This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
-(formfeed).
@end table
-@node Composing Messages
-@chapter Composing Messages
-@cindex composing messages
-@cindex messages
-@cindex mail
-@cindex sending mail
-@cindex reply
-@cindex followup
-@cindex post
+@node Getting News
+@section Getting News
+@cindex reading news
+@cindex news backends
-@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
-All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
-where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
-by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
-Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
-article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
-to make Gnus try to post using the foreign server.
+A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
+only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
+or it can read from a local spool.
@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* Post:: Posting and following up.
-* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
-* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
-* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
-* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
-* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
-* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
@end menu
-Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
-remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
+@node NNTP
+@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@cindex nntp
-@node Mail
-@section Mail
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
+server as the, uhm, address.
+
+If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
+to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
+that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+
+The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
+fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
+you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
+server:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-server-opened-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
+@cindex @sc{mode reader}
+@cindex authinfo
+@cindex authentification
+@cindex nntp authentification
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
+is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
+commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
+default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
+@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
+present in this hook.
-Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
+@item nntp-authinfo-function
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
+server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
+through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
+@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
+are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
+format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
+@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
+manual page, but here are the salient facts:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
-@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
-List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
-headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
+@enumerate
+@item
+The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
-@item gnus-add-to-list
-@vindex gnus-add-to-list
-If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
-that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
+@item
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
+valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
+@samp{default}, @samp{port} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a
+valid @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is almost the only way the
+@file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
+format.)
-@end table
+@end enumerate
+Here's an example file:
-@node Post
-@section Post
+@example
+machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
+machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
+@end example
-Variables for composing news articles:
+The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
+have to be first, for instance.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
-@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
-Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
-sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
-user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
-dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
-same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
-history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
-this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want Gnus to keep a history
-file.
+In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
+former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
+user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
+@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
+@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
+@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
+until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
-@item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
-@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
-This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
-file. It is 1000 by default.
+You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
+that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
-@end table
+@example
+default force yes
+@end example
+This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
+previously mentioned.
-@node Posting Server
-@section Posting Server
+Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
-When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
-(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+@item nntp-server-action-alist
+@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
+This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
+taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
+every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
-Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+@lisp
+(setq nntp-server-action-alist
+ '(("innd" (ding))))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-post-method
+You probably don't want to do that, though.
-It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
-server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
-reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
-(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
-then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+The default value is
@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
@end lisp
-Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
-this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
-can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
-the ``current'' server for posting.
-
-If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
-Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
+This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
+nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
-You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
-If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
-for posting.
+@item nntp-maximum-request
+@vindex nntp-maximum-request
+If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
+speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
+by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
+your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
-Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
-you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
-groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
-@code{current}.
+@item nntp-connection-timeout
+@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
+If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
+responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
+time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
+somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
+connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
+no timeouts are done.
+@c @item nntp-command-timeout
+@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
+@c @cindex PPP connections
+@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
+@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
+@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
+@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
+@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
+@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
+@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
+@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
+@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
+@c likely number is 30 seconds.
+@c
+@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
+@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
+@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
+@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
+@c described above.
-@node Mail and Post
-@section Mail and Post
+@item nntp-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-hook
+This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
+server.
-Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
-posting:
+@findex nntp-open-rlogin
+@findex nntp-open-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
+@item nntp-open-connection-function
+@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
+This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
+functions are supplied:
@table @code
-@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@cindex mailing lists
+@item nntp-open-network-stream
+This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
+remote system.
-If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
-gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
-problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
-One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
-@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
-really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
-lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
-still a pain, though.
+@item nntp-open-rlogin
+Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
+remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
+available there.
-@end table
+@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
-You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
-you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
-spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+@table @code
-@cindex ispell
-@findex ispell-message
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-rlogin-program
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-program
+Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
+but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
+This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
-@node Archived Messages
-@section Archived Messages
-@cindex archived messages
-@cindex sent messages
+@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
+User name on the remote system.
-Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
-send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
-store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
-@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
-is the default.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
-@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
-use to store sent messages. The default is:
+@item nntp-open-telnet
+Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
+to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
-@lisp
-(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
- (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
-@end lisp
+@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
-You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
-@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
-for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
-directory chosen, you could say something like:
+@table @code
+@item nntp-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-telnet-command
+Command used to start @code{telnet}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-method
- '(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
- (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
-@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
-@cindex Gcc
-Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
-to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
-determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
+@item nntp-telnet-user-name
+@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
+User name for log in on the remote system.
-This variable can be used to do the following:
+@item nntp-telnet-passwd
+@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
+Password to use when logging in.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-parameters
+@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
+A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
+via @code{telnet}.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item a string
-Messages will be saved in that group.
-@item a list of strings
-Messages will be saved in all those groups.
-@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
-When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
-@item @code{nil}
-No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
-@end itemize
+@item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
+@vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
+Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
+@samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
-Let's illustrate:
+@item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
+@vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
+If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
+will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
+This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
-Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
-@end lisp
+@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
+@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
+you must have SSLay installed
+(@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
+@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
+define a server as follows:
-Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
- ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
- (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
+;;
+;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number "snews")
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
@end lisp
-More complex stuff:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- "misc-mail")))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
-messages in one file per month:
+@item nntp-end-of-line
+@vindex nntp-end-of-line
+String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
+server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
+using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- (concat "mail." (format-time-string
- "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
-@end lisp
+@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
+@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
+User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
+function.
-(XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
-use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
+@item nntp-address
+@vindex nntp-address
+The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
-Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
-group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
-you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
-archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
-Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
-enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
-group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
-if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
-nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
-continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
+@item nntp-port-number
+@vindex nntp-port-number
+Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
+connect function.
-That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
-different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
-case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
-this will disable archiving.
+@item nntp-buggy-select
+@vindex nntp-buggy-select
+Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
-@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
-All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
-all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
-you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
-group names.
+@item nntp-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
+If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
+variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
+can be used.
-If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
-message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
-current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
-of names).
+@item nntp-xover-commands
+@vindex nntp-xover-commands
+@cindex nov
+@cindex XOVER
+List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
+server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
+"XOVERVIEW")}.
-This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
-but the latter is the preferred method.
-@end table
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
+lines that you will not need. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
-@node Posting Styles
-@section Posting Styles
-@cindex posting styles
-@cindex styles
+@item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+@vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
+server closes connection.
-All them variables, they make my head swim.
+@item nntp-record-commands
+@vindex nntp-record-commands
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
+@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
+buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
+that doesn't seem to work.
-So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
-on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
-and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
-on?
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-posting-styles
-One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
-variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
-came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
-a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
-variable:
-@lisp
-((".*"
- (signature "Peace and happiness")
- (organization "What me?"))
- ("^comp"
- (signature "Death to everybody"))
- ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
- (organization "Emacs is it")))
-@end lisp
+@node News Spool
+@subsection News Spool
+@cindex nnspool
+@cindex news spool
-As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
-@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
-``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
-over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
-applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
-the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
-@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
-signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
+Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
+and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
+contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
+instance.
-The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
-string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
-If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
-arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
-referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
-any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
-to @dfn{match}.
+Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
+anything else) as the address.
-Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
-attribute consists of a @var{(name . value)} pair. The attribute name
-can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
-@code{organization}, @code{address} or @code{name}. The attribute name
-can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as a header name,
-and the value will be inserted in the headers of the article.
+If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
+native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
+than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
+You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
-The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
-return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
-list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
+@table @code
-So here's a new example:
+@item nnspool-inews-program
+@vindex nnspool-inews-program
+Program used to post an article.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-posting-styles
- '((".*"
- (signature-file "~/.signature")
- (name "User Name")
- ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
- (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
- ("^rec.humor"
- (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
- ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
- (signature my-quote-randomizer))
- (posting-from-work-p
- (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
- (address "user@@bar.foo")
- (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
- ("^nn.+:"
- (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
-@end lisp
+@item nnspool-inews-switches
+@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
+Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
-@node Drafts
-@section Drafts
-@cindex drafts
+@item nnspool-spool-directory
+@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
-If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
-you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
-craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
-the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
-other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
+@item nnspool-nov-directory
+@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
-Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
-some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
-automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
-If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
-article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
-group.)
+@item nnspool-lib-dir
+@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
+Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
-@cindex nndraft
-@vindex nndraft-directory
-The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
-@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
-@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
-@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
-that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
-read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
+@item nnspool-active-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-file
+The path to the active file.
-If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
-to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
-unsubscribe it.
+@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
+The path to the group descriptions file.
-@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
-@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
-@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
-@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
-@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
-@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
-@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
-@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
-@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
-@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
-@c
-@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
-@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
-@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
+@item nnspool-history-file
+@vindex nnspool-history-file
+The path to the news history file.
-@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
-@kindex D e (Draft)
-When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
-draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
-that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
+@item nnspool-active-times-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
+The path to the active date file.
-Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
-Articles}).
+@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
+that it finds.
-@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
-@findex gnus-draft-send-message
-If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
-doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
-(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
-command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
-in the buffer.
+@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@cindex sed
+If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
+relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
+load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
-If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
-@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
-as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
+@end table
-@node Rejected Articles
-@section Rejected Articles
-@cindex rejected articles
+@node Getting Mail
+@section Getting Mail
+@cindex reading mail
+@cindex mail
-Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
-doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
-@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
-Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
+course.
-These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
-(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
-fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
-you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
-articles until some later time when the server feels better.
+@menu
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+@end menu
-The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
-(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
-typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
+@node Mail in a Newsreader
+@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
-@node Select Methods
-@chapter Select Methods
-@cindex foreign groups
-@cindex select methods
+If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
+to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
+of a culture shock.
-A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
-default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
-@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
-personal mail group.
+Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
+it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
-A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
-a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
-list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
-@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
-name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
-value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
+approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
+messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
+you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
-One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
-we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
+In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
-group as.
+Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
+deleted? How awful!
-For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
-@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
-method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
-@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
-backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
+scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
+the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
+you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
+Mail}.
-The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
+What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
+mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
+they want to treat a message.
-@menu
-* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
-* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
-* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
-* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
-@end menu
+Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
+via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
+need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
+archived somewhere else.
+Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
+These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
+to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
+order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
+to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
-@node The Server Buffer
-@section The Server Buffer
+The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
+but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
+or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
-Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
-one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
-connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
-one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
-the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
-backend represents a virtual server.
+Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
+like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
+differently.
-For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
-different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
-on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
-use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
+Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
+that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
+to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
+not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
+instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
-These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
-complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
-@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
-hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
-Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
-server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
-select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
+I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
+may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
+you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
+guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
+Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
+Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
+You Do.)
-To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
-(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-@menu
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
-* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
-* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-@end menu
+@node Getting Started Reading Mail
+@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
+It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
+mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+and things will happen automatically.
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
+mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
-@node Server Buffer Format
-@subsection Server Buffer Format
-@cindex server buffer format
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnml "private")))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-server-line-format
-You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
-@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
-variable, with some simple extensions:
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
+directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
+like any other group.
-@table @samp
+You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
-@item h
-How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("other" "")))
+@end lisp
-@item n
-The name of this server.
+This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
+@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
+mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
+last group.
-@item w
-Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
+This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
+give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
+Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
-@item s
-The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
-@end table
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
-The mode line can also be customized by using the
-@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
+@node Splitting Mail
+@subsection Splitting Mail
+@cindex splitting mail
+@cindex mail splitting
-@table @samp
-@item S
-Server name.
+@vindex nnmail-split-methods
+The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
+to be split into groups.
-@item M
-Server method.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("mail.other" "")))
+@end lisp
-Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
+This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
+these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
+something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
+element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
+determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
+contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
+insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
+@lisp
+("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
+@end lisp
-@node Server Commands
-@subsection Server Commands
-@cindex server commands
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
+argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
+mail belongs in that group.
-@table @kbd
+The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
+that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
+processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
+rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
+In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
-@item a
-@kindex a (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-add-server
-Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
+If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
+function of your choice. This function will be called without any
+arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
+message. The function should return a list of group names that it
+thinks should carry this mail message.
-@item e
-@kindex e (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-edit-server
-Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
+Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
+some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
+@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-read-server
-Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost
+The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
+@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
-@item q
-@kindex q (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-exit
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
+@cindex crosspost
+@cindex links
+@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
+the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
+links. If that's the case for you, set
+@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
+variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
-@item k
-@kindex k (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-kill-server
-Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
+@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
+@kindex nnmail-split-history
+If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
+can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
-@item y
-@kindex y (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-yank-server
-Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
+Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
+yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
+all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
+unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
+boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
+that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
+come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
+you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
+month's rent money.
-@item c
-@kindex c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-copy-server
-Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
-@item l
-@kindex l (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-list-servers
-List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
+@node Mail Sources
+@subsection Mail Sources
-@item s
-@kindex s (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-scan-server
-Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
-(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
-servers.
+Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
+POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
+instance.
-@item g
-@kindex g (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
-Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
-(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
-a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
+@menu
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
+@end menu
-@end table
+@node Mail Source Specifiers
+@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
+@cindex POP
+@cindex mail server
+@cindex procmail
+@cindex mail spool
+@cindex mail source
-@node Example Methods
-@subsection Example Methods
+You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
-Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+Here's an example:
@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi")
+(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
@end lisp
-Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
+element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
+@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
+default values.
-@lisp
-(nnspool "")
-@end lisp
+The following mail source types are available:
-As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
-backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
-will.
+@table @code
+@item file
+Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
-After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
-@var{(variable form)} pairs.
+Keywords:
-To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
-port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
-look like then:
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
+environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
+@end table
+
+An example file mail source:
@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
+(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
@end lisp
-You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
-variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
-
-@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
-you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
-mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
-your private mail:
+Or using the default path:
@lisp
-(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
+(file)
@end lisp
-(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
-that.)
+If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
+use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not you ange-ftp
+file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
+mail.
-Here's the method for a public spool:
+If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
@lisp
-(nnmh "public"
- (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
- (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
@end lisp
-If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
-server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
-on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
-Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
-should probably look something like this:
+The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
-@lisp
-(nntp "firewall"
- (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
-@end lisp
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+# getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
+# flu@@iki.fi
-If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
-compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
-server that would look something like this:
+MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
+TMP=~/Mail/tmp
+rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
+@end example
-@lisp
-(nntp "news"
- (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
- (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
-@end lisp
+Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
-This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
-provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
-connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
-@code{ssh} @file{config} file.
+@item directory
+Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
+you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
-@node Creating a Virtual Server
-@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+Keywords:
-If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
-articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+value.
-First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
-would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
-could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+@item :suffix
+Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
+@samp{.spool}.
-Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+@item :predicate
+Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
+The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
+filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
+predicate are considered.
-You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
-@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
-Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
-will contain the following:
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
-@lisp
-(nnspool "cache")
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Change that to:
+An example directory mail source:
@lisp
-(nnspool "cache"
- (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
+ :suffix ".prcml")
@end lisp
-Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
-@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
-buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
-
-
-@node Server Variables
-@subsection Server Variables
-
-One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
-in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
-variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
-change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
-won't change the "derived" variables.
+@item pop
+Get mail from a POP server.
-This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
-@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
-directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
-@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
-new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
-@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
-variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
-variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
-manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
+Keywords:
-@lisp
-(nnml "public"
- (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
- (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
- (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+@item :port
+The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
-@node Servers and Methods
-@subsection Servers and Methods
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
+name.
-Wherever you would normally use a select method
-(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
-when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
-instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
-over.
+@item :password
+The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
+@item :program
+The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
+a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
-@node Unavailable Servers
-@subsection Unavailable Servers
+@example
+fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
+@end example
-If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
-@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
-with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
-will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
-actually the case or not.
+The valid format specifier characters are:
-That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
-Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
-@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
-away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
-to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
-attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
-attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
-it will regard that server as ``down''.
+@table @samp
+@item t
+The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
+included in this string.
-So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
-How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
+@item s
+The name of the server.
-You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
-with the following commands:
+@item P
+The port number of the server.
-@table @kbd
+@item u
+The user name to use.
-@item O
-@kindex O (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-server
-Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
-(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
+@item p
+The password to use.
+@end table
-@item C
-@kindex C (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-server
-Close the connection (if any) to the server
-(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
-@item D
-@kindex D (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-deny-server
-Mark the current server as unreachable
-(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
+@item :prescript
+A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@item M-o
-@kindex M-o (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
-Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
+@item :postscript
+A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@item M-c
-@kindex M-c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
-Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+@item :function
+The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
+called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
+be moved to.
-@item R
-@kindex R (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
-Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
-(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+@item :authentication
+This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
+and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
+@code{password}.
@end table
+If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
+@code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
-@node Getting News
-@section Getting News
-@cindex reading news
-@cindex news backends
-
-A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
-only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
-or it can read from a local spool.
+Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
+default user name, and default fetcher:
-@menu
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-@end menu
+@lisp
+(pop)
+@end lisp
+Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
-@node NNTP
-@subsection @sc{nntp}
-@cindex nntp
+@lisp
+(pop :server "my.pop.server"
+ :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+@end lisp
-Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
-You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
-server as the, uhm, address.
+Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
-If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
-third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
-to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
-that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@lisp
+(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+@end lisp
-The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
-fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
-you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+@item maildir
+Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
+at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
+contains exactly one mail.
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
-server:
+Keywords:
@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+@samp{~/Maildir/new}.
-@item nntp-server-opened-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
-@cindex @sc{mode reader}
-@cindex authinfo
-@cindex authentification
-@cindex nntp authentification
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
-is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
-commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
-default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
-@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
-present in this hook.
+If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
+them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
+@code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
+below.
-@item nntp-authinfo-function
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
-This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
-server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
-through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
-@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
-are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
-format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
-@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
-manual page, but here are the salient facts:
+You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
+from locking problems).
-@enumerate
-@item
-The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
+@end table
-@item
-Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
-valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
-@samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
-@file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
-@file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
-format.)
+Two example maildir mail sources:
-@end enumerate
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/cur")
+@end lisp
-Here's an example file:
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/new")
+@end lisp
-@example
-machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
-machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
-@end example
+@item imap
+Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as
+intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some
+reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and
+fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
-The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
-have to be first, for instance.
+Keywords:
-In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
-former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
-user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
-@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
-@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
-@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
-until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
-You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
-that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
+@item :port
+The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
+@samp{993} for SSL connections.
-@example
-default force yes
-@end example
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
+name.
-This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
-previously mentioned.
+@item :password
+The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
+
+@item :stream
+What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
+symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
+@samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
+
+@item :authenticator
+Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
+of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
+means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
+@samp{login}.
+
+@item :mailbox
+The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
+which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
+
+@item :predicate
+The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
+UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
+sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
+articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
+Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
+complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
+
+@item :fetchflag
+How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{Deleted}
+will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{Seen} which
+would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
+but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
+
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
+after finishing the fetch.
-Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
+@end table
-@item nntp-server-action-alist
-@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
-This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
-taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
-every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+An example @sc{imap} mail source:
@lisp
-(setq nntp-server-action-alist
- '(("innd" (ding))))
+(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
@end lisp
-You probably don't want to do that, though.
+@item webmail
+Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
+webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
-The default value is
+NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
+is suggested.
-@lisp
-'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
- (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
-@end lisp
+NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
+required for url "4.0pre.46".
-This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
-nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
+WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
-@item nntp-maximum-request
-@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
-will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
-waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
-by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
-your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+Keywords:
-@c @item nntp-connection-timeout
-@c @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
-@c If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
-@c regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
-@c responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
-@c time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
-@c somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
-@c that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
-@c connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
-@c no timeouts are done.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-command-timeout
-@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
-@c @cindex PPP connections
-@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
-@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
-@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
-@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
-@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
-@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
-@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
-@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
-@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
-@c likely number is 30 seconds.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
-@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
-@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
-@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
-@c described above.
+@table @code
+@item :subtype
+The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
+alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
-@item nntp-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-hook
-This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
-server.
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
+name.
-@findex nntp-open-rlogin
-@findex nntp-open-telnet
-@findex nntp-open-network-stream
-@item nntp-open-connection-function
-@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
-This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
-functions are supplied:
+@item :password
+The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
-@table @code
-@item nntp-open-network-stream
-This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
-remote system.
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
+folder after finishing the fetch.
-@item nntp-open-rlogin
-Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
-remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
-available there.
+@end table
-@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
+An example webmail source:
-@table @code
+@lisp
+(webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+@end lisp
+@end table
-@item nntp-rlogin-program
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-program
-Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
-but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+@table @dfn
+@item Common Keywords
+Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
-@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
-This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+Keywords:
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system.
+@table @code
+@item :plugged
+If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
+directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
+ :suffix ""
+ :plugged t)))
+@end lisp
+
+Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
+useful when you use local mail and news.
@end table
+@end table
-@item nntp-open-telnet
-Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
-to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
+@node Mail Source Customization
+@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
-@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
+The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
+fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
+variables.
@table @code
-@item nntp-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-telnet-command
-Command used to start @code{telnet}.
+@item mail-source-crash-box
+@vindex mail-source-crash-box
+File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
+@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
+
+@item mail-source-delete-incoming
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
+
+@item mail-source-directory
+@vindex mail-source-directory
+Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
+where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
+@code{nil}.
-@item nntp-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
+@item mail-source-default-file-modes
+@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
+All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
-@item nntp-telnet-user-name
-@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
-User name for log in on the remote system.
+@end table
-@item nntp-telnet-passwd
-@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
-Password to use when logging in.
-@item nntp-telnet-parameters
-@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
-A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
-via @code{telnet}.
+@node Fetching Mail
+@subsubsection Fetching Mail
-@item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
-@vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
-Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
-@samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
+@vindex mail-sources
+@vindex nnmail-spool-file
+The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
+@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
-@item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
-@vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
-If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
-will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
-This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
+@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+themselves.
-@end table
+If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
+mail server, you'd say something like:
-@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
-@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
-Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
-you must have SSLay installed
-(@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
-@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
-define a server as follows:
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file)
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+@end lisp
+
+Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
@lisp
-;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
-;;
-;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
-;;
-(nntp "snews.bar.com"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
- (nntp-port-number "snews")
- (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :user "user-name"
+ :port "pop3"
+ :password "secret")))
@end lisp
-@end table
-@item nntp-end-of-line
-@vindex nntp-end-of-line
-String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
-server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
-using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
+When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
+mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
+invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
+pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
+shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
-function.
-@item nntp-address
-@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+@node Mail Backend Variables
+@subsection Mail Backend Variables
-@item nntp-port-number
-@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
-connect function.
+These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
+mail backends.
-@item nntp-buggy-select
-@vindex nntp-buggy-select
-Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
-@item nntp-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
-If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
-variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
-can be used.
+@vindex nnmail-split-hook
+@item nnmail-split-hook
+@findex article-decode-encoded-words
+@findex RFC 1522 decoding
+@findex RFC 2047 decoding
+Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
+just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
+free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
+is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
+in the buffer will show up in any files.
+@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
+to this hook.
-@item nntp-xover-commands
-@vindex nntp-xover-commands
-@cindex nov
-@cindex XOVER
-List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
-server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
-"XOVERVIEW")}.
+@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
+mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
+starting to handle the new mail) and
+@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
+is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
+default file modes the new mail files get:
-@item nntp-nov-gap
-@vindex nntp-nov-gap
-@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
-the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
-if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
-article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
-lines that you will not need. This variable says how
-big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
-@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
-network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
-that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
-@vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
-server closes connection.
+@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
+@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
+names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
+the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
-@item nntp-record-commands
-@vindex nntp-record-commands
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
-@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
-buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
-that doesn't seem to work.
+@item nnmail-delete-file-function
+@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
+@findex delete-file
+Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
+
+@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
+the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
+discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
@end table
-@node News Spool
-@subsection News Spool
-@cindex nnspool
-@cindex news spool
+@node Fancy Mail Splitting
+@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex fancy mail splitting
-Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
-and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
-contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
-instance.
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy
+If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
+doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
+play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
-Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
-anything else) as the address.
+Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
-If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
-native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
-than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
-You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
+@lisp
+;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
+;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
+;; from real errors.
+(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
+ "mail.misc"))
+ ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
+ ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
+ ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
+ (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
+ ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
+ ;; Other mailing lists...
+ (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
+ (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
+ ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
+ ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
+ ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
+ ;; message was really cross-posted.
+ (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
+ (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
+ ;; People...
+ (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
+ "misc.misc")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
+recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
+the five possible split syntaxes:
-@item nnspool-inews-program
-@vindex nnspool-inews-program
-Program used to post an article.
+@enumerate
-@item nnspool-inews-switches
-@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
-Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+@item
+@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
+name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
+examples.
-@item nnspool-spool-directory
-@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+@item
+@code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
+@code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
+first element of which is a string, then store the message as
+specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
+@var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
+matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
+matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
+@var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
-@item nnspool-nov-directory
-@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
+@item
+@code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
+one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
+the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
-@item nnspool-lib-dir
-@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
-Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+@item
+@code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
-@item nnspool-active-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The path to the active file.
+@item
+@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
+this message. Use with extreme caution.
-@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The path to the group descriptions file.
+@item
+@code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
+a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
+be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
+function should return a @var{split}.
-@item nnspool-history-file
-@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The path to the news history file.
+@item
+@code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
+called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
+return a split.
-@item nnspool-active-times-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The path to the active date file.
+@item
+@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
-@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
-that it finds.
+@end enumerate
-@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@cindex sed
-If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
-relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
-load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
+@var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
+syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
+field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
+@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
-@end table
+@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
+@var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
+are expanded as specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
+the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
+value.
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
+when all this splitting is performed.
-@node Getting Mail
-@section Getting Mail
-@cindex reading mail
-@cindex mail
+If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
+information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
+substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
-Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
-course.
+@example
+(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
+@end example
-@menu
-* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
-* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
-* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
-* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
-* Mail and Procmail:: Reading mail groups that procmail create.
-* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
-* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
-* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
-* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
-* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
-* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
-@end menu
+In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
+will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
+If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
+matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
+up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
+groupings 1 through 9.
-@node Getting Started Reading Mail
-@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
-It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
-mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
-and things will happen automatically.
+@node Group Mail Splitting
+@subsection Group Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex group mail splitting
+
+@findex gnus-group-split
+If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
+maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
+You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
+parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
+@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
+for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
+from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
+@var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
+
+Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
+splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
+parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
+rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
+
+All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
+the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
+@var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
+matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
+group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
+@var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
+
+If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
+parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
+parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
+this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
+@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
+@code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
+by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
+group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
+group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
+some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
+that group is used as the catch-all group. Note that, in this case,
+there's no cross-posting, as a @code{|} fancy split encloses the
+@code{&} split and the catch-all group.
+
+It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
+been defined:
+
+@example
+nnml:mail.bar:
+((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
+ (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
+nnml:mail.foo:
+((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
+ (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
+ (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
+ (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
+nnml:mail.others:
+((split-spec . catch-all))
+@end example
-For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
-mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
+Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
+behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnml "private")))
+(| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
+ (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
+ - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
+ "mail.others")
@end lisp
-Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
-articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
-directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
-be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
-like any other group.
+@findex gnus-group-split-fancy
+If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
+may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+splits like this:
-You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
+@lisp
+(: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
+@end lisp
+
+@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
+parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
+@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
+single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} may be the name
+of a group to be used as the default catch-all group. If
+@var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
+empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
+Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
+this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-setup
+Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
+slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
+But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
+used to select @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
+sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
+@code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
+scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-update
+However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
+@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
+automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
+you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("other" "")))
+(gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
@end lisp
-This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
-@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
-mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
-last group.
+If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
+will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
+have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
+don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional),
+@code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
+value.
-This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
-give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
-Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+@vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
+Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
+by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
+@code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
+@node Incorporating Old Mail
+@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
-@node Splitting Mail
-@subsection Splitting Mail
-@cindex splitting mail
-@cindex mail splitting
+Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
+you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
+backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+your mail groups.
-@vindex nnmail-split-methods
-The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
-to be split into groups.
+Doing so can be quite easy.
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("mail.other" "")))
-@end lisp
+To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
+satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
+file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
+your @code{nnml} groups.
-This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
-these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
-something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
-element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
-determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
-contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
-insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
+Here's how:
-@lisp
-("list.\\1" "From:.*\\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
-@end lisp
+@enumerate
+@item
+Go to the group buffer.
-The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
-called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
-argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
-mail belongs in that group.
+@item
+Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
-expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
-that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
-processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
-rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
-In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
+@item
+Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
-If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
-function of your choice. This function will be called without any
-arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
-message. The function should return a list of group names that it
-thinks should carry this mail message.
+@item
+Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
-Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
-incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
-some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
-@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
+@item
+Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@end enumerate
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
-the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
-@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
-that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
+All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
+all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
+have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
+deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
+sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
-@cindex crosspost
-@cindex links
-@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
-the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
-links. If that's the case for you, set
-@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
-variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
+Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
+backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail backend.
-@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
-@kindex nnmail-split-history
-If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
-can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
-Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
-yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
-all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
-unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
-boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
-that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
-come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
-you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
-month's rent money.
+@node Expiring Mail
+@subsection Expiring Mail
+@cindex article expiry
+Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
+you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
+different approach to mail reading.
-@node Mail Backend Variables
-@subsection Mail Backend Variables
+Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
+a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
+actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
+mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
+fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
+Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
+course.
-These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
-mail backends.
+To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
+disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
+more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
+will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
+repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
+NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
-@table @code
-@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
-use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
+match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
+have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
+articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
+column in the summary buffer.
-@vindex nnmail-spool-file
-@item nnmail-spool-file
-@cindex POP mail
-@cindex MAILHOST
-@cindex movemail
-@vindex nnmail-pop-password
-@vindex nnmail-pop-password-required
-The backends will look for new mail in this file. If this variable is
-@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
-themselves. If you are using a POP mail server and your name is
-@samp{larsi}, you should set this variable to @samp{po:larsi}. If
-your name is not @samp{larsi}, you should probably modify that
-slightly, but you may have guessed that already, you smart & handsome
-devil! You can also set this variable to @code{pop}, and Gnus will try
-to figure out the POP mail string by itself. In any case, Gnus will
-call @code{movemail} which will contact the POP server named in the
-@code{MAILHOST} environment variable. If the POP server needs a
-password, you can either set @code{nnmail-pop-password-required} to
-@code{t} and be prompted for the password, or set
-@code{nnmail-pop-password} to the password itself.
-
-@code{nnmail-spool-file} can also be a list of mailboxes.
-
-Your Emacs has to have been configured with @samp{--with-pop} before
-compilation. This is the default, but some installations have it
-switched off.
+By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
+articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
+before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
+automatically, you can put something like the following in your
+@file{.gnus} file:
-When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
-inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
-mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
-invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
-pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
-shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@lisp
+(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
+ 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
+(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
+@end lisp
-@vindex nnmail-use-procmail
-@vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
-@item nnmail-use-procmail
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will look in
-@code{nnmail-procmail-directory} for incoming mail. All the files in
-that directory that have names ending in @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix}
-will be considered incoming mailboxes, and will be searched for new
-mail.
+Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
+articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
+will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
+groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
+mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
-@vindex nnmail-crash-box
-@item nnmail-crash-box
-When a mail backend reads a spool file, mail is first moved to this
-file, which is @file{~/.gnus-crash-box} by default. If this file
-already exists, it will always be read (and incorporated) before any
-other spool files.
+Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
+articles you have read to disappear after a while:
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-This is run in a buffer that holds all the new incoming mail, and can be
-used for, well, anything, really.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+ "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+@end lisp
-@vindex nnmail-split-hook
-@item nnmail-split-hook
-@findex article-decode-rfc1522
-@findex RFC1522 decoding
-Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
-just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
-free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
-is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
-in the buffer will show up in any files. @code{gnus-article-decode-rfc1522}
-is one likely function to add to this hook.
+Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
+@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
-@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
-mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
-starting to handle the new mail) and
-@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
-is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
-default file modes the new mail files get:
+If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
+auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
+don't really mix very well.
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
+expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
+message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
+days.
+Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
+are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
+have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
+expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
+everywhere else:
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
+(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ 31)
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ 1)
+ ((string= group "important")
+ 'never)
+ (t
+ 6))))
+@end lisp
+
+The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
+names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
+necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
+@code{never}.
+
+You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
+change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-target
+The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
+However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
+other groups instead of deleting them. The @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
+(and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
+default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
+should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
+function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
+question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
+parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
+@code{delete}.
-(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
-@end lisp
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
+expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
+easier for procmail users.
-@item nnmail-tmp-directory
-@vindex nnmail-tmp-directory
-This variable says where to move incoming mail to -- while processing
-it. This is usually done in the same directory that the mail backend
-inhabits (e.g., @file{~/Mail/}), but if this variable is non-@code{nil},
-it will be used instead.
+@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
+By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
+articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
+parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
+articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
+caution. Even more dangerous is the
+@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
+this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
+which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
+will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
+crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
+wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
+@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
+with! So there!
-@item nnmail-movemail-program
-@vindex nnmail-movemail-program
-This program is executed to move mail from the user's inbox to her home
-directory. The default is @samp{movemail}.
+Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
-This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be called
-with two parameters -- the name of the inbox, and the file to be moved
-to.
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
+If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
+commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
+auto-expire turned on.
-@item nnmail-delete-incoming
-@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
-@cindex incoming mail files
-@cindex deleting incoming files
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will delete the temporary incoming
-file after splitting mail into the proper groups. This is @code{t} by
-default.
-@c This is @code{nil} by
-@c default for reasons of security.
+@node Washing Mail
+@subsection Washing Mail
+@cindex mail washing
+@cindex list server brain damage
+@cindex incoming mail treatment
-@c Since Red Gnus is an alpha release, it is to be expected to lose mail.
-(No Gnus release since (ding) Gnus 0.10 (or something like that) have
-lost mail, I think, but that's not the point. (Except certain versions
-of Red Gnus.)) By not deleting the Incoming* files, one can be sure not
-to lose mail -- if Gnus totally whacks out, one can always recover what
-was lost.
+Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
+really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
+prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
+end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
+Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
+considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
-You may delete the @file{Incoming*} files at will.
+Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
+} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
+be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
+laugh.
-@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
-@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
-names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
-(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
-@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
-the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
+Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
+displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
+storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
+various functions that can be put in these hooks.
-@item nnmail-delete-file-function
-@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
-@findex delete-file
-Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
+grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
+the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
-@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
-the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
-discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+@table @code
+@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
+Emacs running on MS machines.
@end table
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
+cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
-@node Fancy Mail Splitting
-@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex fancy mail splitting
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
+headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
-@findex nnmail-split-fancy
-If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
-doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
-play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
+beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
+people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
+strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
+also be a list of regexp.
-Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
+@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
@lisp
-;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
-;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
-;; from real errors.
-(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
- "mail.misc"))
- ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
- ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
- ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
- (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
- ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
- ;; Other mailing lists...
- (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
- (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
- ;; People...
- (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
- ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
- "misc.misc")
+(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
+ '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
@end lisp
-This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
-recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
-the five possible split syntaxes:
-
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
-name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
-examples.
-
-@item
-@var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
-which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
-header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
-
-@item
-@var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
-@code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
-matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
-be stored in one or more groups.
-
-@item
-@var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
-@code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
-
-@item
-@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
-this message. Use with extreme caution.
+This can also be done non-destructively with
+@code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
-@item
-@var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
-element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
-function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
-a SPLIT.
+@item nnmail-remove-tabs
+@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
+Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
-@end enumerate
+@item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@cindex Eudora
+Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
+@code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
+@code{References} headers.
-In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
-@var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
-syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
-field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
-@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
+@end table
-@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
-@var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
-are expanded as specified by the variable
-@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
-the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
-value.
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
+include:
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
-when all this splitting is performed.
+@table @code
+@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
+@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
-If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
-information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
-substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
+@end table
+@end table
-@example
-(any "debian-\\(\\w*\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
-@end example
-If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
-matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\1}
-up to @samp{\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
-groupings 1 through 9.
+@node Duplicates
+@subsection Duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
+@cindex duplicate mails
+If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
+receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
+@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
+this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
+default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
+there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
+variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
+stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
+@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
+default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
+will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
+that this is a duplicate of a different message.
-@node Mail and Procmail
-@subsection Mail and Procmail
-@cindex procmail
+This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
+will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
+the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
+@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
-@cindex slocal
-@cindex elm
-Many people use @code{procmail} (or some other mail filter program or
-external delivery agent---@code{slocal}, @code{elm}, etc) to split
-incoming mail into groups. If you do that, you should set
-@code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{procmail} to ensure that the mail
-backends never ever try to fetch mail by themselves.
+You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
+@code{nil}.
-If you have a combined @code{procmail}/POP/mailbox setup, you can do
-something like the following:
+If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
+@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
+methods:
-@vindex nnmail-use-procmail
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
-(setq nnmail-spool-file
- '("/usr/spool/mail/my-name" "po:my-name"))
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [ ... ] ))
@end lisp
-This also means that you probably don't want to set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} either, which has some, perhaps, unexpected
-side effects.
-
-When a mail backend is queried for what groups it carries, it replies
-with the contents of that variable, along with any groups it has figured
-out that it carries by other means. None of the backends, except
-@code{nnmh}, actually go out to the disk and check what groups actually
-exist. (It's not trivial to distinguish between what the user thinks is
-a basis for a newsgroup and what is just a plain old file or directory.)
-
-This means that you have to tell Gnus (and the backends) by hand what
-groups exist.
-
-Let's take the @code{nnmh} backend as an example:
-
-The folders are located in @code{nnmh-directory}, say, @file{~/Mail/}.
-There are three folders, @file{foo}, @file{bar} and @file{mail.baz}.
+Or something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [...]))
+@end lisp
-Go to the group buffer and type @kbd{G m}. When prompted, answer
-@samp{foo} for the name and @samp{nnmh} for the method. Repeat
-twice for the two other groups, @samp{bar} and @samp{mail.baz}. Be sure
-to include all your mail groups.
+Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
+with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
+@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
+using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
+received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
-That's it. You are now set to read your mail. An active file for this
-method will be created automatically.
-@vindex nnmail-procmail-suffix
-@vindex nnmail-procmail-directory
-If you use @code{nnfolder} or any other backend that store more than a
-single article in each file, you should never have procmail add mails to
-the file that Gnus sees. Instead, procmail should put all incoming mail
-in @code{nnmail-procmail-directory}. To arrive at the file name to put
-the incoming mail in, append @code{nnmail-procmail-suffix} to the group
-name. The mail backends will read the mail from these files.
+@node Not Reading Mail
+@subsection Not Reading Mail
-@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
-When Gnus reads a file called @file{mail.misc.spool}, this mail will be
-put in the @code{mail.misc}, as one would expect. However, if you want
-Gnus to split the mail the normal way, you could set
-@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to @code{t}.
+If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
+be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If you use @code{procmail} to split things directly into an @code{nnmh}
-directory (which you shouldn't do), you should set
-@code{nnmail-keep-last-article} to non-@code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
-ever expiring the final article (i.e., the article with the highest
-article number) in a mail newsgroup. This is quite, quite important.
-
-Here's an example setup: The incoming spools are located in
-@file{~/incoming/} and have @samp{""} as suffixes (i.e., the incoming
-spool files have the same names as the equivalent groups). The
-@code{nnfolder} backend is to be used as the mail interface, and the
-@code{nnfolder} directory is @file{~/fMail/}.
+If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
+@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
+mail, which should help.
-@lisp
-(setq nnfolder-directory "~/fMail/")
-(setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
-(setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/incoming/")
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnfolder "")))
-(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "")
-@end lisp
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
+variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
+group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
+incoming mail.
-@node Incorporating Old Mail
-@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
-Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
-you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
-backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
-your mail groups.
+@node Choosing a Mail Backend
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
-Doing so can be quite easy.
+Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
+file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
+depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
-To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
-(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
-satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
-file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
-your @code{nnml} groups.
+There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
+backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
+(because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}).
-Here's how:
+@menu
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+@end menu
-@enumerate
-@item
-Go to the group buffer.
-@item
-Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
-@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@node Unix Mail Box
+@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
+@cindex nnmbox
+@cindex unix mail box
-@item
-Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
+which group it belongs in.
-@item
-Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
-(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+Virtual server settings:
-@item
-Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
-@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
-@end enumerate
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox-mbox-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
-All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
-all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
-have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
-deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
-sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
+@item nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+The name of the active file for the mail box.
-Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
-backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
-using the new mail backend.
+@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
+into groups.
+@end table
-@node Expiring Mail
-@subsection Expiring Mail
-@cindex article expiry
+@node Rmail Babyl
+@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
+@cindex nnbabyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
-Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
-you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
-different approach to mail reading.
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
+mail article to say which group it belongs in.
-Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
-a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
-actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
-mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
-fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
-Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
-course.
+Virtual server settings:
-To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
-articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
-disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
-deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
-more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
-will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
-repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
-NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+@table @code
+@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The name of the rmail mbox file.
-@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
-You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
-match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
-have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
-articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
-column in the summary buffer.
+@item nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+The name of the active file for the rmail box.
-By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
-articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
-before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
-automatically, you can put something like the following in your
-@file{.gnus} file:
+@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
-@lisp
-(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
- 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
-(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
-@end lisp
-Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
-articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
-will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
-groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
-mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
+@node Mail Spool
+@subsubsection Mail Spool
+@cindex nnml
+@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
-Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
-articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
+format. It should be used with some caution.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
- "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
-@end lisp
+@vindex nnml-directory
+If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
+directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
+variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
-Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
-@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
+You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
+care of all that.
-If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
-auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
-don't really mix very well.
+If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
+in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
+own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
+weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
+having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
+shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
+know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
+to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
-expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
-message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
-days.
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
+@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
+backend when it comes to reading mail.
-Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
-are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
-have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
-expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
-everywhere else:
+Virtual server settings:
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
- 31)
- ((string= group "mail.junk")
- 1)
- ((string= group "important")
- 'never)
- (t
- 6))))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item nnml-directory
+@vindex nnml-directory
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
-The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
-names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+@item nnml-active-file
+@vindex nnml-active-file
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
-necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
-@code{never}.
+@item nnml-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
+The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}.
-You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
-change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+@item nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
-expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
-easier for procmail users.
+@item nnml-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
-@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
-By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
-articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
-parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
-articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
-caution. Even more dangerous is the
-@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
-this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
-which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
-will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
-crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
-wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
-@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
-with! So there!
+@item nnml-nov-file-name
+@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
+The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
-Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
+@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+@end table
-@node Washing Mail
-@subsection Washing Mail
-@cindex mail washing
-@cindex list server brain damage
-@cindex incoming mail treatment
+@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
+you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
+entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
+might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
+functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
+Commands}).
-Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
-really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
-prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
-end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
-Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
-considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
-Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
-} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
-be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
-laugh.
+@node MH Spool
+@subsubsection MH Spool
+@cindex nnmh
+@cindex mh-e mail spool
+
+@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
+@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
+@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
+makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
-Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
-displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
-storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
-various functions that can be put in these hooks.
+Virtual server settings:
@table @code
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
-grand, sweeping gestures. Functions to be used include:
+@item nnmh-directory
+@vindex nnmh-directory
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
-@table @code
-@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
-Emacs running on MS machines.
+@item nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+@item nnmh-be-safe
+@vindex nnmh-be-safe
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
+are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
+to set this variable to @code{t}.
@end table
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
-cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
+
+@node Mail Folders
+@subsubsection Mail Folders
+@cindex nnfolder
+@cindex mbox folders
+@cindex mail folders
+
+@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
+file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
+will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
+dates.
+
+Virtual server settings:
@table @code
-@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
-headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+@item nnfolder-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-directory
+All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
-@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
-beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
-people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
-strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
-also be a list of regexp.
+@item nnfolder-active-file
+@vindex nnfolder-active-file
+The name of the active file.
-For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
-@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
+@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
- '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
-@end lisp
+@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
-@item nnmail-remove-tabs
-@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
-Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
+@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@cindex backup files
+Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
+backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
+wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
+your @file{.emacs} file:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
-include:
+(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
-@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
+@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
+This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
+extract some information from it before removing it.
@end table
-@end table
-@node Duplicates
-@subsection Duplicates
-
-@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
-@cindex duplicate mails
-If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
-receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
-@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
-this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
-@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
-default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
-there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
-variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
-stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
-@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
-default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
-will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
-that this is a duplicate of a different message.
+@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
+@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
+If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
+@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
+command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
+@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
+though.
+
+@node Comparing Mail Backends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
+
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
+low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
+is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
+and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
+mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
+
+The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
+typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
+in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
+articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
+access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
+area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
+@code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
+actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
+via NFS).
+
+The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
+simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
+format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
+future. Here are some high and low points on each:
-This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
-will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
-the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
-@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox
+
+UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
+defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
+they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
+@samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
+to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
+@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
+historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
+mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
+this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
+area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
+(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
+to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
+fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
+what's where.
+
+@item nnbabyl
+
+Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
+systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
+reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
+was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
+format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
+spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
+headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
+RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
+and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
+to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
+VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
+perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
+headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
+course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
+
+Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
+filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
+look at your mail.
+
+@item nnml
+
+@code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
+actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
+fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
+lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
+and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
+Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
+CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
+or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
+@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
+@sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
+due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
+file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
+extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
+provided by the active file and overviews.
+
+@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
+resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
+files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
+tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
+wins big.
+
+It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
+FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
+tiny files.
+
+@item nnmh
+
+The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
+long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
+individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
+is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
+active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
+one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
+slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
+
+@item nnfolder
+
+Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
+method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
+itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
+little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
+a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
+can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
+format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
+it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
+out how many messages there are in each separate group.
+
+If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
+messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
+only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
+friendly mail backend all over.
-You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
-@code{nil}.
+@end table
-If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
-@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
-methods:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-fancy
- '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
- ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
- ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
- (any mail "mail.misc")
- ;; Other rules.
- [ ... ] ))
-@end lisp
+@node Browsing the Web
+@section Browsing the Web
+@cindex web
+@cindex browsing the web
+@cindex www
+@cindex http
-Or something like:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
- ;; Other rules.
- [...]))
-@end lisp
+Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
+subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
+eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
+is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
+and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
+go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
+even know what a news group is.
-Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
-with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
-@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
-using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
-received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
+The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
+being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
+they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
+not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
+you mad in the end.
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
+to do it instead?
-@node Not Reading Mail
-@subsection Not Reading Mail
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
+interfaces to these sources.
-If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
-habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
-be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
+@menu
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
+* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
+@end menu
-If you set @code{nnmail-spool-file} to @code{nil}, none of the backends
-will ever attempt to read incoming mail, which should help.
+All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
-happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
-file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
-variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
-the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
-group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
+work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
+is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
+though, you should be ok.
-All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
-narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
-incoming mail.
+One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
+are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
+cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
+Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
+leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
-@node Choosing a Mail Backend
-@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+@node Web Searches
+@subsection Web Searches
+@cindex nnweb
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex Usenet searches
+@cindex searching the Usenet
-Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
-file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
-depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
+It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
+string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
+those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
+the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
+searches without having to use a browser.
-@menu
-* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
-* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
-* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-@end menu
+The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
+then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
+group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
+Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
+@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
+groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
+each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
+pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
+manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
+Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
+@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
+engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
+header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
+group as read.
-@node Unix Mail Box
-@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
-@cindex nnmbox
-@cindex unix mail box
+If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
+won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
+make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
+community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
+might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
-mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
-which group it belongs in.
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
+to use @code{nnweb}.
-Virtual server settings:
+Virtual server variables:
@table @code
-@item nnmbox-mbox-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+@item nnweb-type
+@vindex nnweb-type
+What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
+are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
+@code{reference}.
-@item nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box.
+@item nnweb-search
+@vindex nnweb-search
+The search string to feed to the search engine.
-@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
-into groups.
-@end table
+@item nnweb-max-hits
+@vindex nnweb-max-hits
+Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
+100.
+@item nnweb-type-definition
+@vindex nnweb-type-definition
+Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
+with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
+present:
-@node Rmail Babyl
-@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
-@cindex nnbabyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+@table @code
+@item article
+Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
+understands.
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
-mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
-article to say which group it belongs in.
+@item map
+Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
-Virtual server settings:
+@item search
+Function to send the search string to the search engine.
-@table @code
-@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the rmail mbox file.
+@item address
+The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
+to.
-@item nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+@item id
+Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
+@end table
-@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
@end table
-@node Mail Spool
-@subsubsection Mail Spool
-@cindex nnml
-@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+@node Slashdot
+@subsection Slashdot
+@cindex Slashdot
+@cindex nnslashdot
-The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
-format. It should be used with some caution.
+Slashdot (@file{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
+lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
+let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
-@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
-one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
-directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
-variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
+following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
-You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
-care of all that.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnslashdot "")))
+@end lisp
-If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
-in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
-own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
-weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
-having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
-shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
-know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
-to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
+and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
+a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
+groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
+groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
+Methods}).
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
-splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
-@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
-backend when it comes to reading mail.
+If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
+command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-Virtual server settings:
+When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
+comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
+particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
+@code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
+the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
+directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
+@sc{html} forms.
+
+The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
@table @code
-@item nnml-directory
-@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+@item nnslashdot-threaded
+Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
+default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
+has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
+threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
+the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
+but much, much slower than untreaded.
+
+@item nnslashdot-login-name
+@vindex nnslashdot-login-name
+The login name to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-password
+@vindex nnslashdot-password
+The password to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-directory
+@vindex nnslashdot-directory
+Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
+@samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-active-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-active-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
+news articles and comments. The default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-comments-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-article-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-article-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-threshold
+@vindex nnslashdot-threshold
+The score threshold. The default is -1.
+
+@item nnslashdot-group-number
+@vindex nnslashdot-group-number
+The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
+updated. The default is 0.
-@item nnml-active-file
-@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+@end table
-@item nnml-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
-The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}.
-@item nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
-@item nnml-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+@node Ultimate
+@subsection Ultimate
+@cindex nnultimate
+@cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
-@item nnml-nov-file-name
-@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
-The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@file{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
+probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
+quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
+information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
-@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
+something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
+http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
+(not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
+you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
+site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
+server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
+
+The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
+@table @code
+@item nnultimate-directory
+@vindex nnultimate-directory
+The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
@end table
-@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
-If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
-you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
-nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
-entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
-might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
-functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
-Commands}).
+@node Web Archive
+@subsection Web Archive
+@cindex nnwarchive
+@cindex Web Archive
-@node MH Spool
-@subsubsection MH Spool
-@cindex nnmh
-@cindex mh-e mail spool
+Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
+@file{http://www.egroups.com/} and
+@file{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
+interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
+groups updated.
-@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
-@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
-@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
-makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
+The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
+something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
+www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
+@sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
+@sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
+backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
-Virtual server settings:
+The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
@table @code
-@item nnmh-directory
-@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
-
-@item nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
-
-@item nnmh-be-safe
-@vindex nnmh-be-safe
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
-sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
-are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
-setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
-use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
-to set this variable to @code{t}.
+@item nnwarchive-directory
+@vindex nnwarchive-directory
+The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/warchive/}.
+
+@item nnwarchive-login
+@vindex nnwarchive-login
+The account name on the web server.
+
+@item nnwarchive-passwd
+@vindex nnwarchive-passwd
+The password for your account on the web server.
@end table
-@node Mail Folders
-@subsubsection Mail Folders
-@cindex nnfolder
-@cindex mbox folders
-@cindex mail folders
-
-@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
-file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
-will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
-dates.
-
-Virtual server settings:
-
-@table @code
-@item nnfolder-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-directory
-All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+@node Customizing w3
+@subsection Customizing w3
+@cindex w3
+@cindex html
+@cindex url
+@cindex Netscape
-@item nnfolder-active-file
-@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
+pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
+things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
-@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
+using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
+browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
-@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
-@end table
+@lisp
+(eval-after-load "w3"
+ '(progn
+ (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
+ (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
+ (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
+ (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
+ (browse-url url)
+ (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
+@end lisp
-@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
-@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
-If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
-@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
-command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
-@code{nnfolder-directory}.
+Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
+@sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
+follow the link.
@node Other Sources
* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
-* SOUP:: Reading @sc{SOUP} packets ``offline''.
-* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
@end menu
When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
-After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're
-forgetting. @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it
-snoops each file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e.,
-the first few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head.
-If this is just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source
-file), @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It
-will use file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
+After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
+@code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
+file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
+few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
+just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
+@code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
+file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
elements.
All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+@item nneething-include-files
+@vindex nneething-include-files
+Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
+non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
+
@item nneething-map-file
@vindex nneething-map-file
Name of the map files.
@item forward
Forwarded articles.
-@item mime-digest
-@cindex digest
-@cindex MIME digest
-@cindex 1153 digest
-@cindex RFC 1153 digest
-@cindex RFC 341 digest
-MIME (RFC 1341) digest format.
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
+
+@item mime-parts
+MIME multipart messages.
@item standard-digest
The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
@vindex nndoc-article-type
This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
-@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-digest}, @code{standard-digest},
-@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs} or @code{guess}.
+@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
+@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
@item nndoc-post-type
@vindex nndoc-post-type
transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
newsreaders.
-However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a that's a bit
+However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
that interested in doing things properly.
@item message packets
These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
-default, where @var{X} is a number.
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
@item response packets
These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
-default, where @var{X} is a number.
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
@end table
@end table
-@node SOUP Replies
-@subsubsection SOUP Replies
-
-Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
-up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
-more for that to happen.
-
-@findex nnsoup-set-variables
-The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
-variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
-@sc{soup} system.
-
-In specific, this is what it does:
-
-@lisp
-(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
-(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
-@end lisp
-
-And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
-system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
-@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
-
-
-@node Web Searches
-@subsection Web Searches
-@cindex nnweb
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
-@cindex Usenet searches
-@cindex searching the Usenet
-
-It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
-string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
-those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
-the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
-searches without having to use a browser.
-
-The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
-engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
-then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
-group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
-Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
-
-@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
-groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
-each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
-pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
-manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
-Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
-@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
-engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
-of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
-header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
-group as read.
-
-If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
-won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
-providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
-make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
-community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
-might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
-
-You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
-to use @code{nnweb}.
-
-Virtual server variables:
-
-@table @code
-@item nnweb-type
-@vindex nnweb-type
-What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
-are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
-@code{reference}.
-
-@item nnweb-search
-@vindex nnweb-search
-The search string to feed to the search engine.
-
-@item nnweb-max-hits
-@vindex nnweb-max-hits
-Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
-100.
-
-@item nnweb-type-definition
-@vindex nnweb-type-definition
-Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
-with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
-present:
-
-@table @code
-@item article
-Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
-understands.
-
-@item map
-Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
-@item search
-Function to send the search string to the search engine.
+Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
+up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
+more for that to happen.
-@item address
-The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
-to.
+@findex nnsoup-set-variables
+The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
+variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
+@sc{soup} system.
-@item id
-Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
-@end table
+In specific, this is what it does:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
+@end lisp
+And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
+system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
+@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
@node Mail-To-News Gateways
@end lisp
+
+@node IMAP
+@subsection @sc{imap}
+@cindex nnimap
+@cindex @sc{imap}
+
+@sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
+think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server
+is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just specify the
+network address of the server.
+
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
+server:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnimap-address
+@vindex nnimap-address
+
+The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
+server name if not specified.
+
+@item nnimap-server-port
+@vindex nnimap-server-port
+Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
+
+@item nnimap-list-pattern
+@vindex nnimap-list-pattern
+String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
+This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
+interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
+@sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
+@file{~/Mail/*} then.
+
+The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
+REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
+Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
+mailbox.
+
+Example:
+
+@lisp
+("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*" ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnimap-stream
+@vindex nnimap-stream
+The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
+will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
+of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
+detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
+@samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
+SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
+@samp{starttls}.
+@item
+@dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
+program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
+@item
+@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
+@end itemize
+
+The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
+both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x.
+
+For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
+@file{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
+and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of SSLeay,
+0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it useless. Earlier
+versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to work.
+
+@item nnimap-authenticator
+@vindex nnimap-authenticator
+
+The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
+will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
+external program @code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
+@code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
+external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
+@item
+@dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
+@item
+@dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
+@item
+@dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
+@end itemize
+
+@item nnimap-expunge-on-close
+@cindex Expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
+Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
+doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
+this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
+delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
+nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
+similair).
+
+Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
+@code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
+running in circles yet?
+
+Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
+when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
+variable.
+
+The possible options are:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item always
+The default behaviour, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
+closing a mailbox.
+@item never
+Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
+the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
+may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
+manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
+@item ask
+When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
+articles or not.
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+@menu
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
+@end menu
+
+
+
+@node Splitting in IMAP
+@subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
+@cindex splitting imap mail
+
+Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
+the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
+@sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
+seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
+support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
+
+And it does.
+
+Here are the variables of interest:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nnimap-split-crosspost
+@cindex splitting, crosspost
+@cindex crosspost
+@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
+
+If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
+nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
+
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
+
+@item nnimap-split-inbox
+@cindex splitting, inbox
+@cindex inbox
+@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
+
+A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
+mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
+disabled!
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
+@end lisp
+
+No nnmail equivalent.
+
+@item nnimap-split-rule
+@cindex Splitting, rules
+@vindex nnimap-split-rule
+
+New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
+this variable.
+
+This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
+sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
+matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
+Neither did I, we need examples.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
+ ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
+ ("INBOX.private" "")))
+@end lisp
+
+This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
+INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
+into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
+
+The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
+replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
+instance:
+
+@lisp
+("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
+@end lisp
+
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
+containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
+if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
+
+Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
+match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
+nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
+of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
+unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
+them every time you fetch new mail.)
+
+These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
+end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
+crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
+
+This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
+be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
+thinks the article should be splitted to.
+
+The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
+
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+
+@item nnimap-split-predicate
+@cindex splitting
+@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
+
+Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
+splitted, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
+
+This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
+your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
+regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
+@samp{UNDELETED}.
+
+@item nnimap-split-fancy
+@cindex splitting, fancy
+@findex nnimap-split-fancy
+@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
+
+It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
+splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
+
+However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
+nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
+@code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
+rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
+
+Example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ nnimap-split-fancy ...)
+@end lisp
+
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Editing IMAP ACLs
+@subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
+@cindex editing imap acls
+@cindex Access Control Lists
+@cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
+@kindex G l
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
+
+ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
+limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
+@sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
+doesn't.
+
+To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
+editing window with detailed instructions.
+
+Some possible uses:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
+on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
+follow the list without subscribing to it.
+@item
+At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
+"anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
+mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
+INBOX.mailbox).
+@end itemize
+
+@node Expunging mailboxes
+@subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
+@cindex expunging
+
+@cindex Expunge
+@cindex Manual expunging
+@kindex G x
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
+
+If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
+you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
+manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
+
+Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
+delete them.
+
+
+
@node Combined Groups
@section Combined Groups
and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
@example
-"^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+some\\.server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
@end example
(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
+@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
+When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
+has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
+and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
+not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
+
+@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+
+
@node Kibozed Groups
@subsection Kibozed Groups
* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
@end menu
primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
@item
-Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}
+Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
@item
Uhm... that's it.
The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
@dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
-Gnus has its own buffer for creating and managing categories.
+Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
+@code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
+managing categories.
@menu
* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
are eligible for downloading; and
@item
-a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
-deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
-score} is wholly unrelated to normal scores.)
-@end enumerate
+a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
+deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
+score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
+@end enumerate
+
+A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
+@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
+article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
+predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
+
+Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
+their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
+
+To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
+download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
+operators sprinkled in between.
+
+Perhaps some examples are in order.
+
+Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
+for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
+
+@lisp
+short
+@end lisp
+
+Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
+short (for some value of ``short'').
+
+Here's a more complex predicate:
+
+@lisp
+(or high
+ (and
+ (not low)
+ (not long)))
+@end lisp
+
+This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
+or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
+drift.
+
+The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
+@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
+@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
+
+The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
+you want to do, you can write your own.
+
+@table @code
+@item short
+True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
+lines; default 100.
+
+@item long
+True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
+lines; default 200.
+
+@item low
+True iff the article has a download score less than
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+
+@item high
+True iff the article has a download score greater than
+@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+
+@item spam
+True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
+heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
+checksum and sees whether articles match.
+
+@item true
+Always true.
+
+@item false
+Always false.
+@end table
+
+If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
+to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
+@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
+useful values.
+
+For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
+that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
+more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
+something along the lines of the following:
+
+@lisp
+(defun my-article-old-p ()
+ "Say whether an article is old."
+ (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
+ (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
+@end lisp
+
+with the predicate then defined as:
+
+@lisp
+(not my-article-old-p)
+@end lisp
+
+or you could append your predicate to the predefined
+@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
+wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
+@code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
+
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+@end lisp
+
+and simply specify your predicate as:
+
+@lisp
+(not old)
+@end lisp
+
+If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
+misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
+always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
+just don't give a damm.
+
+The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
+category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
+individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
+new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
+parameters like so:
+
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate . short)
+@end lisp
+
+This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
+Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
+@code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
+
+The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
+
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
+@end lisp
+
+The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
+entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
+predicate is assumed to be a list.
+
+
+Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
+normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
+seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
+following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
+@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
+@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
+
+As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
+to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
+it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
+if it's to be specific to that group.
+
+In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
+three forms:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Score rule
+
+This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
+subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
+
+example:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
-A predicate consists of predicates with logical operators sprinkled in
-between.
-
-Perhaps some examples are in order.
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
-Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
-for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
@lisp
-short
+(agent-score ("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+ ("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
@end lisp
-Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
-short (for some value of ``short'').
+Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
+@end itemize
-Here's a more complex predicate:
+@item
+Agent score file
+
+These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
+stated above.
+
+example:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
@lisp
-(or high
- (and
- (not low)
- (not long)))
+("~/News/agent.SCORE")
@end lisp
-This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
-or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
-drift.
-
-The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
-@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
-@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
+or perhaps
-The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
-you want to do, you can write your own.
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item short
-True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
-lines; default 100.
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
-@item long
-True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
-lines; default 200.
+@lisp
+(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@item low
-True iff the article has a download score less than
-@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
+about parenthesis?
+@end itemize
-@item high
-True iff the article has a download score greater than
-@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+@item
+Use @code{normal} score files
-@item spam
-True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
-heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
-checksum and sees whether articles match.
+If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
+your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
+@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
+@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
-@item true
-Always true.
+These directives in either the category definition or a group's
+parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
+files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
+relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
-@item false
-Always false.
-@end table
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category Specification
-If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
-to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
-@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
-useful values.
+@lisp
+file
+@end lisp
-Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
-normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
-seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
-following headers can be scored on: @code{From}, @code{Subject},
-@code{Date}, @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars}, @code{Message-ID},
-and @code{References}.
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
+@lisp
+(agent-score . file)
+@end lisp
+@end itemize
+@end enumerate
@node The Category Buffer
@subsubsection The Category Buffer
@item gnus-category-line-format
@vindex gnus-category-line-format
Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). Legal elements are:
+Variables}). Valid elements are:
@table @samp
@item c
@kindex J S (Agent Group)
@findex gnus-group-send-drafts
Send all sendable messages in the draft group
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts}
+(@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
@item J a
@kindex J a (Agent Group)
@findex gnus-agent-add-group
Add the current group to an Agent category
-(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}).
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
+Remove the current group from its category, if any
+(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
@end table
@node Agent Expiry
@subsection Agent Expiry
-@vindex gnus-agent-expiry-days
-@findex gnus-agent-expiry
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expiry
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+@findex gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
@cindex Agent expiry
@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
@cindex expiry
@code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
-@code{gnus-agent-expiry} command that will expire all read articles that
-are older than @code{gnus-agent-expiry-days} days. It can be run
+@code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
+are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
@file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
@lisp
-;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
+;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
;;; from your ISP's server.
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "nntp.your-isp.com"))
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
;;; your ISP's POP server.
-(setenv "MAILHOST" "pop.your-isp.com")
-(setq nnmail-spool-file "po:username")
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
@end example
+@node Agent Caveats
+@subsection Agent Caveats
+
+The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
+newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
+may ask:
+
+@table @dfn
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
+Agent?
+
+@strong{No.}
+
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
+in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+
+@strong{Yes.}
+
+@end table
+
+In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
+articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
+
@node Scoring
@chapter Scoring
Score on the subject line.
@item x
-Score on the Xref line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
-@item t
-Score on thread---the References line.
+@item r
+Score on the @code{References} line.
@item d
Score on the date.
Score on the number of lines.
@item i
-Score on the Message-ID.
+Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
@item f
-Score on followups.
+Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
+the followups to this author.
@item b
Score on the body.
@item h
Score on the head.
+
+@item t
+Score on thread.
+
@end table
@item
@findex gnus-batch-score
@cindex batch scoring
@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l gnus -f gnus-batch-score
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
@end example
@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
@cindex score cache
All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
-score files. However, if this might make you Emacs grow big and
+score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
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
@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
+with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
+across group visits.
+
@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
@item Thread
This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
-key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
-@samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
-article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
-@samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
-articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
-entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
-complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
+key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
+article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
+match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
+has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
+matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
+This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
+even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
+@code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
@end table
word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
+won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
+for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
+lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
+
After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
groups.
@item
-A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
+A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
parameter.
@enumerate
@item
-@var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
-the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
+group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
@item
-A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
+A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
the home score file.
@item
the matches.
@item Marking as read
-You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
+You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
@lisp
@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
-regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
+regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
the separate scoring behavior you need to set
@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
@lisp
(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
- "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant' and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
+ "Decay SCORE.
+This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
+and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
(floor
(- score
(* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
@code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
+Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
+that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
+convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
+command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
+expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
+
@node Interactive
@section Interactive
@code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
+Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
+@code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
+say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
+@code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
+naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
+when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
+will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
+@code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
+
Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
@lisp
other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
@code{t} by default.
+Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
+glitches. Use at your own peril.
+
@vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
@code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
is such a plist.
-
-Here's a list of all possible keys for
-@code{gnus-buffer-configuration}:
-
-@code{group}, @code{summary}, @code{article}, @code{server},
-@code{browse}, @code{message}, @code{pick}, @code{info},
-@code{summary-faq}, @code{edit-group}, @code{edit-server},
-@code{edit-score}, @code{post}, @code{reply}, @code{forward},
-@code{reply-yank}, @code{mail-bounce}, @code{draft}, @code{pipe},
-@code{bug}, @code{compose-bounce}, and @code{score-trace}.
+The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
+be found in its default value.
Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
@code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
(group 1.0)))))
@end lisp
+One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
+for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
+accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
+
+@lisp
+(message (frame 1.0
+ (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
+ (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
+ (name . "Message"))
+ (message 1.0 point))))
+@end lisp
+
@findex gnus-add-configuration
Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
``right'' window configuration, you can set
@code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
+If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
+window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
+to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
+windows resized.
+
@node Faces and Fonts
@section Faces and Fonts
seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
-@vindex gnus-use-demon
-To set the whole thing in motion, though, you have to set
-@code{gnus-use-demon} to @code{t}.
-
So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
your @file{.gnus} file:
header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
@samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
-@var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is
-either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use)
-or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a
-regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
+@code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
+Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
+you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
+@var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
@samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
-@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string
+@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
@vindex gnus-picons-database
Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
-obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at
+obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
@code{gnus-picons-database}.
@lisp
(setq gnus-use-picons t)
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-picons-article-display-x-face)
+(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
@end lisp
and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
+(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+ "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
@end lisp
functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
at the right time.
-@vindex gnus-article-display-hook
@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
@table @code
@item gnus-article-display-picons
@findex gnus-article-display-picons
Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
-in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer. Should be added to the
-@code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
+in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
@findex gnus-article-display-picons
-Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present. This function
-should be added to @code{gnus-article-display-hook}.
+Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
@end table
-Note: You must append them to the hook, so make sure to specify 't'
-for the append flag of @code{add-hook}:
-
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-display-picons t)
-@end lisp
@node Picon Useless Configuration
Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
+@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
+@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
+Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+
@item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
@vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
+If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
+@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
+
@item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
@vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
@file{.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-smiley-display t)
+(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
@end lisp
Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
-Legal values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
+Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
@code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
@code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
-at @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
+at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
cosmic balance somewhat.
@menu
* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
-* A Programmers Guide to Gnus:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
@end menu
@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
-If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
-can point your (feh!) web browser to
-@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
-distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
-as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
+you can point your (feh!) web browser to
+@file{http://quimby.gnus.org/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
+distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
+known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+@menu
+* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
+* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Gnus Versions
+@subsection Gnus Versions
+@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
+@cindex ding Gnus
+@cindex September Gnus
+@cindex Quassia Gnus
+
The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
-On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
-releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6.27' on March 8th 1998.
+On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
+If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
+
+Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
+``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
+1999.
If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
to that instead.
-@menu
-* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
-* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
-* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
-* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
-* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
-* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
-* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
-@end menu
+
+@node Other Gnus Versions
+@subsection Other Gnus Versions
+@cindex Semi-gnus
+
+In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
+coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
+Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
+@sc{mime} capabilities.
+
+These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
+Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
+called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
+@sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
+Japanese users.
@node Why?
everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
every one of you to explore and invent.
-May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
+May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
their names.
-The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
+The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
Articles}.
One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
@table @emph
-@item MIME
-Gnus does no MIME handling, and this standard-to-be seems to think that
-MIME is the bees' knees, so we have major breakage here.
-
@item X-Newsreader
-This is considered to be a ``vanity header'', while I consider it to be
-consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted articles
-coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use either of
-those for posting articles. I would not have known that if it wasn't
-for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
+@itemx User-Agent
+These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
+to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
+articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
+either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
+it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
@end table
+@item USEFOR
+@cindex USEFOR
+USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
+on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
+various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
+look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
+
@end table
If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
@itemize @bullet
@item
-Emacs 19.32 and up.
-
-@item
-XEmacs 19.14 and up.
+Emacs 20.3 and up.
@item
-Mule versions based on Emacs 19.32 and up.
+XEmacs 20.4 and up.
@end itemize
-Gnus will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than that. Not
-reliably, at least.
+This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
+that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
+Emacs versions.
There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
Emacsen.
+@node Gnus Development
+@subsection Gnus Development
+
+Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
+discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
+propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
+phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
+phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
+circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
+unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
+have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+
+After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
+@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
+and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
+supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+
+@cindex Incoming*
+@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
+Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
+In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
+alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
+lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+
+The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
+newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
+having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
+can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
+importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
+introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
+introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
+either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
+usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
+can't be assumed to do so.
+
+
+
@node Contributors
@subsection Contributors
@cindex contributors
Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
@item
+Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
+nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
+other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
+functionality and stuff.
+
+@item
Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
well as numerous other things).
Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
@item
+Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
+
+@item
Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
@item
Peter Arius,
Matt Armstrong,
Marc Auslander,
+Miles Bader,
+Alexei V. Barantsev,
Frank Bennett,
Robert Bihlmeyer,
Chris Bone,
Mark Borges,
Mark Boyns,
Lance A. Brown,
+Rob Browning,
Kees de Bruin,
Martin Buchholz,
Joe Buehler,
David Charlap,
Dan Christensen,
Kevin Christian,
+Jae-you Chung, @c ?
+James H. Cloos, Jr.,
+Laura Conrad,
Michael R. Cook,
Glenn Coombs,
+Andrew J. Cosgriff,
+Neil Crellin,
Frank D. Cringle,
Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
Andre Deparade,
Michael Welsh Duggan,
Dave Edmondson,
Paul Eggert,
+Mark W. Eichin,
+Karl Eichwalder,
Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
Michael Ernst,
Luc Van Eycken,
Sam Falkner,
Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
Sigbjorn Finne,
+Sven Fischer,
+Paul Fisher,
Decklin Foster,
Gary D. Foster,
Paul Franklin,
Arne Georg Gleditsch,
David S. Goldberg,
Michelangelo Grigni,
+Dale Hagglund,
D. Hall,
Magnus Hammerin,
Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
P. E. Jareth Hein,
Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
+Scott Hofmann,
Marc Horowitz,
Gunnar Horrigmo,
Richard Hoskins,
Brad Howes,
+Miguel de Icaza,
François Felix Ingrand,
+Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
Lee Iverson,
Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
Rajappa Iyer,
Andreas Jaeger,
+Adam P. Jenkins,
Randell Jesup,
Fred Johansen,
+Gareth Jones,
Simon Josefsson,
Greg Klanderman,
Karl Kleinpaste,
+Michael Klingbeil,
Peter Skov Knudsen,
Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
+Petr Konecny,
+Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
Thor Kristoffersen,
Jens Lautenbacher,
+Martin Larose,
Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
+Joerg Lenneis,
Carsten Leonhardt,
James LewisMoss,
Christian Limpach,
Ken Olstad,
Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
Hideki Ono, @c Ono
+Ettore Perazzoli,
William Perry,
Stephen Peters,
Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
Ulrich Pfeifer,
+Matt Pharr,
+Andy Piper,
John McClary Prevost,
+Bill Pringlemeir,
Mike Pullen,
Jim Radford,
Colin Rafferty,
Roland B. Roberts,
Bart Robinson,
Christian von Roques,
+Markus Rost,
Jason Rumney,
Wolfgang Rupprecht,
Jay Sachs,
Dewey M. Sasser,
+Conrad Sauerwald,
Loren Schall,
Dan Schmidt,
Ralph Schleicher,
Philippe Schnoebelen,
Andreas Schwab,
Randal L. Schwartz,
-Justin Sheehy,
Danny Siu,
Matt Simmons,
Paul D. Smith,
Richard Stallman,
Greg Stark,
Sam Steingold,
+Paul Stevenson,
+Jonas Steverud,
Paul Stodghill,
+Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
Kurt Swanson,
Samuel Tardieu,
Teddy,
Chuck Thompson,
+Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
Philippe Troin,
James Troup,
+Trung Tran-Duc,
+Jack Twilley,
Aaron M. Ucko,
Aki Vehtari,
Didier Verna,
+Vladimir Volovich,
Jan Vroonhof,
Stefan Waldherr,
Pete Ware,
Barry A. Warsaw,
Christoph Wedler,
Joe Wells,
-Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
+Lee Willis,
+Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
and
-Shenghuo Zhu. @c Zhu
+Lloyd Zusman.
+
For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6.27.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
@end menu
These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
@item
Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
- 'gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head)
-@end lisp
-
@item
All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
@item
Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook
- 'gnus-article-hide-boring-headers t)
-@end lisp
-
@item
Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
Marks}).
@item
-A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
+A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
@item
@item
Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-display-hook 'gnus-article-emphasize)
-@end lisp
-
@end itemize
@node Quassia Gnus
@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
-New features in Gnus 5.6.27:
+New features in Gnus 5.6:
@itemize @bullet
@itemize @bullet
@item
-Native @sc{mime} support is something that should be done.
-
-@item
-Really do unbinhexing.
-
-@item
I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
@item
nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
@item
- implement gnus-score-thread
-@item
If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
make the mail groups killed.
@item
@item
warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
@item
- really unbinhex binhex files.
-@item
take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
bar and the Gnus bar.
@item
@item
AUTHINFO GENERIC
@item
- support qmail maildir spools
-@item
`run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
@item
stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
@item
- the slave dribble files should autosave to the slave file names.
+ the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
@item
a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
on article marks.
problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
-In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at
+In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
numbers and match on the age of the article.
@item
- gnus-cacheable-groups
-
-@item
@example
> > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
> > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
@item
- nndraft-request-group should tally autosave files.
+ nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
@item
implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
in the head or body.
@item
-Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
+Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
@item
gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
summary buffer for each article.
@item
+Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
+
+@item
+Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
+lists.
+
+@item
+Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
+
+@item
+gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
+exits the group.
+
+@item
+The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
+
+@item
+Bouncing articles should do MIME.
+
+@item
+Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
+groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
+
+@item
+If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
+you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
+
+@item
+A spec for the group line format to display the number of
+agent-downloaded articles in the group.
+
+@item
+Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
+timeout for all commands.
+
+@item
+When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
+It should go somewhere else.
+
+@item
+I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
+Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
+"microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
+access as
+"nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
+but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
+
+Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
+Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
+
+@item
+
+When `#F', do:
+
+@example
+Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
+ --text follows this line--
+Sorry I killfiled you...
+
+Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
+> bar
+Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
+> bar 1
+@end example
+
+@item
+Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
+
+@item
+@example
+ - Edit article's summary line.
+ - End edit
+ - Sort lines in buffer by subject
+
+ --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
+ just changed to.
+@end example
+
+
+@item
+Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
+and the like.
+
+@item
+Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
+to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
+fetching.
+
+@item
+Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
+
+@item
+nnweb should include the "get whole article" article when getting articles.
+
+@item
+When I type W W c (gnus-article-hide-citation) in the summary
+buffer, the citations are revealed, but the [+] buttons don't turn
+into [-] buttons. (If I click on one of the [+] buttons, it does
+turn into a [-] button.)
+
+@item
+Perhaps there should be a command to "attach" a buffer of comments to
+a message? That is, `B WHATEVER', you're popped into a buffer, write
+something, end with `C-c C-c', and then the thing you've written gets
+to be the child of the message you're commenting.
+
+@item
+Handle external-body parts.
+
+@item
Solve the halting problem.
@c TODO
@end iftex
+@node On Writing Manuals
+@section On Writing Manuals
+
+I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
+that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
+implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
+straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
+functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
+implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
+hand in hand.
+
+This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
+documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
+looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
+started with Gnus.
+
+That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
+reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
+
+
@page
@node Terminology
@section Terminology
@item digest
@cindex digest
A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
-specified by RFC1153.
+specified by RFC 1153.
@end table
useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
@samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
-@item gnus-article-display-hook
Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-display-hook
- '(gnus-article-hide-headers gnus-article-hide-signature
- gnus-article-hide-citation))
+(setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
+ gnus-treat-hide-signature t
+ gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
@end lisp
@item gnus-use-full-window
use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
default.
+@item gnus-read-newsrc-file
+If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
+only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
+use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+
@item gnus-save-killed-list
If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
@code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
summary buffer faster.
-Set @code{gnus-article-display-hook} to @code{nil} to make article
-processing a bit faster.
-
@page
@node Troubleshooting
@kindex M-x gnus-bug
@findex gnus-bug
If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
-command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
+command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
@page
-@node A Programmers Guide to Gnus
-@section A Programmer@'s Guide to Gnus
+@node Gnus Reference Guide
+@section Gnus Reference Guide
It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
@lisp
(gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
-=> t
+@result{} t
@end lisp
@item gnus-read-method
Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
making @var{group} the current group.
-If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
+If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
the current group.
Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
There should be no result data from this function.
+@item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
+
+Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
+marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
+@code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
+all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
+propagate the mark information to the server.
+
+ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
+
+@example
+(RANGE ACTION MARK)
+@end example
+
+Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
+@code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
+existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
+marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
+mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
+Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
+@code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
+@code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
+not limit itself to these.
+
+Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
+effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
+@code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
+remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
+
+An example action list:
+
+@example
+(((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
+ ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
+ ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
+@end example
+
+The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
+mark on (currently not used for anything).
+
+There should be no result data from this function.
+
@item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
@dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
-RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
+RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
@code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
@code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
-@code{xref}. There are macros for accessing and setting these
-slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
+@code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
+setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
@code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
-The @code{xref} slot is really a @code{misc} slot. Any extra info will
-be put in there.
+All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
+contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
@node Ranges
second is a more complex one:
@example
-("no.group" 5 (1 . 54324))
+("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
@end iftex
@c End:
-
projects / elisp / gnus.git- / blobdiff