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@settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
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\gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
\thispagestyle{empty}
-Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
+Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
+2002, 2003
Free Software Foundation, Inc.
This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
-Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
+ Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
+2002, 2003
+ Free Software Foundation, Inc.
Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
luck.
-T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
-your right to read strange messages including big images or other
-various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
+T-gnus provides @sc{mime} features based on @sc{semi} API. So T-gnus
+supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
+other various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
@end iftex
@menu
-* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
-* Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
-* Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
-* Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
-* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
-* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
-* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
-* Various:: General purpose settings.
-* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
-* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
-* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
-* Key Index:: Key Index.
+* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
+* Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
+* Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
+* Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
+* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
+* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
+* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
+* Various:: General purpose settings.
+* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
+* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
+* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
+* Key Index:: Key Index.
+
+Other related manuals
+
+* Message:(message). Composing messages.
+* Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; MIME-specific parts.
+* Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
+* PGG:(pgg). PGP/MIME with Gnus.
@detailmenu
--- The Detailed Node Listing ---
Starting Gnus
-* 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.
+* 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?
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* 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.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
New 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.
+* 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.
Group Buffer
-* 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.
+* 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.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* 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.
Group Buffer Format
-* 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.
+* 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.
Group Topics
-* 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.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
Misc Group Stuff
-* 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.
+* 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.
+* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
Summary Buffer
* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
* Threading:: How threads are made.
* 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.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
+ or reselecting the current group.
* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
+* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
Summary Buffer Format
-* 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.
+* 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
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
Reply, Followup and Post
-* 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.''
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding::
+
+Marking Articles
+
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+* Setting Marks::
+* Generic Marking Commands::
+* Setting Process Marks::
Marking Articles
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-* 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.
+* 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.
Threading
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
Customizing Threading
-* 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!
+* 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@dots{} but you were wrong!
Decoding Articles
-* 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?
+* 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?
Decoding Variables
-* 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.
+* 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.
Article Treatment
-* 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.
+* 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 Header:: Doing various header transformations.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
Alternative Approaches
Various Summary Stuff
-* 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.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands::
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
Article Buffer
-* 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.
+* 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.
Composing Messages
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* 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?
-* Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail 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?
+* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
Select Methods
-* 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.
+* 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.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
Server Buffer
-* 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.
+* 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.
Getting News
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+
+@sc{nntp}
+
+* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
+* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
+* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
Getting Mail
-* 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 cruft 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.
+* 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 Back End 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 back ends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
Mail Sources
-* 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.
+* 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.
-Choosing a Mail Backend
+Choosing a Mail Back End
* 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.
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
+* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
Browsing the Web
-* 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.
-* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
-* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
+* Archiving Mail::
+* 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.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
+
+@sc{imap}
+
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
+* A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
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''.
-* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
-* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
+* 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.
Document Groups
SOUP
-* 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}
-
-* 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.
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
Combined Groups
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
Gnus Unplugged
-* 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.
-* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
-* 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.
+* 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 as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
+* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
+* 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.
Agent Categories
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
Agent Commands
-* Group Agent Commands::
-* Summary Agent Commands::
-* Server Agent Commands::
+* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
+* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
+* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
Scoring
-* 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.
+* 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 On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
+* 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.
GroupLens
-* 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.
+* 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.
Advanced Scoring
Various
-* 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 tendinitis 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.
+* 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.
+* Window Layout:: 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 tendinitis 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.
+* Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
+* 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
-* 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.
+* 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.
+* Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
+* Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
+* Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
-XEmacs Enhancements
+Image Enhancements
-* 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.
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
-Picons
+Thwarting Email Spam
-* 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.
+* The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
+* Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
+* SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
+* Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
+* Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
+* Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
Appendices
-* 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.
+* XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
+* 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::
History
-* 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.
+* 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.
New Features
-* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
-* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
-* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
-* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
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.
+* 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.
Gnus Reference Guide
-* 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.
-
-Backend Interface
-
-* 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.
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Back End 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.
+
+Back End Interface
+
+* Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
+* Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
Various File Formats
-* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
-* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
Emacs for Heathens
-* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
-* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
@end detailmenu
@end menu
@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
+variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
@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.
+* 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?
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* 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.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
@end menu
@end lisp
If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
-certainly be much faster.
+certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
+server is running Leafnode; in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
@cindex NNTPSERVER
appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
groups are.
-For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
-would typically set this variable to
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
+you would typically set this variable to
@lisp
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
-@code{.newsrc} file.
+@file{.newsrc} file.
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
me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+@findex gnus-slave
Anyway, 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}
they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
-information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
+information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
+If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
+slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
+file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
+incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
+messages as unread that have been read in the master.
@node Fetching a Group
@section Fetching a Group
@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
+@code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New 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.
+* 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 gnus-subscribe-topics
@vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
-Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
+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
"nnslashdot"
@end example
-will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
+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
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}.
+that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
+subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
+@code{nil}.
New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
+list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+
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.
+@code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
+to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
+can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
+cache for all groups).
@node Startup Files
several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
@vindex gnus-startup-file
+@vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
+@vindex version-control
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.
+If you want version control for this file, set
+@code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
+@code{version-control} variable.
@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
@end lisp
@vindex gnus-init-file
+@vindex gnus-site-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
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.
+file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
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.
+@file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
@item gnus-no-groups-message
@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
@chapter Group Buffer
@cindex group buffer
+@c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
+@c
+@c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
+@c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
+@c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
+@c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
+@c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
+@c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
+@c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
+@c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
+@c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
+@c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
+@c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
+@c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
+@c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
+@c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
+@c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
+@c human rights at 9...
+
+
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.
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,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}}
@end iftex
@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.
+* 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.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* 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
@section Group Buffer Format
@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.
+* 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
a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
+@samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
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.
+the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
+Point}. 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
@item R
Number of read articles.
+@item U
+Number of unseen articles.
+
@item t
Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+Gnus uses this estimation because the @sc{nntp} protocol provides
+efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
+the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
+hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
+unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
+interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
+end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
+want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
+
@item y
Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
@item G
Group name.
+@item C
+Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
+comment element in the group parameters.
+
@item D
Newsgroup description.
@item s
Select method.
+@item B
+If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
+
@item n
Select from where.
(cond (window-system
(setq custom-background-mode 'light)
(defface my-group-face-1
- '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
(defface my-group-face-2
- '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
(defface my-group-face-3
- '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
(defface my-group-face-4
- '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
(defface my-group-face-5
- '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
+ '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
(setq gnus-group-highlight
'(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
@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.
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
+@var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
@item topic
When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
topic being inserted.
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.
+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.
Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
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)
+@item C-M-RET
+@kindex C-M-RET (Group)
@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
doing any processing of its contents
@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
-@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
+If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
+Which article this is is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
+variable is:
@table @code
-@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.
+@item unread
+Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
-@end table
+@item first
+Place point on the subject line of the first article.
-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 unseen
+Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
-@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 unseen-or-unread
+Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
+there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
+unread article.
-@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Select the first unread article.
+@item best
+Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
-@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Select the highest-scored unread article.
@end table
+This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
+will be called to place point on a subject line.
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
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
+@code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
selected.
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.
+on some back ends.
@item G c
@kindex G c (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}).
+@code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
@xref{Anything Groups}.
@item G f
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
+Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
+@code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
+@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
+@code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
+@code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
+you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
type. @xref{Document Groups}.
@item G u
@item G w
@kindex G w (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
+@cindex Google
@cindex nnweb
+@cindex gmane
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}.
+include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
@xref{Web Searches}.
-If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
+If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
to a particular group by using a match string like
-@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+@samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
@item G DEL
@kindex G DEL (Group)
(auto-expire . t))
@end example
-We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
+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.
@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
sending the message.
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
+@cindex Mail List Groups
+If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
+entering summary buffer.
+
See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
+@anchor{subscribed}
+@item subscribed
+@cindex subscribed
+If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
+to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
+mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
+(only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
+headers for your posts to these lists. Look here @pxref{Mailing
+Lists, , Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual} for a complete
+treatment of available MFT support.
+
+See also @code{gnus-find-subscribed-addresses}, the function that
+directly uses this group parameter.
+
@item visible
@cindex visible
If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
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}).
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}). CAVEAT:: It yields an error putting
+@code{(gcc-self . t)} in groups of a @code{nntp} server or so, because
+a @code{nntp} server doesn't accept articles.
@item auto-expire
@cindex auto-expire
@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}.
+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}
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}) 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
All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
@item admin-address
+@cindex 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
+@cindex display
Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
display on entering the group. Valid values are:
@item all
Display all articles, both read and unread.
+@item an integer
+Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
+entering the group with C-u @var{integer}.
+
@item default
Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
ticked articles.
+
+@item an array
+Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
+
+Here are some examples:
+
+@table @code
+@item [unread]
+Display only unread articles.
+
+@item [not expire]
+Display everything except expirable articles.
+
+@item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
+Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
+responded to.
@end table
+The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
+Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
+@code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
+@code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
+@code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
+
+@end table
+
+The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
+the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
+command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
@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.
+@cindex comment
+Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
+arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
+group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
@item charset
+@cindex 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.
See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
@item ignored-charsets
-Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
+@cindex ignored-charset
+Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
default charset will be used for decoding articles.
See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
@item posting-style
-You can store additional posting style information for this group only
+@cindex posting-style
+You can store additional posting style information for this group
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
@example
(posting-style
(name "Funky Name")
+ ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
(signature "Funky Signature"))
@end example
+@item post-method
+@cindex post-method
+If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
+instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
+
@item banner
+@cindex banner
An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
"regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
last signature or any of the elements of the alist
@code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
+@item sieve
+@cindex sieve
+This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
+that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
+Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
+condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
+
+For example, if the INBOX.list.sieve group has the @code{(sieve
+address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
+translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
+Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
+
+@example
+if address \"sender\" \"sieve-admin@@extundo.com\" @{
+ fileinto \"INBOX.list.sieve\";
+@}
+@end example
+
+The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, , Top, sieve,
+Emacs Sieve}.
+
@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},
in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
@code{eval}ed there.
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A use for this feature, is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
+the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
+@samp{nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps} has the tag
+@samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this tag can be
+removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for the group by
+putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")} into the group
+parameters for the group.
+
+
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
silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
+@vindex gnus-parameters
+Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
+But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For
+example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("mail\\..*"
+ (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring nil)
+ (gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
+ (gcc-self . t)
+ (display . all))
+
+ ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
+ (to-group . "\\1"))
+
+ ("mail\\.me"
+ (gnus-use-scoring t))
+
+ ("list\\..*"
+ (total-expire . t)
+ (broken-reply-to . t))))
+@end lisp
+
+String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
+the @code{to-group} example shows.
+
@node Listing Groups
@section Listing Groups
@item G S m
@kindex G S m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name
(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item G S n
+@kindex G S n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
+
@end table
All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
@item G P m
@kindex G P m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
-Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name
(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+@item G P n
+@kindex G P n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
+Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
+
+@item G P s
+@kindex G P s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
+Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
+
@end table
And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
@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}).
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
+all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-@item C-c M-C-x
-@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@item C-c C-M-x
+@kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
-Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
+Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
@end table
@findex gnus-browse-exit
Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+@item d
+@kindex d (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
+
@item ?
@kindex ? (Browse)
@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-after-exiting-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
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
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?
+dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} 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:
+the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@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.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* 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
available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
definitions slightly.
+In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
+First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
+groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
+like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
+shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
+groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
+
+Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
+the way you like.
+
@table @kbd
@item T n
Prompt for a new topic name and create it
(@code{gnus-topic-create-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}).
+
+@end table
+
+The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
+They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
+@kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
+kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@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.
+
+So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
+@kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the `cut' part of cut and paste. Then,
+move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the `Gnus'
+topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the `paste' part of cut and
+paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
+
+You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
+you can move topics around as well as groups.
+
+@end table
+
+After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
+hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
+key.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@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.
+
+@end table
+
+Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
+
+@table @kbd
+
@item T m
@kindex T m (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-move-group
@kindex T # (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
+sub-topics unless given a prefix.
@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.
+(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
+sub-topics unless given a prefix.
@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.
+Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
+expiry process (if any)
+(@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
@item T r
@kindex T r (Topic)
List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+@item T M-n
+@kindex T M-n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
+Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
+
+@item T M-p
+@kindex T M-p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
+Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
+
@item G p
@kindex G p (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-edit-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:
-
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
-@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}).
+The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
+This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
-@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}).
+@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:
-@item T S l
-@kindex T S l (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
+@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 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 m
@kindex T S m (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item T S e
+@kindex T S e (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
+
+@item T S s
+@kindex T S s
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
+Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
+
@end table
-@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
+When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
+order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
+sorting.
@node Topic Topology
@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
+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.
+topic.
+
+@item subscribe-level
+When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
+the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
+@code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
@end table
@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.
+* 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.
+* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
@end menu
@table @kbd
@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.
+Start composing a message (a news by default)
+(@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
+under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
+article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
+with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
@item m
@kindex m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
+use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
+prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+@xref{Composing Messages}.
+
+@item i
+@kindex i (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-news
+Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
+post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
+for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
+
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
@end table
@end lisp
@item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
+@cindex UTF-8 group names
@vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
-An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
-It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
+An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
+is used to show non-ASCII group names. @code{((".*" utf-8))} is the
+default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the default is
+@code{nil}.
For example:
@lisp
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).
+back end(s).
@item M-g
@kindex M-g (Group)
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 c
+@kindex H c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
+@vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
+@cindex charter
+Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
+prefix argument.
+
+Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
+the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
+messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
+
+@item H C
+@kindex H C (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-control
+@vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
+@cindex control message
+Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
+@code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
+group if given a prefix argument.
+
+If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
+Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
+@code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
+and displayed in an ephemeral group.
+
+Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
+you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
+Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
+
@item H d
@itemx C-c C-d
@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
"%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
@end lisp
+If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
+user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
+trick:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
+ (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
+ (if time
+ (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
+ "")))
+@end lisp
+
@node File Commands
@subsection File Commands
@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}).
+@file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
@item s
@kindex s (Group)
@end table
+@node Sieve Commands
+@subsection Sieve Commands
+@cindex group sieve commands
+
+Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
+the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
+sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
+commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
+script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
+
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
+The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
+default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
+between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
+@code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
+outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
+regenerate the Sieve script.
+
+@vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
+The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
+is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
+placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
+is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
+example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
+"owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
+code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
+@code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
+except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
+
+@example
+if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
+ fileinto "INBOX.ding";
+ stop;
+@}
+@end example
+
+@xref{Top, ,Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item D g
+@kindex D g (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-generate
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex generating sieve script
+Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
+put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
+
+@item D u
+@kindex D u (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-update
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex updating sieve script
+Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
+@code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
+server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Summary Buffer
@chapter Summary Buffer
@cindex summary buffer
* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
* Threading:: How threads are made.
* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
+* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
@end menu
@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}}}
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,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.
+* 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
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}.
+There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
+the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
+performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
+possible to change this. Just write a new function
+@code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
+@xref{Positioning Point}.
-The following format specification characters are understood:
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
+
+The following format specification characters and extended format
+specification(s) are understood:
@table @samp
@item N
@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}).
+The name, @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
@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).
+Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
+in some methods (like nnfolder).
+@item k
+Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
+for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
@item I
Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item B
+A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
+lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
+
+@example
+>
++->
+| +->
+| | \->
+| | \->
+| \->
++->
+\->
+@end example
+
+You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
+that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
+replacing the default ASCII characters with graphic line-drawing
+glyphs.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{> }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{}.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
+
+@end table
+
@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 <
Twenty minus thread level spaces.
@item U
-Unread.
+Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
@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.
+or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
@item i
Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
The line number.
@item O
Download mark.
+@item &user-date;
+Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
+@code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
@item u
User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
be a letter. Gnus will call the function
into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
@end table
+Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
+@code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
+There can only be one such area.
+
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''
@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.
+to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files.
+If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
+changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
+and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
+regeneration.
@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
-@file{~/.gnus}:
+@file{~/.gnus.el}:
@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")
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %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 values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
+to fit your needs.)
+
+A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
+convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
+support:
+
+The above 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:
+nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
@example
Newsgroups:full
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}.
+next group with unread articles. 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
@cindex selecting articles
@menu
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
@end menu
Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
+again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
+@kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @pxref{Paging the Article}.
+
@item G n
@itemx n
@kindex n (Summary)
@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}).
+Go to the unread article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
+go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
@item G l
@itemx l
@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.
+exposes any threads hidden under the selected article. If you would
+like each article to be saved in the Agent as you read it, putting
+@code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this hook will do so.
@item gnus-mark-article-hook
@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
+@vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
+If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
+the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
+skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
+what is considered uninteresting with
+@code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
+pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
+
@item DEL
@kindex DEL (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
- '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
+(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+ '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
(2 . big5)))
@end lisp
* 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.''
+* Canceling and Superseding::
@end menu
@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a very 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 V
+@kindex S V (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S B r
+@kindex S B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
+@code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
+
+@item S B R
+@kindex S B R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
@item S o m
@itemx C-c C-f
@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}).
+Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
+the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+
+@item S i
+@itemx i
+@kindex i (Summary)
+@kindex S i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
+Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
+post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
+prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
@item S D b
@kindex S D b (Summary)
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!
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
This command understands the process/prefix convention
(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
@node Summary Post Commands
@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}).
+Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
+default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
@item S f
@itemx f
(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
@node Summary Message Commands
Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+@node Delayed Articles
+@section Delayed Articles
+@cindex delayed sending
+@cindex send delayed
+
+Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
+example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
+to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
+there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-delay-initialize)
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-delay-article
+Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
+Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
+(@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
+message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
+@code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
+(minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
+(months) and @code{Y} (years).
+
+@item
+A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
+delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
+See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
+
+@item
+A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
+stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
+already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
+o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
+is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
+that means a time tomorrow.
+@end itemize
+
+The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
+couple of variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-delay-default-hour
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
+When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
+on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
+
+@item gnus-delay-default-delay
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
+This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
+formats described above.
+
+@item gnus-delay-group
+@vindex gnus-delay-group
+Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
+they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
+value is @code{"delayed"}.
+
+@item gnus-delay-header
+@vindex gnus-delay-header
+The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
+is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
+change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
+@end table
+
+The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
+@code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
+calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
+@code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
+@code{nndraft:delayed} group.
+
+@findex gnus-delay-send-queue
+And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
+which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
+function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
+Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
+execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-delay-initialize
+@findex gnus-delay-initialize
+
+By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
+argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
+argument is ignored.
+
+For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
+Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
+Just don't forget to set that up :-)
+@end table
+
@node Marking Articles
@section Marking Articles
In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
@menu
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
@end menu
@ifinfo
@item M
@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
-(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+(@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
@end table
answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item
@vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
-All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
+All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
@item
(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
@item
+@vindex gnus-recent-mark
+Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
+before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
+mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
+@code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-unseen-mark
+Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
+with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
+Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, articles may be
+downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
+@samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics}, some articles might
+not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
+are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
+articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
+@code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
+The Gnus agent @pxref{Agent Basics} downloads some articles
+automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
+download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
+explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
+
+@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
@item M H
@kindex M H (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
-Catchup the current group to point
+Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+@item M h
+@kindex M h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
+Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
+
@item C-w
@kindex C-w (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
@subsection Setting Process Marks
@cindex setting process marks
+Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
+used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
+process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
+articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
+commands into the cache. For more information,
+@pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+
@table @kbd
@item M P p
@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+@item M P g
+@kindex M P g
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
+Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
+
@item M P t
@kindex M P t (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
@kindex / / (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@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}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@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}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@item / u
@itemx x
(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
the stack.
+@item / .
+@kindex / . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
+Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
+
@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 / p
+@kindex / p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
+group parameter predicate
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). See @pxref{Group
+Parameters} for more on this predicate.
+
@item / E
@itemx M S
@kindex M S (Summary)
(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+@item / N
+@kindex / N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
+Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
+if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
+
+@item / o
+@kindex / o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
+Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
+prefix, fetch this number of articles.
+
@end table
@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
@end menu
@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!
+* 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@dots{} but you were wrong!
@end menu
@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}}}
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@item dummy
@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
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}.
+If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
+ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
@item empty
Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
Remove excessive whitespace.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+Remove all whitespace.
@end table
You may also write your own functions, of course.
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.
+fetching old headers only works if the back end you are using carries
+overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
+@code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
+the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do
+about that.
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
@item gnus-read-all-available-headers
@vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
-intended for those non-news newsgroups where the backend has to fetch
+intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
generated.
+This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
+Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
+@code{gnus-article-unseen-p}).
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+ '(or gnus-article-unread-p
+ gnus-article-unseen-p))
+@end lisp
+
+(It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
+unread, but you get my drift.)
+
+
@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
All threads that have a total score (as defined by
@table @kbd
@item T k
-@itemx M-C-k
+@itemx C-M-k
@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-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,
articles instead.
@item T l
-@itemx M-C-l
+@itemx C-M-l
@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-l (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
@item T n
@kindex T n (Summary)
-@itemx M-C-n
-@kindex M-C-n (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-f
+@kindex C-M-n (Summary)
@itemx M-down
@kindex M-down (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
@item T p
@kindex T p (Summary)
-@itemx M-C-p
-@kindex M-C-p (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-b
+@kindex C-M-p (Summary)
@itemx M-up
@kindex M-up (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
@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
+a command like @kbd{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
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-thread
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
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-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
@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}.
+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},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
say something like:
also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
extra connection.
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
you really want to.
@vindex gnus-asynchronous
@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
+that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end 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.
+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.
-If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
+than 100 lines, you could say something like:
@lisp
(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
file.
+@findex gnus-cache-move-cache
+@code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
+@code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
+where, isn't that cool?
@node Persistent Articles
@section Persistent Articles
bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
-This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+The default value is 20.
@node Saving Articles
approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
+save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
+command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+
@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.
(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
@item O p
+@itemx |
@kindex O p (Summary)
+@kindex | (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}).
+If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
+complete headers in the piped output.
+
+@item O P
+@kindex O P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-muttprint
+@vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
+Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
+external program Muttprint (see
+@uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/}). The program name and
+options to use is controlled by the variable
+@code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}. (@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
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}.
+@item gnus-summary-write-to-file
+@findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
+Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
+overwritten if it exists. 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}.
+
@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
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
+related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
like:
@lisp
@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-default-article-saver
+ 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
@end lisp
Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
@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?
+* 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
@cindex series
Adjective, not verb.
@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.
+* 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-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
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
say something like:
@lisp
(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
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}.
+think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
these articles easier.
@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.
+* 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 Header:: Doing various header transformations.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
@end menu
@item W W h
@kindex W W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
-Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
+@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
+Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
Headers}.
@item W W b
@end table
-@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.
-
-(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
-
-;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
-;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
-
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
- (lambda ()
- (save-excursion
- (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
- (mc-verify))))
-@end lisp
-
@item W W P
@kindex W W P (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
@item W W B
@kindex W W B (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
@cindex banner
@cindex OneList
@cindex stripping advertisements
corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
used.
+Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
+the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
+@code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
+@code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
+matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
+symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
+a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
+address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
+sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
+banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
+sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
+
+@lisp
+("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" . "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
@item W W c
@kindex W W c (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
the server.
+@item g
+Force redisplaying of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
+If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
+interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
+(@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+
@item W l
@kindex W l (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+@item W m
+@kindex W m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-morse-message
+Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
+
@item W t
@item t
@kindex W t (Summary)
@kindex t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
@item W v
@kindex W v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
-(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
@item W m
@kindex W m (Summary)
like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
+@item W Y f
+@kindex W Y f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
+@cindex Outlook Express
+Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
+unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
+
+@item W Y u
+@kindex W Y u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
+Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
+what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the miminum and
+maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
+
+@item W Y a
+@kindex W Y a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
+Repair a broken attribution line.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
+
+@item W Y c
+@kindex W Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
+Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
+
@item W w
@kindex W w (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
@item W Q
@kindex W Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
@item W C
@findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
-(i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
+(i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that 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.
+If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
@item W Z
@kindex W Z (Summary)
common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
+@item W u
+@kindex W u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
+Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
+outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
+split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
+the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
+
@item W h
@kindex W h (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-wash-html
-Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
-Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
-in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
-has been done.
+Treat @sc{html} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
+usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @sc{html}.
-@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
-@c @anchor{X-Face}
-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.
+If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-wash-function
+The default is to use the function specified by
+@code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
+Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
+@sc{html}, but this is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
+can use include:
+
+@table @code
+@item w3
+Use Emacs/w3.
+
+@item w3m
+Use emacs-w3m (see @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/} for more
+information).
+
+@item links
+Use Links (see @uref{http://artax.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/~mikulas/links/}).
+
+@item lynx
+Use Lynx (see @uref{http://lynx.browser.org/}).
+
+@item html2text
+Use html2text -- a simple @sc{html} converter included with Gnus.
+
+@end table
@item W b
@kindex W b (Summary)
Add clickable buttons to the article headers
(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-@item W W H
-@kindex W W H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
+@item W p
+@kindex W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
+Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
+Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
+usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
+public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
+message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
+@uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
+
+@item W s
+@kindex W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
+Verify a signed (PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}) message
+(@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
+
+@item W a
+@kindex W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
-article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
@item W E l
@kindex W E l (Summary)
@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
+@node Article Header
+@subsection Article Header
+
+These commands perform various transformations of article header.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W G u
+@kindex W G u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
+Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
+
+@item W G n
+@kindex W G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
+Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
+
+@item W G f
+@kindex W G f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
+Fold all the message headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
+
+@item W E w
+@kindex W E w
+@findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Article Buttons
@subsection Article Buttons
@cindex buttons
with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
button on these references.
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
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:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
+Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
+one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
@table @code
@table @var
@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>]*\\)>}.
+All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
+considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
+embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
+variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
@item button-par
Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
@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.
+avoid false matches. Often variables named
+@code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
+Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
+
+@c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
@item function
This function will be called when you click on this button.
@var{header} is a regular expression.
+@subsubheading Related variables and functions
+
+@item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
+@xref{Article Button Levels}.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
+
@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.
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
+
+@item gnus-button-man-handler
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
+The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
+argument with a string naming the man page.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
+
+@item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+@vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
+@samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
+message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
+@code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
+a mail address, respectivly. If this variable is set to the symbol
+@code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
+function will be called with the string as it's only argument. The
+function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
+@code{ask}. The default value is the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+@findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+Function that guesses whether it's argument is a message ID or a mail
+address. Returns @code{mid} it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if it's a
+mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the string is
+invalid.
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
+
+@item gnus-button-ctan-handler
+@findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
+The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
+argument, the string naming the URL.
+
+@item gnus-ctan-url
+@vindex gnus-ctan-url
+Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
+by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
+
+@c Misc stuff
+
@item gnus-article-button-face
@vindex gnus-article-button-face
Face used on buttons.
@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
+@node Article Button Levels
+@subsection Article button levels
+@cindex button levels
+The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
+the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
+buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
+already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
+more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
+you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
+specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
+variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
+
+@lisp
+;; increase `gnus-button-*-level' in some groups:
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
+ ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
+ ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
+@end lisp
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-button-browse-level
+@vindex gnus-button-browse-level
+Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
+news URLs. Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
+@code{browse-url-browser-function}.
+
+@item gnus-button-emacs-level
+@vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
+Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
+@code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
+@code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
+
+@item gnus-button-man-level
+@vindex gnus-button-man-level
+Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
+See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
+
+@item gnus-button-message-level
+@vindex gnus-button-message-level
+Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
+Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
+@code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
+
+@item gnus-button-tex-level
+@vindex gnus-button-tex-level
+Controls the display of references to TeX or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
+URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
+@code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
+@code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
+@code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Article Date
@subsection Article Date
(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
@example
-X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
+X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
@end example
+@vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
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.
(gnus-start-date-timer)
@end lisp
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
+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.
preferred format automatically.
+@node Article Display
+@subsection Article Display
+@cindex picons
+@cindex x-face
+@cindex smileys
+
+These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
+buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
+
+@code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
+message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
+
+Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
+try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
+their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
+
+All these functions are toggles--if the elements already exist,
+they'll be removed.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item W D x
+@kindex W D x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
+
+@item W D d
+@kindex W D d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-face
+Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
+
+@item W D s
+@kindex W D s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-smiley
+Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
+
+@item W D f
+@kindex W D f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-from-picon
+Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
+
+@item W D m
+@kindex W D m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
+Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
+(@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
+
+@item W D n
+@kindex W D n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
+Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
+@code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
+
+@item W D D
+@kindex W D D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-images
+Remove all images from the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+
@node Article Signature
@subsection Article Signature
@cindex signatures
@node MIME Commands
-@section @sc{mime} Commands
+@section MIME Commands
@cindex MIME decoding
@cindex attachments
@cindex viewing attachments
@item M-t
@kindex M-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-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)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
@item W M c
@kindex W M c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-charset
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}).
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
+include @sc{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)
+@findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
'("text/x-vcard"))
@end lisp
+@item gnus-article-loose-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't required the @samp{MIME-Version} header
+before interpreting the message as a @sc{mime} message. This helps
+when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-article-emulate-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
+There are other, non-@sc{mime} encoding methods used. The most common
+is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
+This variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
+see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
+Gnus @sc{mime} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
+
@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{(".*/.*")}.
+displayed or this variable is overridden by
+@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
+@code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
+@code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is nil.
+
+@item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list will have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. This variable overrides
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
+This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
+is nil.
+
+To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
+variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
+
+@item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+If this is non-nil, then all @sc{mime} parts get buttons. The default
+value is @code{nil}.
@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
-@end table
+@vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+@item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
+Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
+
+Ready-made functions include@*
+@code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
+@code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
+the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
+whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
+is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
+@findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+@vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+
+The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
+@code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
+
+Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
+except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
+such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
+
+@lisp
+(setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+ '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
+@end lisp
+
+@noindent
+to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
+
+@end table
@node Charsets
@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 full group names) and
-default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
+group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
-aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
-if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
+aren't. These blithely 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.
+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 x-unknown)},
+which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
@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.
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
+be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
+article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
@end table
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@item C-c C-s C-r
+@kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
+Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
+
@item C-c C-s C-o
@kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
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
+If the group you are reading is located on a back end 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
match.
Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
-then ask Deja if that fails:
+then ask Google if that fails:
@lisp
(setq gnus-refer-article-method
'(current
- (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
+ (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
@end lisp
-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.
+Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
+do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
+@code{nnbabyl}, and @code{nnmaildir} are able to locate articles from
+any groups, while @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} 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.
@node Alternative Approaches
buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
other windows displayed next to it.
+You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
+at all times:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
+ 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
+@end lisp
+
@item gnus-generate-tree-function
@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
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:
+following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
(setq gnus-use-trees t
(article 1.0))))
@end lisp
-@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+@xref{Window Layout}.
@node Mail Group Commands
@item B e
@kindex B e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-Expire all expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
+expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-@item B M-C-e
-@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@item B C-M-e
+@kindex B C-M-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}
@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).
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
@item B c
@kindex B c (Summary)
@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).
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
@item B B
@kindex B B (Summary)
(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@item B I
+@kindex B I (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-create-article
+Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
+(@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
+@code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+
@item B r
@kindex B r (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
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}
+Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
(which is the default).
@item B w
@kindex e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
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
+(@code{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.
@item B q
@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}).
+when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
@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
+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
propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
just not have arrived yet.
+@item K E
+@kindex K E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
+@vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
+Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
+The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
+variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
@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.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands::
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
@end menu
@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
+@item gnus-summary-display-while-building
+If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
+built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
+If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
+lines. The default is @code{nil}.
+
@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
articles))
@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
+@item gnus-newsgroup-variables
+A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
+variables and their default values (when the default values are not
+nil), that should be made global while the summary buffer is active.
+These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
+while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
+buffers. For example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
+ '(message-use-followup-to
+ (gnus-visible-headers .
+ "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
+@end lisp
+
@end table
@item M-s
@kindex M-s (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
+Search through all subsequent (raw) 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
+Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
@item &
Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
+@item Y d
+@kindex Y d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
+Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
+
@end table
some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
fashion.
-@item M-C-d
-@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@item C-M-d
+@kindex C-M-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
Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
-@item M-C-e
-@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
+@item C-M-e
+@kindex C-M-e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
-@item M-C-a
-@kindex M-C-a (Summary)
+@item C-M-a
+@kindex C-M-a (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
@findex gnus-summary-exit
@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-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
@node Security
@section Security
-Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
-encrypted messages.
+Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
+The formats that are supported are PGP, @sc{pgp/mime} and @sc{s/mime},
+however you need some external programs to get things to work:
@enumerate
-@item
-To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
-gpg.el.
+@item
+To handle PGP and PGP/MIME messages, you have to install an OpenPGP
+implementation such as GnuPG. The lisp interface to GnuPG included
+with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG Manual}), but
+Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
+
+@item
+To handle @sc{s/mime} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
+or newer is recommended.
@end enumerate
+More information on how to set things up can be found in the message
+manual (@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
+
@table @code
@item mm-verify-option
@vindex mm-verify-option
@item mm-decrypt-option
@vindex mm-decrypt-option
Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
-@code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
+@code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+@item mml1991-use
+@vindex mml1991-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for PGP
+messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt} and
+@code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
+
+@item mml2015-use
+@vindex mml2015-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
+PGP/MIME messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but @code{mailcrypt}
+and @code{gpg} are also supported although deprecated.
+
+@end table
+
+@node Mailing List
+@section Mailing List
+
+@kindex A M (summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
+Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
+add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
+possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
+summary buffer.
+
+That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-n h
+@kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-help
+Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n s
+@kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
+Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n u
+@kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
+Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
+field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n p
+@kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-post
+Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n o
+@kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
+Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n a
+@kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
+Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
+
@end table
+
@node Article Buffer
@chapter Article Buffer
@cindex article buffer
tell gnus otherwise.
@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.
+* 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 to-address
Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
+@item to-list
+Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
+@item cc-list
+Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current groups's @code{to-list} parameter.
@item date
Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
old.
Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
@end table
-To include these three elements, you could say something like;
+To include these three elements, you could say something like:
@lisp
(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
@node Using MIME
-@section Using @sc{mime}
+@section Using MIME
@cindex @sc{mime}
Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
@vindex gnus-show-mime
@vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
-@vindex gnus-strict-mime
@findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
@code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
@code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
-calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
-information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
-existed yet, sorry).
+calls the @sc{semi} MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
+information on @sc{semi} MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is
+not existed yet, sorry).
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.
+@sc{mime} all the time. 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.
In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
@cindex article customization
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
+exist. You can call these functions interactively
+(@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
called automatically when you select the articles.
To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
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)
+
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-overstrike (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-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, 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-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset (t, integer)
+
+@xref{Article Washing}.
+
@item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (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-date-ut (head)
+
+@xref{Article Date}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
+
+@xref{Picons}.
+
@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
-@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+
+@item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
+
+@vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
+Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
+is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
+
+@xref{Smileys}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
+
+@xref{X-Face}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
+
+@xref{Article Hiding}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+
+@xref{Article Highlighting}.
+
@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
@item gnus-treat-translate
-@item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
+@item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
+
+@item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
+@item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
+
+@xref{Article Header}.
+
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
@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.
+everything.
@node Article Keymap
@kindex SPACE (Article)
@findex gnus-article-next-page
Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
@item DEL
@kindex DEL (Article)
@findex gnus-article-prev-page
Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
@item C-c ^
@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
@findex gnus-article-prev-button
Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+@item R
+@kindex R (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
+Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
+wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
+region.
+
+@item F
+@kindex F (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
+Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
+a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
+region.
+
+
@end table
Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+@vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
+@item gnus-article-over-scroll
+If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
+no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
+
@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
This variable is a format string along the same lines as
extensions:
@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.
+performed. The characters and their meaning:
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item c
+Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
+
+@item h
+Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
+
+@item p
+Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
+hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
+security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
+
+@item s
+Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
+
+@item o
+Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
+
+@item e
+Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
+
+@end table
+
@item m
The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-break-pages
@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
(formfeed).
+
+@cindex IDNA
+@cindex internationalized domain names
+@vindex gnus-use-idna
+@item gnus-use-idna
+This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
+internationalized domain names inside @sc{From:}, @sc{To:} and
+@sc{Cc:} headers. This requires GNU Libidn
+(@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}, and this variable is only
+enabled if you have installed it.
+
@end table
@cindex followup
@cindex post
@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
@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
+article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* 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?
-* Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail 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?
+* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
@end menu
Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
@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.
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
+@code{nil} include all headers.
@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 gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+This can also be a function receiving the group name as the only
+parameter which should return non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is
+needed, or a regular expression matching group names, where
+confirmation is should be asked for.
+
+If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
+press R anyway, this variable might be for you.
+
+@item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
+@code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
+useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
+
@end table
Thank you for asking. I hate you.
-@vindex gnus-post-method
+It can be quite complicated.
-It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will 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).
-However. If the server you're reading from 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:
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
+(@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
+Normally, Gnus will 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). However. If the server
+you're reading from 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 ""))
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, to get back the default behaviour, for posting.
+the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, 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.
for posting.
Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
-you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
+you can set this variable to @code{native}.
+
+When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
+The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
+your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
+sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
+using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @sc{smtp}
+server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
+@code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
+package correctly. An example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
+ smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
+;; The following variable needs to be set because of the FLIM version of
+;; smtpmail.el. Which smtpmail.el is used depends on the `load-path'.
+(setq smtp-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
+@end lisp
+
+To the thing similar to this, there is @code{message-smtpmail-send-it}.
+It is useful if your ISP requires the POP-before-SMTP authentication.
+See the documentation for the function @code{mail-source-touch-pop}.
+Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
+@code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
+and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
@node Mail and Post
@section Mail and Post
lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
still a pain, though.
+@item gnus-user-agent
+@vindex gnus-user-agent
+@cindex User-Agent
+
+This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
+User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
+Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
+@code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
+configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
+system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
+use a valid format, see RFC 2616."
+
@end table
You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
is the default.
+For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
+@kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
+Group Commands}).
+
@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:
This variable can be used to do the following:
@itemize @bullet
-@item a string
+@item
+a string
Messages will be saved in that group.
Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
@samp{nnml:foo}.
-@item a list of strings
+@item
+a list of strings
Messages will be saved in all those groups.
-@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+@item
+an alist of regexps, functions and forms
When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
-@item @code{nil}
+@item
+@code{nil}
No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
@end itemize
(concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
@end lisp
-(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.)
+@c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+@c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
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,
This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
but the latter is the preferred method.
-@item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
-@vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
+@item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
+@vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
+@item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+@vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
+and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
+@code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
+non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
+changed in the future.
+
@end table
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 (the
-next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
-the last regexp 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}.
-
-Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
+will look in the original article for a header whose name is
+@var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
+@var{regexp} are strings. (There original article is the one you are
+replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
+followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
+@code{match} is 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}.
+
+Each style may contain an 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.
+@code{x-face-file}, @code{address} (overriding
+@code{user-mail-address}), @code{name} (overriding
+@code{(user-full-name)}) or @code{body}. The attribute name can also
+be a string or a symbol. 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.
+are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
+is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
+references chars lines xref extra.
+
+@vindex message-reply-headers
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
(organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
("^rec.humor"
(signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
- ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; A form
(signature my-quote-randomizer))
- ((message-news-p)
+ (message-news-p ;; A function symbol
(signature my-news-signature))
- (header "to" "larsi.*org"
- (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
- ((posting-from-work-p)
+ (window-system ;; A value symbol
+ ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
+ ;; If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.
+ ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p) ;; A user defined function
(signature-file "~/.work-signature")
(address "user@@bar.foo")
(body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
@code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
if you fill many roles.
+Setting the @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} variable will make
+posting-styles allow to have distinctive names. You can specify an
+arbitrary posting-style when article posting with @kbd{S P} in the
+summary buffer. @code{gnus-named-posting-styles} is an alist which maps
+the names to styles. Once a posting-style is added to the alist, we can
+import it from @code{gnus-posting-styles}. If an attribute whose name
+is @code{import} is found, Gnus will look for the attribute value in
+@code{gnus-named-posting-styles} and expand it in place.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-named-posting-styles
+ '(("Default"
+ (signature-file "~/.signature")
+ (name "User Name")
+ ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
+ ("Emacs"
+ (import "Default")
+ (organization "The Church of Emacs"))))
+@end lisp
+
+The posting-style named "Emacs" will inherit all the attributes from
+"Default" except @code{organization}.
+
@node Drafts
@section Drafts
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.
+unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
+a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
+behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
+be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
+simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
+Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
+correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
Articles}).
@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@kindex D s (Draft)
@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+@kindex D S (Draft)
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
command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
in the buffer.
+@findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
+@kindex D t (Draft)
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.
(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
-@node Using GPG
-@section Using GPG
+@node Signing and encrypting
+@section Signing and encrypting
@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
+
+Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla PGP
+format or @sc{pgp/mime} or @sc{s/mime}. For decoding such messages,
+see the @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} options
+(@pxref{Security}).
+
+@vindex gnus-message-replysign
+@vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
+@vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
+Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
+messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
+are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
+@code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
+@code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
+@code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
+automatically encrypted messages.
+
+Instructing MML to perform security operations on a @sc{mime} part is
+done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for signing and the @kbd{C-c
+C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
-Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
-@code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
-verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
+@table @kbd
-To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
-@file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
+@item C-c C-m s s
+@kindex C-c C-m s s
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
-@lisp
-(require 'gpg)
-(setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
-(setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
-@end lisp
+Digitally sign current message using @sc{s/mime}.
-The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
-to 700, for your own safety.
+@item C-c C-m s o
+@kindex C-c C-m s o
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
-If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
-@file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
+Digitally sign current message using PGP.
-@code{
-#!/bin/sh
-exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
-}
+@item C-c C-m s p
+@kindex C-c C-m s p
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
-If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
-your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
+Digitally sign current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
-@lisp
-(setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
-@end lisp
+@item C-c C-m c s
+@kindex C-c C-m c s
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
+
+Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{s/mime}.
+
+@item C-c C-m c o
+@kindex C-c C-m c o
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
+
+Digitally encrypt current message using PGP.
-To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
-menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
-C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
-p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
-encrypt using S/MIME.
+@item C-c C-m c p
+@kindex C-c C-m c p
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
+
+Digitally encrypt current message using @sc{pgp/mime}.
+
+@item C-c C-m C-n
+@kindex C-c C-m C-n
+@findex mml-unsecure-message
+Remove security related MML tags from message.
+
+@end table
-Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
-you've typed it correctly.
+@xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
@node Select Methods
@chapter Select Methods
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},
+list where the first element says what back end 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.
+value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
group as.
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}.
+back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
@menu
-* 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.
+* 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.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
@end menu
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
+one back end 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.
+back end represents a virtual server.
-For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
+For instance, the @code{nntp} back end 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
+on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
(@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.
+* 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
@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
@table @samp
@item h
-How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+How the news is fetched---the back end name.
@item n
The name of this 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 sync.
+a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
@end table
@end lisp
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
+back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
will.
After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
@end lisp
-You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+You should read the documentation to each back end 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
+@code{nnmh} is a mail back end 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:
@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")))
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
+ (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
+ (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
@end lisp
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:
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
+configuration to the example above:
@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")))
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+@end lisp
+
+See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}.
+
+If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
+through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
+telnet connection to the news server as follows:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "outside"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
@end lisp
This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
@node Server Variables
@subsection Server Variables
-One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends 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.
+change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the ``derived'' variables.
This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
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
+variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
@lisp
Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+@item L
+@kindex L (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-offline-server
+Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
+
@end table
@node Getting News
@section Getting News
@cindex reading news
-@cindex news backends
+@cindex news back ends
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
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
@end menu
@node NNTP
-@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@subsection NNTP
@cindex nntp
Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
@item
-Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
@samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
@lisp
'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
- (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
+ 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
@end lisp
This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
@item nntp-maximum-request
@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this back end
will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+speed things up, the back end 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.
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
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
no timeouts are done.
This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
server.
-@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 nntp-open-network-stream
-This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
-remote system.
-
-@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.
-
-@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
+@item nntp-buggy-select
+@vindex nntp-buggy-select
+Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
-@table @code
+@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.
-@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-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")}.
-@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
-This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+@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-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system.
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
-@end table
+@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 nntp-open-telnet
-Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
-to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
+@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 timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
+buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
+that doesn't seem to work.
-@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
+@item nntp-open-connection-function
+@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
+It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
+be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
+parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
+Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
+two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
+indirect ones (two pre-made).
+
+@item nntp-prepare-post-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
+A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
+@code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
+recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
+hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
+inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
-@table @code
-@item nntp-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-telnet-command
-Command used to start @code{telnet}.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
+Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
+INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
-@item nntp-telnet-user-name
-@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
-User name for log in on the remote system.
+@item nntp-read-timeout
+@vindex nntp-read-timeout
+How long nntp should wait between checking for the end of output.
+Shorter values mean quicker response, but is more CPU intensive. The
+default is 0.1 seconds. If you have a slow line to the server (and
+don't like to see Emacs eat your available CPU power), you might set
+this to, say, 1.
-@item nntp-telnet-passwd
-@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
-Password to use when logging in.
+@item nntp-list-options
+@vindex nntp-list-options
+List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
+the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
+can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
+etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
+probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
+follows:
-@item nntp-telnet-parameters
-@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
-A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
-via @code{telnet}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
+ (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
+@end lisp
-@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?$\\|> *\r?}.
+@item nntp-options-subscribe
+@vindex nntp-options-subscribe
+Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
+unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
+It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
+server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
+command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
-@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.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
+ (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nntp-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
+Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
+unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
+It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
+server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
+command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
+ (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
+@end lisp
@end table
+@menu
+* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
+* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
+* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Direct Functions
+@subsubsection Direct Functions
+@cindex direct connection functions
+
+These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
+between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
+functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
+(@pxref{Common Variables}).
+
+@table @code
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
+@item nntp-open-network-stream
+This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
+remote system.
+
+@findex nntp-open-tls-stream
+@item nntp-open-tls-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
+this you must have GNUTLS installed (see
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}). You then define a server
+as follows:
+
+@lisp
+;; "nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
+;; however, gnutls-cli -p doesn't like named ports.
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number )
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@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
-(@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
-@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
+you must have OpenSSL (@uref{http://www.openssl.org}) or SSLeay
+installed (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}. You then
define a server as follows:
@lisp
-;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
-;;
;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
+;; however, openssl s_client -port doesn't like named ports.
;;
(nntp "snews.bar.com"
(nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
- (nntp-port-number "snews")
+ (nntp-port-number 563)
(nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
@end lisp
+@findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
+@item nntp-open-telnet-stream
+Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
+it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
+default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
+of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
+connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
+@code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "socksified"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
+@end lisp
+
+With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
+session, which is not a good idea.
@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.
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
-function.
+@node Indirect Functions
+@subsubsection Indirect Functions
+@cindex indirect connection functions
-@item nntp-address
-@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
+intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
+All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
+the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
+things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
+commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
-@item nntp-port-number
-@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
-connect function.
+@table @code
+@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
+to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
+you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
-@item nntp-list-options
-@vindex nntp-list-options
-List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
-the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
-can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
-etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
-probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
-follows:
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
- (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
+Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to
+@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
+@samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
+@samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
+this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
+the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
+host.
+@end table
-@item nntp-options-subscribe
-@vindex nntp-options-subscribe
-Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
-unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
-It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
-server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
-command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
+@item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
+@samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
- (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
-@end lisp
+@code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-@item nntp-options-not-subscribe
-@vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
-Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
-unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
-It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
-server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
-command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
+Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{telnet}.
+
+@item nntp-via-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the
+@code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
+
+@item nntp-via-user-password
+@vindex nntp-via-user-password
+Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
+
+@item nntp-via-envuser
+@vindex nntp-via-envuser
+If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
+server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
+login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+
+@item nntp-via-shell-prompt
+@vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
+Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
+is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method
- '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
- (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@item nntp-buggy-select
-@vindex nntp-buggy-select
-Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+@end table
-@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.
-@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")}.
+Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
+functions:
-@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.
+@table @code
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+@item nntp-via-user-name
+@vindex nntp-via-user-name
+User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
-@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 nntp-via-address
+@vindex nntp-via-address
+Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
-@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 timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
-buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
-that doesn't seem to work.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Common Variables
+@subsubsection Common Variables
+
+The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
+pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
+affected.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-pre-command
+@vindex nntp-pre-command
+A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
+connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
+@code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is
+where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
+
+@item nntp-address
+@vindex nntp-address
+The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
+
+@item nntp-port-number
+@vindex nntp-port-number
+Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is
+@samp{nntp}. If you use @sc{nntp} over @sc{tls}/@sc{ssl}, you may
+want to use integer ports rather than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563}
+instead of @samp{snews} or @samp{nntps}), because external TLS/SSL
+tools may not work with named ports.
+
+@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 a non native connection function.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-telnet-command
+Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
+@samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
+the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
+
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
+is @samp{("-8")}.
@end table
@item nnspool-active-file
@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The path to the active file.
+The name of the active file.
@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The path to the group descriptions file.
+The name of the group descriptions file.
@item nnspool-history-file
@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The path to the news history file.
+The name of the news history file.
@item nnspool-active-times-file
@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The path to the active date file.
+The name of the active date file.
@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
course.
@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.
+* 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 Back End 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 back ends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
@end menu
they want to treat a message.
Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
-via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+via @sc{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.
@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},
+mail back end 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:
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
+mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnml "private")))
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
@end lisp
-Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end 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
+directory, which is @file{~/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.
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}.
+Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
@node Splitting Mail
mail belongs in that group.
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
+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".)
+rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled.
+In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.)
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
message. The function should return a list of group names that it
thinks should carry this mail message.
-Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+Note that the mail back ends 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.
@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+The mail back ends 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.
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{*}) group.
@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
@cindex crosspost
can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
-Group Commands}).
+Group Commands}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
+Header lines longer than the value of
+@code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
+function.
+
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
+By default the splitting codes @sc{mime} decodes headers so you can match
+on non-ASCII strings. The @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset}
+variable specifies the default charset for decoding. The behaviour
+can be turned off completely by binding
+@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to nil, which is useful if you
+want to match articles based on the raw header data.
+
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If
+you specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable
+@code{mail-sources} @pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}, however, then
+splitting does @emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
+@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-nil value to make splitting
+happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on other kinds
+of entries.)
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
instance.
@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.
+* 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
@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}.
+The file name. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
+environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
+(usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
+
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
@end table
An example file mail source:
(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
@end lisp
-Or using the default path:
+Or using the default file name:
@lisp
(file)
@end lisp
-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 use ange-ftp
+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 use ange-ftp
file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
mail.
@item directory
+@vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
-you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
+you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. That is,
+there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that directory and
+groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool} will be put in
+the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix to be used instead
+of @code{.spool}.) Setting
@code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
-scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
+scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
to scan mail groups at a specified level.
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
+that to a non-nil value, then the normal splitting process is applied
+to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
+
Keywords:
@table @code
@item :path
-The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
value.
@item :suffix
and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
@code{password}.
+@item :connection
+What stream to use for connecting to the server, this can be the symbol
+@code{ssl}, the symbol @code{tls} or others. The default is @code{nil}
+and use insecure connections. Note that for SSL/TLS, you need external
+programs and libraries:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL@. Requires OpenSSL (the program
+@samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}) as well as the external
+library @samp{ssl.el}.
+@item
+@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to SSL)@.
+Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
+@samp{starttls}.
+@end itemize
+
+@item :leave
+Non-@code{nil} if mail is to be left on the server and UIDL used for
+message retrieval. The default is @code{nil}.
+
@end table
If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
@table @code
@item :path
-The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
-@samp{~/Maildir/}.
+@file{~/Maildir/}.
@item :subdirs
The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
@samp{("new" "cur")}.
Two example maildir mail sources:
@lisp
-(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
@end lisp
@lisp
-(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
+(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("new"))
@end lisp
@item imap
and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
more information.
+Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, TLS/SSL and STARTTLS support you
+may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
+
Keywords:
@table @code
@item :port
The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
-@samp{993} for SSL connections.
+@samp{993} for TLS/SSL connections.
@item :user
The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
@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}.
+@samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
+@samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
@item :authentication
-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}.
+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{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
+@samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
@item :program
When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
-mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
+mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
@code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
@example
The name of the server.
@item l
-User name from `imap-default-user'.
+User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
@item p
The port number of the server.
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}.
+articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
-complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
+complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 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.
+but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
@item :dontexpunge
If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
An example @sc{imap} mail source:
@lisp
-(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
+(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
+ :stream kerberos4
+ :fetchflag "\\Seen")
@end lisp
@item webmail
-Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
-webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
-
-NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
-is suggested.
+Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{www.hotmail.com},
+@uref{webmail.netscape.com}, @uref{www.netaddress.com},
+@uref{mail.yahoo..com}.
NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
required for url "4.0pre.46".
-WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
+WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
Keywords:
An example webmail source:
@lisp
-(webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+(webmail :subtype 'hotmail
+ :user "user-name"
+ :password "secret")
@end lisp
@end table
@lisp
(setq mail-sources
- '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
+ '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
:suffix ""
:plugged t)))
@end lisp
@item mail-source-delete-incoming
@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
-If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
+@code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
+files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
+(This will only happen, when reveiving new mail). You may also set
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
+@code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
+
+@item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+@vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+If @code{non-nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
+files. This variable only applies when
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
+
+@item mail-source-ignore-errors
+@vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
+If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
@item mail-source-directory
@vindex mail-source-directory
@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+@item mail-source-movemail-program
+@vindex mail-source-movemail-program
+If non-nil, name of program for fetching new mail. If nil,
+@code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
+
@end table
(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
-@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+@code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
themselves.
If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
@end lisp
-When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+When you use a mail back end, 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
+mail if you're not using a mail back end---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.
-@node Mail Backend Variables
-@subsection Mail Backend Variables
+@node Mail Back End Variables
+@subsection Mail Back End Variables
These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
-mail backends.
+mail back ends.
@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
+The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
@vindex nnmail-split-hook
@item nnmail-split-hook
-@findex article-decode-encoded-words
+@findex gnus-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
default file modes the new mail files get:
@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+(add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
(lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
-(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+(add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
(lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
@end lisp
@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
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends 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},
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
@item nnmail-delete-file-function
@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
+the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+@item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+@vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
+Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
+recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
+
+This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
+
@end table
@item
@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
-this message. Use with extreme caution.
+(i.e., delete) this message. Use with extreme caution.
@item
@code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
when the @code{:} function is run.
@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.
+@code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the
+first element is @code{!}, then @var{split} will be processed, and
+@var{func} will be called as a function with the result of @var{split}
+as argument. @var{func} should return a split.
@item
@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon
feature, like so:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+(setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; or 'delete
+ nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
+ nnmail-split-fancy
'(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
;; other splits go here
))
@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
-When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
-is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
-somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
-still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
-kBytes in size.)
+When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name
+unless the group name matches the regexp
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is recommended
+that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a somewhat higher
+number than the default so that the message ids are still in the cache.
+(A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300 kBytes in size.)
@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
messages goes into the new group.
+Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
+want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
+outgoing messages are written to an `outgoing' group, you could set
+@code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
+Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
+`outgoing' group.
+
@node Group Mail Splitting
@subsection Group Mail Splitting
splits like this:
@lisp
-(: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
+(: gnus-group-split-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
@end lisp
@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
@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}:
+you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
@lisp
(gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
@node Incorporating Old Mail
@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+@cindex incorporating old mail
+@cindex import 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
+back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
your mail groups.
Doing so can be quite easy.
Go to the group buffer.
@item
-Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
@item
-Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
+Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
@item
-Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
@item
-Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
@end enumerate
sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
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.
+back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail back end.
@node Expiring Mail
course.
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
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default keybindings, this means
+that you have to type @kbd{E}.) 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.
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
+two features, called `auto-expire' and `total-expire', that can help you
+with this. In a nutshell, `auto-expire' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
+for you when you select an article. And `total-expire' means that Gnus
+considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
+the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
+@samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
+expirable.
+
+When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
+who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
+and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
+(@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
+into its own group.)
+
+Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
+answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
+advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
+the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
+between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
+only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
+total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring @pxref{Adaptive
+Scoring}. Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
+scoring.
+
@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.
+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.
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:
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
@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
+articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
@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 variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
-(and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
-variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
-overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
-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}.
+However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
+to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
+parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
+all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
+parameter. 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}.
Here's an example for specifying a group name:
@lisp
(setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
@end lisp
+@findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+@vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
+expire mail to groups according to the variable
+@code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+ (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+ nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+ '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
+ ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
+ ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
+@end lisp
+
+With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
+header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
+get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
+From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
+to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
+@code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
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
+storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
various functions that can be put in these hooks.
@table @code
Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+(Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
+messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
+of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
+rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
+into a feature by documenting it.)
+
@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
@lisp
(setq nnmail-split-fancy
'(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
- ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
(any mail "mail.misc")
;; Other rules.
Or something like:
@lisp
(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
;; Other rules.
[...]))
@end lisp
@node Not Reading Mail
@subsection Not Reading Mail
-If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+If you start using any of the mail back ends, 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.
If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
-@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
+@code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
mail, which should help.
@vindex nnbabyl-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
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
+variables called back-end-@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}
+All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
incoming mail.
-@node Choosing a Mail Backend
-@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+@node Choosing a Mail Back End
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
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.
-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}).
+There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
+back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
+(because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
+Spool}).
@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.
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
+* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
@end menu
@vindex nnmbox-active-file
@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+The @dfn{nnmbox} back end 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.
@table @code
@item nnmbox-mbox-file
@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
+@file{~/mbox}.
@item nnmbox-active-file
@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box.
+The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
+@file{~/.mbox-active}.
@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.
+into groups. Default is @code{t}.
@end table
@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end 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.
@table @code
@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the rmail mbox file.
+The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
@item nnbabyl-active-file
@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
+@file{~/.rmail-active}
@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
+@code{t}
@end table
format. It should be used with some caution.
@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+If you use this back end, 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/}.
care of all that.
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
+in your account, you should not use this back end. 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,
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.
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end 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.
+@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
+fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
+
+@cindex self contained nnml servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
+for a group is usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
+@code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
+Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
+to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
+directory).
+
+If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
+up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
+them next time it starts.
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnml-directory
@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
+is @file{~/Mail}).
@item nnml-active-file
@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/active}.
@item nnml-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}.
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
@item nnml-get-new-mail
@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
@item nnml-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
@item nnml-nov-file-name
@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+@item nnml-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnml-marks-file-name
+@vindex nnml-marks-file-name
+The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
+
+@item nnml-use-compressed-files
+@vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
+files.
+
@end table
@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
@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.
+@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks file.
+This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than @code{nnml},
+but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnmh-directory
@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
+@file{~/Mail})
@item nnmh-get-new-mail
@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
@item nnmh-be-safe
@vindex nnmh-be-safe
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}.
+to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Maildir
+@subsubsection Maildir
+@cindex nnmaildir
+@cindex maildir
+
+@code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
+corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
+@uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
+@uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. nnmaildir also
+stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory within a
+maildir.
+
+Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
+reading, without needing locks. With other backends, you would have
+your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
+configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
+can still do that with nnmaildir, but the more common configuration is
+to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs that appear as
+group in Gnus.
+
+nnmaildir is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will never
+corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never corrupt its
+data in the filesystem.
+
+nnmaildir stores article marks and NOV data in each maildir. So you
+can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to another, and you will
+keep your marks.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item directory
+For each of your nnmaildir servers (it's very unlikely that you'd need
+more than one), you need to create a directory and populate it with
+maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not choose a
+directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir will be
+represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the filename of the
+symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames in the directory
+starting with `.' are ignored. The directory is scanned when you
+first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in the group buffer;
+if any maildirs have been removed or added, nnmaildir notices at these
+times.
+
+The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
+which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
+the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
+only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
+server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
+don't worry - a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
+optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
+@code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
+use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
+if nnmaildir uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical value.
+
+@item target-prefix
+This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
+@code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
+server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
+closed.
+
+When you create a group on an nnmaildir server, the maildir is created
+with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
+pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
+So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
+@code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
+the group @code{foo}, nnmaildir will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
+@file{../maildirs/foo}.
+
+You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
+create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
+this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
+with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
+symlinks pointing to them will be).
+
+As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
+then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
+@code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
+cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
+@code{force} argument.
+
+@item directory-files
+This should be a function with the same interface as
+@code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
+used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
+parameter is optional; the default is
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
+@code{directory-files} otherwise.
+(@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
+server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
+scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
+
+@item get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
+maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
+the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
+value is @code{nil}.
+
+Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
+an nnmaildir group. The results might happen to be useful, but that
+would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be different
+in the future. If your split rules create new groups, remember to
+supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
+@end table
+
+@subsubsection Group parameters
+
+nnmaildir uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore all
+this; the default behavior for nnmaildir is the same as the default
+behavior for other mail backends: articles are deleted after one week,
+etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this functionality is
+unique to nnmaildir, so you can ignore it if you're just trying to
+duplicate the behavior you already have with another backend.
+
+If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
+is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
+original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
+evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
+different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
+backends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
+numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
+@code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
+quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
+
+@table @code
+@item expire-age
+An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article before
+it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
+articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
+nnmaildir falls back to the usual
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (overridable by
+the @code{expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) group parameters. If you
+wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
+60 60)]}; nnmaildir will evaluate the form and use the result. An
+article's age is measured starting from the article file's
+modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
+delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
+article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
+
+@item expire-group
+If this is set to a string (a full Gnus group name, like
+@code{"backend+server.address.string:group.name"}), and if it is not
+the name of the same group that the parameter belongs to, then
+articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry before
+being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an nnmaildir group, the
+article will be just as old in the destination group as it was in the
+source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
+destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
+the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
+you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
+article. So that form can refer to
+@code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
+article. @emph{If this parameter is not set, nnmaildir does not fall
+back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
+
+@item read-only
+If this is set to @code{t}, nnmaildir will treat the articles in this
+maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed from
+@file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in @file{new/},
+not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles cannot be
+edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the @file{new/}
+directory of another maildir - e.g., a system-wide mailbox containing
+a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the maildir outside
+@file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for a shared
+mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or have write
+permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't contain
+extra copies of the articles.
+
+@item directory-files
+A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
+used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
+group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
+server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
+
+@item distrust-Lines:
+If non-@code{nil}, nnmaildir will always count the lines of an
+article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
+@code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
+
+@item always-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as
+@code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever Gnus asks nnmaildir for
+article marks, nnmaildir will say that all articles have these
+marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in the filesystem
+say so. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will probably be
+removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
+abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+
+@item never-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
+Gnus asks nnmaildir for article marks, nnmaildir will say that no
+articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks stored in
+the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
+@code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
+probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
+abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+
+@item nov-cache-size
+An integer specifying the size of the NOV memory cache. To speed
+things up, nnmaildir keeps NOV data in memory for a limited number of
+articles in each group. (This is probably not worthwhile, and will
+probably be removed in the future.) This parameter's value is noticed
+only the first time a group is seen after the server is opened - i.e.,
+when you first start Gnus, typically. The NOV cache is never resized
+until the server is closed and reopened. The default is an estimate
+of the number of articles that would be displayed in the summary
+buffer: a count of articles that are either marked with @code{tick} or
+not marked with @code{read}, plus a little extra.
@end table
+@subsubsection Article identification
+Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
+Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
+contains no colons. nnmaildir ignores, but preserves, the
+@code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
+the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
+identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
+@file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
+about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
+available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
+request the article in the summary buffer.
+
+@subsubsection NOV data
+An article identified by @code{uniq} has its NOV data (used to
+generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
+@code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
+@code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
+need for it - an article's NOV data is updated automatically when the
+article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can force
+nnmaildir to regenerate the NOV data for a single article simply by
+deleting the corresponding NOV file, but @emph{beware}: this will also
+cause nnmaildir to assign a new article number for this article, which
+may cause trouble with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
+
+@subsubsection Article marks
+An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
+@code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
+When Gnus asks nnmaildir for a group's marks, nnmaildir looks for such
+files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus asks nnmaildir
+to store a new set of marks, nnmaildir creates and deletes the
+corresponding files as needed. (Actually, rather than create a new
+file for each mark, it just creates hard links to
+@file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
+
+You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
+@file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
+your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
+remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
+this while Gnus is running and your nnmaildir server is open, it's
+best to exit all summary buffers for nnmaildir groups and type @kbd{s}
+in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or @kbd{M-g} in the
+group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not pick up the
+changes, and might undo them.
+
@node Mail Folders
@subsubsection Mail Folders
@cindex mbox folders
@cindex mail folders
-@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
+@code{nnfolder} is a back end 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.
+@cindex self contained nnfolder servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
+Marks for a group is usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
+with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
+@code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder} directory.
+Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to backup, use
+@kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the
+@code{nnfolder} directory).
+
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnfolder-directory
@vindex nnfolder-directory
All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
+@file{~/Mail})
@item nnfolder-active-file
@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
+is @code{t}
@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
@item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+The extension for @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
+
+@item nnfolder-nov-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
+The directory where the @sc{nov} files should be stored. If nil,
+@code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
+The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If nil,
+@code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
@end table
@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
though.
-@node Comparing Mail Backends
-@subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
+@node Comparing Mail Back Ends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
-First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} 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
+and so selection of a suitable back end 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
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
+@code{nnspool} back ends, 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
+The goal in selecting a mail back end 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:
@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
+this back end, 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
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
+file system, 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
+@code{nnml} is the back end 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,
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
+resource which defines available places in the file system 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}
+tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the file system 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
+It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
tiny files.
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
+itself puts @emph{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
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.
+friendly mail back end all over.
+
+@item nnmaildir
+
+For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
+incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
+mail back ends.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
+differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
+filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
+also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
+per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
+@code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
+you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to ReiserFS
+(@uref{http://www.namesys.com/}) or another non-block-structured
+file system.
+
+Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
+as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
+This means you can skip Gnus's mail splitting if your mail is already
+organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
+entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
+require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
+thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
+whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
+@code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
+@code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
+undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
+corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
+them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
+else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
+it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
+@code{nnmaildir}.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
+(It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
+and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
+is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
+parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
+would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
+removed in the future.
+
+Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
+back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
+on your file system.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
+to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
@end table
go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
even know what a news group is.
-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
+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
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
to do it instead?
-Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
interfaces to these sources.
@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.
-* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
-* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
+* Archiving Mail::
+* 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.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
@end menu
All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
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,
+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 back end
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
though, you should be ok.
One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
+@node Archiving Mail
+@subsection Archiving Mail
+@cindex archiving mail
+@cindex backup of mail
+
+Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
+@code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
+For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
+marks is fairly simple.
+
+(Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
+requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
+though.)
+
+To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
+server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
+to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
+similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
+adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
+@ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
+might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
+before you restore the data.
+
+It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
+@code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
+For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
+directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
+file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
+this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
+buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
+@code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
+is unnecessary in that case.
@node Web Searches
@subsection Web Searches
@cindex nnweb
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
+@cindex Google
+@cindex dejanews
+@cindex gmane
@cindex Usenet searches
@cindex searching the Usenet
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
+The @code{nnweb} back end 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
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
+engines (Google, 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.
@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}.
+are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
+@code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
@item nnweb-search
@vindex nnweb-search
@item nnweb-max-hits
@vindex nnweb-max-hits
Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
-100.
+999.
@item nnweb-type-definition
@vindex nnweb-type-definition
let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
-following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
'((nnslashdot "")))
@end lisp
-This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
+This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end 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
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.
+but much, much slower than unthreaded.
@item nnslashdot-login-name
@vindex nnslashdot-login-name
@item nnslashdot-directory
@vindex nnslashdot-directory
-Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
-@samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
+Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/slashdot/}.
@item nnslashdot-active-url
@vindex nnslashdot-active-url
-The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
+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}.
information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
-something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
+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
@item nnultimate-directory
@vindex nnultimate-directory
The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
-@samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
+@file{~/News/ultimate/}.
@end table
interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
groups updated.
+@findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
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}.
+back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
@item nnwarchive-directory
@vindex nnwarchive-directory
The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
-@samp{~/News/warchive/}.
+@file{~/News/warchive/}.
@item nnwarchive-login
@vindex nnwarchive-login
@item nnrss-directory
@vindex nnrss-directory
The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
-@samp{~/News/rss/}.
+@file{~/News/rss/}.
@end table
+The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
+the summary buffer.
+
+@lisp
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
+
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
+ (let ((descr
+ (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
+ (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
+@end lisp
+
+The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
+summary buffer.
+@lisp
+(require 'browse-url)
+
+(defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
+ (interactive "p")
+ (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
+ (mail-header-extra
+ (gnus-data-header
+ (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
+ gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
+ (if url
+ (progn
+ (browse-url (cdr url))
+ (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
+ (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
+
+(eval-after-load "gnus"
+ #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
+ (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
+@end lisp
+
@node Customizing w3
@subsection Customizing w3
@cindex w3
@cindex url
@cindex Netscape
-Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
+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.
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
+using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
@lisp
follow the link.
-@node Other Sources
-@section Other Sources
-
-Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
-below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
-newsgroups.
+@node IMAP
+@section IMAP
+@cindex nnimap
+@cindex @sc{imap}
-@menu
-* 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.
-@end menu
+@sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
+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.
+@sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
+POP can, it can hence be viewed as a POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
+mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
+protocol -- however, @sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp}
+because news is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
-@node Directory Groups
-@subsection Directory Groups
-@cindex nndir
-@cindex directory groups
+If you want to use @sc{imap} as a POP++, use an imap entry in
+@code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the
+@sc{imap} server and store them on the local disk. This is not the
+usage described in this section--@xref{Mail Sources}.
-If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
-it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
-names, of course.
+If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
+entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
+manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
+usage explained in this section.
-This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
-successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
-packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
-backend to read directories. Big deal.
+A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @sc{imap} servers
+might look something like the following. (Note that for TLS/SSL, you
+need external programs and libraries, see below.)
-@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
-enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
-@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
-@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
-directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
+ ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
+ (nnimap "dolk"
+ (nnimap-address "localhost")
+ (nnimap-server-port 1430))
+ ; a UW server running on localhost
+ (nnimap "barbar"
+ (nnimap-server-port 143)
+ (nnimap-address "localhost")
+ (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
+ ; anonymous public cyrus server:
+ (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
+ (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
+ (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
+ (nnimap-stream network))
+ ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
+ (nnimap "vic20"
+ (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
+ (nnimap-server-port 9930)
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))))
+@end lisp
-@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
+server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
+(@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
+(@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
-articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
-whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
-methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
+server:
+@table @code
-@node Anything Groups
-@subsection Anything Groups
-@cindex nneething
+@item nnimap-address
+@vindex nnimap-address
-From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
-directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
-pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
-true.
+The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
+server name if not specified.
-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
-elements.
+@item nnimap-server-port
+@vindex nnimap-server-port
+Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for TLS/SSL.
-All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
-with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
-newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
-in the article buffer, just as usual.
+Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
-If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
-a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
-traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
-Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-server-port 4711))
+@end lisp
-There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
-doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
-will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
-are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
-normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
-article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
-other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
-be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+@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.
-Some variables:
+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.
-@table @code
-@item nneething-map-file-directory
-@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
-All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
-in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+Example server specification:
-@item nneething-exclude-files
-@vindex nneething-exclude-files
-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.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
+ ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
+@end lisp
-@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 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 TLS/SSL. (@sc{imap} over TLS/SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which
+can be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
-@item nneething-map-file
-@vindex nneething-map-file
-Name of the map files.
-@end table
+Example server specification:
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))
+@end lisp
-@node Document Groups
-@subsection Document Groups
-@cindex nndoc
-@cindex documentation group
-@cindex help group
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
-@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
-as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
+@samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
+TLS/SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
+@samp{starttls}.
+@item
+@dfn{tls:} Connect through TLS. Requires GNUTLS (the program
+@samp{gnutls-cli}).
+@item
+@dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the program
+@samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
+@item
+@dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
+@item
+@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
+@end itemize
-@table @code
-@cindex babyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+@vindex imap-kerberos4-program
+The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
+using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
+1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
+to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
+with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
+restrictions on @sc{imap} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
+indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
+@code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
+program.
-@item babyl
-The babyl (rmail) mail box.
-@cindex mbox
-@cindex Unix mbox
+For TLS connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
+needed. It is available from
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
-@item mbox
-The standard Unix mbox file.
+@vindex imap-gssapi-program
+This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
+authenticated IMAP stream in a subshell. They are tried sequentially
+until a connection is made, or the list has been exhausted. By
+default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
+program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
+tried.
-@cindex MMDF mail box
-@item mmdf
-The MMDF mail box format.
+@vindex imap-ssl-program
+For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
+@uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
+and nnimap support it too - although 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. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
+to OpenSSL/SSLeay.
-@item news
-Several news articles appended into a file.
+@vindex imap-shell-program
+@vindex imap-shell-host
+For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
+@code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
-@item rnews
-@cindex rnews batch files
-The rnews batch transport format.
-@cindex forwarded messages
+@item nnimap-authenticator
+@vindex nnimap-authenticator
-@item forward
-Forwarded articles.
+The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
+will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
-@item nsmail
-Netscape mail boxes.
+Example server specification:
-@item mime-parts
-MIME multipart messages.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
+@end lisp
-@item standard-digest
-The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
-@item slack-digest
-Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@end table
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
+external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
+@code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
+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 email address as password.
+@end itemize
-You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
-that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
-@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
-file is.
+@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{B DEL} or
+similar).
-@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
-it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
-group. And that's it.
+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?
-If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
-new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
-that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
-to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
-@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
-(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
-the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
-using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
-file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
-delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
+when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
+variable.
-Virtual server variables:
+The possible options are:
@table @code
-@item nndoc-article-type
-@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-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
-@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
-@item nndoc-post-type
-@vindex nndoc-post-type
-This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
-a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
-and @code{news}.
-@end table
+@item always
+The default behavior, 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.
-@menu
-* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@end menu
+@end table
+@item nnimap-importantize-dormant
+@vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
-@node Document Server Internals
-@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+If non-nil (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as well),
+for other @sc{imap} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
+naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
+articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @sc{imap}
+clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @sc{imap}
+has only one.)
-Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
-difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
-looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
-and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
+Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
+enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
-First, here's an example document type definition:
+@lisp
+(setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
+ (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
+(setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
+ (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
+@end lisp
-@example
-(mmdf
- (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
- (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
-@end example
+In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
+as ticked for other users.
-The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
-regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
-variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
-types can be defined with very few settings:
+@item nnimap-expunge-search-string
+@cindex Expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
-@table @code
-@item first-article
-If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
-something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
-totally ignored.
+This variable contain the @sc{imap} search command sent to server when
+searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
+@code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
+UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
-@item article-begin
-This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
-says what the beginning of each article looks like.
+Probably the only useful value to change this to is
+@code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
+messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
+RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
-@item head-begin-function
-If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
-the article.
+@item nnimap-authinfo-file
+@vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
-@item nndoc-head-begin
-If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
-article.
+A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
+(almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
+variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
+@ref{NNTP}.
-@item nndoc-head-end
-This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
-@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+@end table
-@item body-begin-function
-If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
-of the article.
+@menu
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
+* A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use IMAP namespace in Gnus.
+@end menu
-@item body-begin
-This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
-to @samp{^\n}.
-@item body-end-function
-If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
-the article.
-@item body-end
-If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
+@node Splitting in IMAP
+@subsection Splitting in IMAP
+@cindex splitting imap mail
-@item file-end
-If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
-regexp will be totally ignored.
+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.
-@end table
+And it does.
-So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
-file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
-few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
-news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
-something that's palatable for Gnus:
+Here are the variables of interest:
@table @code
-@item prepare-body-function
-If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
-will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
-document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-
-@item article-transform-function
-If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
-meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
-body of the article.
-@item generate-head-function
-If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
-understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
-expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
-called when requesting the headers of all articles.
+@item nnimap-split-crosspost
+@cindex splitting, crosspost
+@cindex crosspost
+@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
-@end table
+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.
-Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
-digests:
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
-@example
-(standard-digest
- (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
- (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
- (head-end . "^ ?$")
- (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
- (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
- (subtype digest guess))
-@end example
+@item nnimap-split-inbox
+@cindex splitting, inbox
+@cindex inbox
+@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
-We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
-text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
-each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
-the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
-run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
+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!
-To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
-@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
-the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
-the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
-traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
-is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
-@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
-of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
-correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
-low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-inbox
+ '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
+@end lisp
+No nnmail equivalent.
-@node SOUP
-@subsection SOUP
-@cindex SOUP
-@cindex offline
+@item nnimap-split-rule
+@cindex Splitting, rules
+@vindex nnimap-split-rule
-In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
-are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
-With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
+New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
+this variable.
-Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
-@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
-transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
-newsreaders.
+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.
-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.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("INBOX.nnimap"
+ "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
+ ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
+ ("INBOX.private" "")))
+@end lisp
-A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
-and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
-fiddly.
+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.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
-First some terminology:
+The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
+replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
+instance:
-@table @dfn
+@lisp
+("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
+@end lisp
-@item server
-This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
-get news and/or mail from.
+The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
+matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
-@item home machine
-This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
-on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
+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.
-@item packet
-Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
-of packets:
+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 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.)
-@table @dfn
-@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.
+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 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.
+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 split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
-@end table
+The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
-@end table
+To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
+even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
+the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
+ ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
+ ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
+ ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
+ ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
+@end lisp
-@enumerate
+The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
+may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
+@code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
+Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
+rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
+group/function elements.
-@item
-You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
-use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
-can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
-s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
-@item
-You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
+@item nnimap-split-predicate
+@cindex splitting
+@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
-@item
-You put the packet in your home directory.
+Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
+split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
-@item
-You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
-the native or secondary server.
+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
-You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
-want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
-
-@item
-You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
-packet.
-
-@item
-You transfer this packet to the server.
+@item nnimap-split-fancy
+@cindex splitting, fancy
+@findex nnimap-split-fancy
+@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
-@item
-You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
+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}.
-@item
-You then repeat until you die.
+However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
+nnimap back ends 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}.
-@end enumerate
+Example:
-So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
-reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ nnimap-split-fancy ...)
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* 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.
-@end menu
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+@item nnimap-split-download-body
+@findex nnimap-split-download-body
+@vindex nnimap-split-download-body
-@node SOUP Commands
-@subsubsection SOUP Commands
+Set to non-nil to download entire articles during splitting. This is
+generally not required, and will slow things down considerably. You
+may need it if you want to use an advanced splitting function that
+analyses the body to split the article.
-These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
+@end table
-@table @kbd
-@item G s b
-@kindex G s b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
-Pack all unread articles in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention.
+@node Expiring in IMAP
+@subsection Expiring in IMAP
+@cindex expiring imap mail
+
+Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
+end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
+Mail}). Unlike splitting in IMAP (@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}) it do
+not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
+@var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
+follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
+process.
+
+A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @sc{imap} server is
+appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
+@code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
+message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
+the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
+you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
+your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
+messages. Most do, fortunately.
-@item G s w
-@kindex G s w (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
-Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
+@table @code
-@item G s s
-@kindex G s s (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
-Send all replies from the replies packet
-(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
+@item nnmail-expiry-wait
+@item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-@item G s p
-@kindex G s p (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
-Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
+These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
+number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
-@item G s r
-@kindex G s r (Group)
-@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
-Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
+@item nnmail-expiry-target
-@item O s
-@kindex O s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-soup-add-article
-This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
-(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
+@code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
+that if the destination is a IMAP group on the same server, the
+article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
@end table
+@node Editing IMAP ACLs
+@subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
+@cindex editing imap acls
+@cindex Access Control Lists
+@cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
+@kindex G l
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
-There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
-thingies:
+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.
-@table @code
+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.
-@item gnus-soup-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-directory
-Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
-@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
+Some possible uses:
-@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
-This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
-reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
+@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
-@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
-@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
-Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
-@samp{gnus-prefix}.
+@node Expunging mailboxes
+@subsection Expunging mailboxes
+@cindex expunging
-@item gnus-soup-packer
-@vindex gnus-soup-packer
-A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
-@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
+@cindex Expunge
+@cindex Manual expunging
+@kindex G x
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
-@item gnus-soup-unpacker
-@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
-@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
+you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
+manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
-@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
-Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
+delete them.
-@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
-@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
+@node A note on namespaces
+@subsection A note on namespaces
+@cindex IMAP namespace
+@cindex namespaces
-@end table
+The IMAP protocol has a concept called namespaces, described by the
+following text in the RFC:
+@example
+5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
+
+ By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
+ which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
+ the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
+ types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
+
+ For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
+ newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
+ newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
+ comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
+ "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
+ to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
+@end example
-@node SOUP Groups
-@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
-@cindex nnsoup
+While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the IMAP
+implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace prefixes in a way
+that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
-@code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
-read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
-you can read them at leisure.
+Specifically, University of Washington's IMAP server uses mailbox
+names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only in the
+@sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is created
+(or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed without
+the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do not make it
+possible for the user to guarantee that user entered mailbox names
+will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands, you should
+simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in Gnus.
-These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
+See the UoW @sc{imapd} documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
+for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
+tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
-@table @code
+@node Other Sources
+@section Other Sources
-@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
-When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
-directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
+Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
+below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
+newsgroups.
-@item nnsoup-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-directory
-@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
-The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
+@menu
+* 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.
+@end menu
-@item nnsoup-replies-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
-All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
-reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
-@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
-The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
-(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
-shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
-@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
-The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
-means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
+it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
+names, of course.
-@item nnsoup-active-file
-@vindex nnsoup-active-file
-Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
-file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
-this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
-@file{~/SOUP/active}.
+This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
+successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
+packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
+back end to read directories. Big deal.
-@item nnsoup-packer
-@vindex nnsoup-packer
-Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
-is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
+@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
+enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
+@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
+directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
-@item nnsoup-unpacker
-@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
-default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
-@item nnsoup-packet-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
-Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
-@file{~/}.
+@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
+articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
+whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
+methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
-@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
-@samp{Soupout}.
-@item nnsoup-always-save
-@vindex nnsoup-always-save
-If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
-@end table
+From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
+directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
+pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
+true.
+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
+elements.
-@node SOUP Replies
-@subsubsection SOUP Replies
+All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
+with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
+newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
+in the article buffer, just as usual.
-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.
+If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
+a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
+traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
+Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
-@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.
+There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
+doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
+will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
+are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
+normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
+article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
+other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
+be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
-In specific, this is what it does:
+Some variables:
-@lisp
-(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
-(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item nneething-map-file-directory
+@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
+All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
+in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
-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.
+@item nneething-exclude-files
+@vindex nneething-exclude-files
+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.
-@node Mail-To-News Gateways
-@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
-@cindex mail-to-news gateways
-@cindex gateways
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
-If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
-or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
-The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
-Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
-used to post with.
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
-Server variables:
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
@table @code
-@item nngateway-address
-@vindex nngateway-address
-This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+@cindex babyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
-@item nngateway-header-transformation
-@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
-News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
-for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
-transformation should be called, and defaults to
-@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
-narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
-gateway address.
+@item babyl
+The babyl (rmail) mail box.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
-This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
-@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
-For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
-@example
-Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
-@end example
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
-will get this @code{From} header inserted:
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
-@example
-To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
-@end example
+@item rnews
+@cindex rnews batch files
+The rnews batch transport format.
+@cindex forwarded messages
-The following pre-defined functions exist:
+@item forward
+Forwarded articles.
-@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-@table @code
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
-@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+@item mime-parts
+@sc{mime} multipart messages.
-@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
-@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@code{nngateway-address}.
+@item mime-digest
+A @sc{mime} digest of messages.
-Here's an example:
+@item lanl-gov-announce
+Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method
- '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
- (nngateway-header-transformation
- nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
-@end lisp
+@item rfc822-forward
+A message forwarded according to RFC822.
-@end table
+@item outlook
+The Outlook mail box.
+@item oe-dbx
+The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
-@end table
+@item exim-bounce
+A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
-So, to use this, simply say something like:
+@item forward
+A message forwarded according to informal rules.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
-@end lisp
+@item rfc934
+An RFC934-forwarded message.
+@item mailman
+A mailman digest.
+@item clari-briefs
+A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
-@node IMAP
-@subsection @sc{imap}
-@cindex nnimap
-@cindex @sc{imap}
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@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.
+@item mail-in-mail
+The last resort.
+@end table
-@sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
-POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
-mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
-protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
-is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
+You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
+that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
+@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
+file is.
-If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
-mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
-server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
-described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
+@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
+it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
+group. And that's it.
-If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
-entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
-manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
-usage explained in this section.
+If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
+new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
+that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
+to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
+@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
+(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
+the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
+using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
+file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
+delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
-A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
-might look something like this:
+Virtual server variables:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
- ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
- (nnimap "dolk"
- (nnimap-address "localhost")
- (nnimap-server-port 1430))
- ; a UW server running on localhost
- (nnimap "barbar"
- (nnimap-server-port 143)
- (nnimap-address "localhost")
- (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
- ; anonymous public cyrus server:
- (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
- (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
- (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
- (nnimap-stream network))
- ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
- (nnimap "vic20"
- (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
- (nnimap-server-port 9930)
- (nnimap-stream ssl))))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item nndoc-article-type
+@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-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
+@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
+@code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
-server:
+@item nndoc-post-type
+@vindex nndoc-post-type
+This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
+a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
+and @code{news}.
+@end table
-@table @code
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
-@item nnimap-address
-@vindex nnimap-address
-The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
-server name if not specified.
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
-@item nnimap-server-port
-@vindex nnimap-server-port
-Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
+Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
+difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
+looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
+and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
-Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
+First, here's an example document type definition:
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-server-port 4711))
-@end lisp
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
-@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 definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
+regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
+variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
+types can be defined with very few settings:
-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.
+@table @code
+@item first-article
+If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
+something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
+totally ignored.
-Example server specification:
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
- ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
-@end lisp
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article.
-@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).
+@item nndoc-head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article.
-Example server specification:
+@item nndoc-head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{^$}---the empty line.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-stream ssl))
-@end lisp
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article.
-Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}.
-@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{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
-@item
-@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
-@end itemize
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article.
-@vindex imap-kerberos4-program
-The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
-both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
-@code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
-program.
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
-@vindex imap-ssl-program
-For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
-@uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
-and nnimap support it too - although 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. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
-to OpenSSL/SSLeay.
+@item file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
-@vindex imap-shell-program
-@vindex imap-shell-host
-For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
-@code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
+@end table
-@item nnimap-authenticator
-@vindex nnimap-authenticator
+So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
+file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
+few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
+news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
+something that's palatable for Gnus:
-The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
-will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
+@table @code
+@item prepare-body-function
+If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
+will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
+document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-Example server specification:
+@item article-transform-function
+If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
+meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
+body of the article.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
-@end lisp
+@item generate-head-function
+If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
+understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
+expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
+called when requesting the headers of all articles.
-Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
+@end table
-@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
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
-@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
-similar).
+@example
+(standard-digest
+ (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
+ (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
+ (head-end . "^ ?$")
+ (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
+ (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
+ (subtype digest guess))
+@end example
-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?
+We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
+text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
+each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
+the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
+run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
-Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
-when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
-variable.
+To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
+@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
+is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
+where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
+The alist is traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is
+called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is
+called to see whether a document is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on.
+These type predicates should return @code{nil} if the document is not
+of the correct type; @code{t} if it is of the correct type; and a
+number if the document might be of the correct type. A high number
+means high probability; a low number means low probability with
+@samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
-The possible options are:
-@table @code
+@node SOUP
+@subsection SOUP
+@cindex SOUP
+@cindex offline
-@item always
-The default behavior, 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.
+In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
+are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
+With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
-@end table
+Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
+@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
+transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
+newsreaders.
-@item nnimap-authinfo-file
-@vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
+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.
-A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format
-is (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See
-`nntp-authinfo-file' for exact syntax.
+A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
+and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
+fiddly.
-A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
-(almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
-variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
-@xref{NNTP}.
+First some terminology:
-@end table
+@table @dfn
-@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
+@item server
+This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
+get news and/or mail from.
+@item home machine
+This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
+on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
+@item packet
+Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
+of packets:
-@node Splitting in IMAP
-@subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
-@cindex splitting imap mail
+@table @dfn
+@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.
-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.
+@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.
-And it does.
+@end table
-Here are the variables of interest:
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item nnimap-split-crosspost
-@cindex splitting, crosspost
-@cindex crosspost
-@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
+@enumerate
-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.
+@item
+You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
+use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
+can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
+s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
+@item
+You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
-@item nnimap-split-inbox
-@cindex splitting, inbox
-@cindex inbox
-@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
+@item
+You put the packet in your home directory.
-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!
+@item
+You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
+the native or secondary server.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-inbox
- '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
+want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
-No nnmail equivalent.
+@item
+You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
+packet.
-@item nnimap-split-rule
-@cindex Splitting, rules
-@vindex nnimap-split-rule
+@item
+You transfer this packet to the server.
-New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
-this variable.
+@item
+You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
-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.
+@item
+You then repeat until you die.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule
- '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
- ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
- ("INBOX.private" "")))
-@end lisp
+@end enumerate
-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.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
+So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
+reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
-The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
-replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
-instance:
+@menu
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@end menu
-@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.
+@node SOUP Commands
+@subsubsection SOUP Commands
-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 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 are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
-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".
+@table @kbd
+@item G s b
+@kindex G s b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
+Pack all unread articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention.
-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 split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
+@item G s w
+@kindex G s w (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
+Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
-The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
+@item G s s
+@kindex G s s (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
+Send all replies from the replies packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
-To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
-even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
-the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
+@item G s p
+@kindex G s p (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
+Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule
- '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
- ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
- ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
- ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
- ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
-@end lisp
+@item G s r
+@kindex G s r (Group)
+@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
+Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
-The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
-may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
-@code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
-Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
-rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
-group/function elements.
+@item O s
+@kindex O s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-soup-add-article
+This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+@end table
-@item nnimap-split-predicate
-@cindex splitting
-@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
-Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
-split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
+There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
+thingies:
-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}.
+@table @code
-@item nnimap-split-fancy
-@cindex splitting, fancy
-@findex nnimap-split-fancy
-@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
+@item gnus-soup-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-directory
+Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
+@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
-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}.
+@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
+This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
+reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
-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}.
+@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
+@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
+Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
+@samp{gnus-prefix}.
-Example:
+@item gnus-soup-packer
+@vindex gnus-soup-packer
+A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
- nnimap-split-fancy ...)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-soup-unpacker
+@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
+Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+
+@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
+@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
@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.
+@node SOUP Groups
+@subsubsection SOUP Groups
+@cindex nnsoup
-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.
+@code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
+read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
+you can read them at leisure.
-Some possible uses:
+These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
-@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
+@table @code
-@node Expunging mailboxes
-@subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
-@cindex expunging
+@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
+When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
+directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
-@cindex Expunge
-@cindex Manual expunging
-@kindex G x
-@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
+@item nnsoup-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-directory
+@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
+The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
-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.
+@item nnsoup-replies-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
+All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
+reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
-Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
-delete them.
+@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
+The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
+(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
+shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
+@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
+The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
+means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+@item nnsoup-active-file
+@vindex nnsoup-active-file
+Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
+file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
+this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
+@file{~/SOUP/active}.
-@node Combined Groups
-@section Combined Groups
+@item nnsoup-packer
+@vindex nnsoup-packer
+Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
+is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
-Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
-groups.
+@item nnsoup-unpacker
+@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
+default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
-@menu
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-@end menu
+@item nnsoup-packet-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
+Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
+@file{~/}.
+@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
+@samp{Soupout}.
-@node Virtual Groups
-@subsection Virtual Groups
-@cindex nnvirtual
-@cindex virtual groups
-@cindex merging groups
+@item nnsoup-always-save
+@vindex nnsoup-always-save
+If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
-An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
-other groups.
+@end table
-For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
-put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
-big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
-You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
-regexp to match component groups.
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
-All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
-component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
-article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
-(And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
-the virtual group.)
+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.
-Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
-newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+@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
-(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
@end lisp
-The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
-smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+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.
-Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
-idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
-If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
-and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
-@example
-"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
-@end example
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
-(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
-shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
-characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
+If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
+or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
+The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
+
+Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
+used to post with.
+
+Server variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nngateway-address
+@vindex nngateway-address
+This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+
+@item nngateway-header-transformation
+@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
+News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
+for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
+transformation should be called, and defaults to
+@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
+narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
+gateway address.
+
+This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
+@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
+For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
+
+will get this @code{To} header inserted:
+
+@example
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
+@end example
+
+The following pre-defined functions exist:
+
+@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+@table @code
+
+@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+
+@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+
+@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@code{nngateway-address}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method
+ '(nngateway
+ "mail2news@@replay.com"
+ (nngateway-header-transformation
+ nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+
+@end table
+
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
+
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
+
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+@cindex merging groups
+
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
+
+For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
+put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
+big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
+
+All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
+component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
+article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
+came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
+shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
+@kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
+and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
+
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
+
+The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
+smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+
+Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
+idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
+If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
+and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+
+@example
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+@end example
+
+(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
+shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
+characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
@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,
+has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component back end 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.)
+not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+@kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+@code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
+from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
+inherited.
@node Kibozed Groups
@cindex kibozing
@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
-the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
+the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will do this for
you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
with useless requests! Oh happiness!
functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
reading news on a machine.
-Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
-that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
-here.
-
-@item
-Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
-
-@lisp
-(gnus-agentize)
-@end lisp
-@end itemize
-
-That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
+Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
+fact, you don't even have to configure anything.
Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
@menu
-* 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.
-* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
-* 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.
+* 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 as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
+* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
+* 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.
@end menu
@itemize @bullet
@item
+@findex gnus-unplugged
You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
already fetched while in this mode.
@item
Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
-backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
+back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
-@kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
-Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
-primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
+@kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
+Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
+added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
+all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} groups in @code{gnus-select-method} and
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
@item
-Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
+
+Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
+you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
+parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
+is probably best to start with a category @xref{Agent Categories}.
+
+Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
+(@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
+to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
+parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
+to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
+your policy, you can use grou parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
+configure them.
@item
-Uhm... that's it.
+Uhm@dots{} that's it.
@end itemize
mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
you're interested in the articles anyway.
-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.
-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.
+One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
+downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
+groups to this category. 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.
+
+If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
+alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
+difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
+less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
+sink.
+
+Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
+a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
+the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
+parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
+variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
+of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
+your settings.
@menu
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
@end menu
@node Category Syntax
@subsubsection Category Syntax
-A category consists of two things.
+A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
+category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
+customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
+listed below.
-@enumerate
-@item
+@table @code
+@item gnus-agent-cat-name
+The name of the category.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-groups
+The list of groups that are in this category.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-predicate
A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
are eligible for downloading; and
-@item
+@item gnus-agent-cat-score-file
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
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-enable-expiration
+a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
+this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
+fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
+only groups that should not be expired.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-days-until-old
+an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
+before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-low-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-high-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-short
+an integer that overrides the value of
+@code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cat-length-when-long
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
+@end table
+
+The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
+created.
+
+Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
+that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
+group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
+category.
A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
you want to do, you can write your own.
+When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
+bound to the value determined by calling
+@code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
+example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
+@code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
+means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
+predicate to individual groups.
+
@table @code
@item short
True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
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)})
+wherever.
@lisp
+(require 'gnus-agent)
(setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
(append gnus-category-predicate-alist
- '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
@end lisp
and simply specify your predicate as:
always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
just don't give a damn.
-The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
+The above predicates apply to @emph{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
(agent-predicate . short)
@end lisp
-This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
+This is the group/topic 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.
@end lisp
@item
-Group Parameter specification
+Group/Topic Parameter specification
@lisp
(agent-score ("from"
@item
Agent score file
-These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
-stated above.
+These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
+keywords stated above.
example:
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 sections that do not
+files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
@itemize @bullet
@findex gnus-category-exit
Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
+@item e
+@kindex e (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-customize-category
+Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
+parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
+
@item k
@kindex k (Category)
@findex gnus-category-kill
Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
0.
+@item gnus-agent-expire-days
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
+local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
+the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
+just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
+important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
+article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
+read.
+Default 7.
+
+@item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+@vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
+retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
+you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
+you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
+have to enable expiration in selected groups.
+
@end table
@node Agent Commands
@subsection Agent Commands
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
+@kindex J j (Agent)
All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
-(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
@menu
-* Group Agent Commands::
-* Summary Agent Commands::
-* Server Agent Commands::
+* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
+* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
+* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
@end menu
-You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
-following incantation:
-
-@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@end example
@item J S
@kindex J S (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-group-send-drafts
-Send all sendable messages in the draft group
-(@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
+@findex gnus-group-send-queue
+Send all sendable messages in the queue group
+(@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
@item J a
@kindex J a (Agent Group)
Remove the downloading mark from the article
(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
+@cindex %
@item @@
@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
-Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
+Toggle whether to download the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The dowload mark is @samp{%} by
+default.
@item J c
@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
@findex gnus-agent-catchup
-Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
+Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
+
+@item J S
+@kindex J S (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
+Download all eligible (See @pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
+
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-series
+Download all processable articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-series}).
+
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
+Download all downloadable articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
@end table
@end table
+@node Agent as Cache
+@subsection Agent as Cache
+
+When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
+articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
+Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
+in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
+buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
+are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
+consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
+article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
+server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
+
+If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
+@pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
+plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
+synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
+sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap backend.
+
@node Agent Expiry
@subsection Agent Expiry
@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
@findex gnus-agent-expire
@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
+@findex gnus-agent-expire-group
@cindex Agent expiry
@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
@cindex expiry
-@code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
-@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.
+The Agent backend, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
+least it doesn't handle it like other backends. Instead, there are
+special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
+commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
+@code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
+that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
+efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
+@kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
-if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
-expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
-(which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
-unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
+Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
+might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
+synchronized with the group.
+The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
+prevent expiration in selected groups.
+
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
+If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
+expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
+and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
+are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
+be kept indefinitely.
+
+If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
+perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
+commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
+
+@node Agent Regeneration
+@subsection Agent Regeneration
+
+@cindex Agent Regeneration
+@cindex Gnus Agent Regeneration
+@cindex regeneration
+
+The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
+due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
+@code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
+to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
+internal inconsistencies.
+
+For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
+downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
+know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
+failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
+such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
+
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
+you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
+recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
+
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
+of individual articles to repair the local NOV(header) database. It
+then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
+are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
+agent as unread.
@node Agent and IMAP
@subsection Agent and IMAP
-The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
+The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
@sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
-are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
+are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @file{.newsrc} as is the
case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
-Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
-Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
-you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
-with the server. This behavior is customizable with
-@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
+Gnus keeps track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
+Agent. When you plug back in, Gnus will check if you have any changed
+any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the server.
+The behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
-never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
-default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
-you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
-value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
+never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
+the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
+ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
+any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
-If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
-re-connect, this can be done manually with the
+If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
+re-connect, you can do it manually with the
@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
-in the group buffer by default.
+in the group buffer.
Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
@end itemize
-Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
+Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
-removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
+removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
@subsection Outgoing Messages
When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
-stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
-after posting, and edit them at will.
+stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view
+them there after posting, and edit them at will.
When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
+@item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+Hook run when finished fetching articles.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cache
+@vindex gnus-agent-cache
+Variable to control whether use the locally stored @sc{nov} and
+articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
+The default is non-nil, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
+
+@item gnus-agent-go-online
+@vindex gnus-agent-go-online
+If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
+automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
+@code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
+offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
+other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
+online status.
+
+@item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+@vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
+mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
+thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
+read. The default is t.
+
+@item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+@vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
+agent will fetch all missing headers. When @code{nil}, the agent will
+fetch only new headers. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+@vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
+them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
+the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
+have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
+limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
+performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
+connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
+However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
+available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
+see any cycling.
+
+@item gnus-server-unopen-status
+@vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
+Perhaps not a Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
+variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
+Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
+whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
+Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
+for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
+is only valid if the Agent is used.
+
+@item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+@vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+Another variable that isn't a Agent variable, yet so closely related
+that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
+buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
+agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
+
+The legal values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
+@code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
+have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
+ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
+(maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
+
@end table
If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
-@file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
@lisp
;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
-(gnus-agentize)
+;;; (gnus-agentize) ; The obsolete setting.
+;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; Now the default.
@end lisp
That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
@node Batching Agents
@subsection Batching Agents
+@findex gnus-agent-batch
Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
+You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
+following incantation:
+
@example
#!/bin/sh
-emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
+emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
@end example
may ask:
@table @dfn
-@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
-Agent?
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
-@strong{No.}
+@strong{No}. If you want this behaviour, add
+@code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
+@code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
-@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
-in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
+the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
-@strong{Yes.}
+@strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
@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.
+articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
+locally stored articles.
@node Scoring
silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
@menu
-* 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.
+* 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 On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
+* 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.
@end menu
@kindex V t (Summary)
@findex gnus-score-find-trace
Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
-(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
+(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
+can use @kbd{q} to quit. @kbd{e} edits the corresponding score file.
+When point is on a string within the match element, @kbd{e} will try to
+bring you to this string in the score file.
+
+@item V w
+@kindex V w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
+List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
@item V R
@kindex V R (Summary)
@item i
Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
+@item e
+Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
+if your @sc{nntp} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
+
@item f
Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
-the followups to this author.
+the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
+@file{ADAPT} files.)
@item b
Score on the body.
Score on the head.
@item t
-Score on thread.
+Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
@end table
@end table
@item
-The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
-score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
-it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
+The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
+expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
+or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
+file.
@table @kbd
@item t
Immediately scoring.
@end table
+@item
+If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
+the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
+in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
+
@end enumerate
So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
@item gnus-score-file-suffix
@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
-(@samp{SCORE} by default.)
+(@file{SCORE} by default.)
@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
@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 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
+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
variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
server.
@end table
-This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
-functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
-returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
-return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
-return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
-``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
-returned is the local score file. Phu.
+This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
+these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
+all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
+functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
+that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
+should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
+ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
+Phu.
For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
overall score file, you could use the value
@example
-(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE")) 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
+(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
+ 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
@end example
@item gnus-score-expiry-days
@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
-their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
-non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
-stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
-even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
-grim reaper.
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
+been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
+controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
+matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
+variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
+have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
instead, if you feel like.
+@item Extra
+Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
+gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
+case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
+header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
+@file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin host,
+if your @sc{nntp} server tracks NNTP-Posting-Host in overviews:
+
+@lisp
+("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s "NNTP-Posting-Host")
+@end lisp
+
@item Lines, Chars
These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
it's not. I think.)
-When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
+When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
@item local
@cindex local variables
-The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
-Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
-and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
-strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
-much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
+The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
+@var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
+current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
+convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
+groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
+be evaluated.
@end table
will be applied to each article.
To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
-articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
+articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
current article, thereby matching the following thread.
-You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
-articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
-@code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
-article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
-added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
-aspirins afterwards.)
-
If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
changes result in articles getting marked as read.
@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
-is @samp{ADAPT}.
+is @file{ADAPT}.
@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
-variable defaults til @code{nil}.
+variable defaults to @code{nil}.
@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
is system-dependent.
+@node Scoring On Other Headers
+@section Scoring On Other Headers
+@cindex scoring on other headers
+
+Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
+headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
+other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
+that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
+matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
+
+Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
+mail groups, you have greater control. In the @pxref{To From
+Newsgroups} section of the manual, it's explained in greater detail what
+this mechanism does, but here's a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on
+how to allow scoring on the @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
+
+Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
+ nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+@end lisp
+
+Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
+@kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
+time if you have much mail.
+
+Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
+so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
+
+See? Simple.
+
+
@node Scoring Tips
@section Scoring Tips
@cindex scoring tips
If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
more than, say, 3 groups:
@lisp
-("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
+("xref"
+ ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
+ -1000 nil r))
@end lisp
@item Matching on the body
or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
files are applicable to which group.
-Say you want to use the score file
+To use the score file
@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
-all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
+all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
+say this:
@lisp
(setq gnus-global-score-files
@end lisp
@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
+@noindent
Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
old articles for a long time.
@end itemize
-... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
+@dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
holding our breath yet?
@section GroupLens
@cindex GroupLens
-GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
-together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
-huge volume of news articles generated every day.
+GroupLens (@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/}) is a
+collaborative filtering system that helps you work together with other
+people to find the quality news articles out of the huge volume of
+news articles generated every day.
To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
article.
+@sc{Note:} Unfortunately the GroupLens system seems to have shut down,
+so this section is mostly of historical interest.
+
@menu
-* 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.
+* 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.
@end menu
In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
-yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
-like this one?"
+yourself is, ``on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
+like this one?''
There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
@item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
+Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23n%]%)
%s\n}.
@item grouplens-bbb-host
@node Advanced Scoring Examples
@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
+make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
+of parentheses.
+
Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
when he's talking about Gnus:
score.
@end enumerate
-If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
-with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
-the new score, which should be an integer.
+If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
+with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
+the new score, which should be an integer.
+
+Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
+four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+@chapter Message
+@include message.texi
+@chapter Emacs MIME
+@include emacs-mime.texi
+@chapter Sieve
+@include sieve.texi
+@c @chapter PGG
+@c @include pgg.texi
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+@node Various
+@chapter Various
+
+@menu
+* 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.
+* Window Layout:: 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 tendinitis 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.
+* Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
+* 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.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Process/Prefix
+@section Process/Prefix
+@cindex process/prefix convention
+
+Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
+articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
+
+This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
+command to be performed on.
+
+It goes like this:
+
+If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
+articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
+negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
+with the current one.
+
+@vindex transient-mark-mode
+If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
+active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
+
+If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
+process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
+the process mark.
+
+If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
+process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
+
+Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
+are avoided.
+
+Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
+process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
+marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
+@kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
+instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
+Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
+goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
+will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
+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 @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
+
+
+@node Interactive
+@section Interactive
+@cindex interaction
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-novice-user
+@vindex gnus-novice-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
+World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
+really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
+to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
+default.
+
+@item gnus-expert-user
+@vindex gnus-expert-user
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
+questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
+matter how strange.
+
+@item gnus-interactive-catchup
+@vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
+Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
+is @code{t} by default.
+
+@item gnus-interactive-exit
+@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
+Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
+default.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Symbolic Prefixes
+@section Symbolic Prefixes
+@cindex symbolic prefixes
+
+Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
+@kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
+rule of 900 to the current article.
+
+This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
+additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
+``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
+doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
+for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
+file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
+same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
+
+@kindex M-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-symbolic-argument
+I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
+prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
+character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
+prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
+command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
+``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
+@code{b}''. You get the drift.
+
+Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
+hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
+functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
+
+If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
+Interactive}.
+
+
+@node Formatting Variables
+@section Formatting Variables
+@cindex formatting variables
+
+Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
+things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
+output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
+Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
+be annoyed by.
+
+Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
+%(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
+lots of percentages everywhere.
+
+@menu
+* 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.
+* Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
+* Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
+* Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
+@end menu
+
+Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
+@code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
+
+All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
+case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-update-format
+@findex gnus-update-format
+Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
+specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
+update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
+examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
+
+
+
+@node Formatting Basics
+@subsection Formatting Basics
+
+Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
+buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
+spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
+
+As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
+modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
+@dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
+@samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
+padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
+the right instead.
+
+You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
+particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
+means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
+less than 4 characters wide.
+
+Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
+@samp{%&user-date;}.
+
+
+@node Mode Line Formatting
+@subsection Mode Line Formatting
+
+Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
+buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
+with the following two differences:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
+
+@item
+The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
+Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
+@samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
+so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
+display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
+mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
+@code{mode-line-format} variable.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+
+@node Advanced Formatting
+@subsection Advanced Formatting
+
+It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
+Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
+be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
+look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
+
+These are the valid modifiers:
+
+@table @code
+@item pad
+@itemx pad-left
+Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
+
+@item pad-right
+Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
+length.
+
+@item max
+@itemx max-left
+Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
+
+@item max-right
+Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
+length.
+
+@item cut
+@itemx cut-left
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
+
+@item cut-right
+Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
+
+@item ignore
+Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
+
+@item form
+Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
+used.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+"~(form (current-time-string))@@"
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
+Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
+will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
+This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
+the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
+@samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
+maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
+than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
+
+Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
+last operation, padding.
+
+@vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
+If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
+default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
+thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
+enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
+the look of your lines.
+@xref{Compilation}.
+
+
+@node User-Defined Specs
+@subsection User-Defined Specs
+
+All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
+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 parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
+it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
+should protect against that.
+
+Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
+Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
+
+You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
+much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
+@samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
+given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
+inserted.
+
+
+@node Formatting Fonts
+@subsection Formatting Fonts
+
+There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
+variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
+the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
+highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
+over it.
+
+Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
+normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
+default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
+and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
+@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. When the mouse passes over text with this property
+set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
+refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
+(in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
+XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
+guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
+paragraph.)
+
+Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
+
+@lisp
+;; Create three face types.
+(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
+(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
+
+;; We want the article count to be in
+;; a bold and green face. So we create
+;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
+(copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
+;; Set the color.
+(set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
+(setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
+
+;; Set the new & fancy format.
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
+@end lisp
+
+I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
+and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
+
+Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
+mode-line variables.
+
+@node Positioning Point
+@subsection Positioning Point
+
+Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
+buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
+line. You can customize this behaviour in three different ways.
+
+You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
+
+@findex gnus-goto-colon
+You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
+function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
+
+But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
+to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
+put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
+place point there.
+
+
+@node Tabulation
+@subsection Tabulation
+
+You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
+strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
+can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
+about lining up the following text afterwards.
+
+To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs--@samp{%=}. There are two
+different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
+
+@samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
+50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
+This is the soft tabulator.
+
+@samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
+50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
+50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
+
+
+@node Wide Characters
+@subsection Wide Characters
+
+Proportional fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
+Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
+characters---most notable East Asian countries.
+
+The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
+characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
+these countries, that's not true.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
+To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
+@code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
+prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
+for Emacs.
+
+
+@node Window Layout
+@section Window Layout
+@cindex window layout
+
+No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-full-window
+If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
+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:
+
+@lisp
+((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
+ (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
+other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
+configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
+possible names is listed below.
+
+The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
+should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
+
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
+
+This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
+half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
+you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
+reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
+@code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
+rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
+whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
+size spec per split.
+
+Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
+@code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
+split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
+fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
+present) gets focus.
+
+Here's a more complicated example:
+
+@lisp
+(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
+ (article 1.0)))
+@end lisp
+
+If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
+then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
+occupy, not a percentage.
+
+If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
+precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
+split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
+be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
+@code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
+is non-@code{nil}.
+
+Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
+
+@lisp
+(article (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 0.5
+ (group 1.0)
+ (gnus-carpal 4))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point)
+ (summary-carpal 4)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
+@code{horizontal} thingie?
+
+If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
+split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
+Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
+fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
+the screen is to be given to this strip.
+
+For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
+The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
+lines from the splits.
+
+To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
+may look like:
+
+@example
+split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
+frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
+horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
+vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
+buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
+size = number | frame-params
+buf-name = group | article | summary ...
+@end example
+
+The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
+top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
+return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
+may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
+
+@vindex gnus-window-min-width
+@vindex gnus-window-min-height
+@cindex window height
+@cindex window width
+Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
+than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
+windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
+characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
+splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
+you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
+
+If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
+@code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
+Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
+windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
+
+@findex gnus-configure-frame
+If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
+@code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
+that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
+nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
+three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
+@code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
+look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
+Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
+@code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
+configuration list.
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 10
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 0.3 point))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (article 1.0)
+ (horizontal 4
+ (group 1.0)
+ (article 10)))))
+@end lisp
+
+You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
+@code{frame} split:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-configure-frame
+ '(frame 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
+ (article 1.0))
+ (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
+ (user-position . t)
+ (left . -1) (top . 1))
+ (picon 1.0))))
+
+@end lisp
+
+This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
+configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
+frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
+instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
+should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
+@xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
+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.
+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
+it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
+might be used:
+
+@lisp
+(message (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
+ (vertical 0.24
+ (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
+ '(summary 0.5))
+ (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
+of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
+you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article (vertical 1.0
+ (group 4)
+ (summary .25 point)
+ (article 1.0))))
+@end lisp
+
+You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
+Gnus has been loaded.
+
+@vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
+If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
+won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
+``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.
+
+@subsection Example Window Configurations
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
+between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
+
+@ifinfo
+@example
++---+---------+
+| G | Summary |
+| r +---------+
+| o | |
+| u | Article |
+| p | |
++---+---------+
+@end example
+@end ifinfo
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article
+ (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (summary 0.16 point)
+ (article 1.0)))))
+
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(summary
+ (horizontal 1.0
+ (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
+ (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
+@end lisp
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Faces and Fonts
+@section Faces and Fonts
+@cindex faces
+@cindex fonts
+@cindex colors
+
+Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
+it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
+the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
+interface.
+
+
+@node Compilation
+@section Compilation
+@cindex compilation
+@cindex byte-compilation
+
+@findex gnus-compile
+
+Remember all those line format specification variables?
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
+on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
+variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
+@code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
+unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
+(The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
+associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
+course.)
+
+To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
+fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
+satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
+you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
+compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-compile-user-specs
+@vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
+If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
+automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
+an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Mode Lines
+@section Mode Lines
+@cindex mode lines
-Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
-four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+@vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
+@code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
+lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
+@code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
+@code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
+Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
+pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
+quicker.
+@cindex display-time
-@node Various
-@chapter Various
+@vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
+By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
+lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
+to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
+mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
+@code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
+elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
+additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
+this variable:
-@menu
-* 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 tendinitis 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.
-@end menu
+@c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'display-time-hook
+ (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
+ (+ 21
+ (if line-number-mode 5 0)
+ (if column-number-mode 4 0)
+ (length display-time-string)))))
+@end lisp
+If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
+strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
+that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
+complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
+configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
-@node Process/Prefix
-@section Process/Prefix
-@cindex process/prefix convention
-Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
-articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
+@node Highlighting and Menus
+@section Highlighting and Menus
+@cindex visual
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex menus
-This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
-command to be performed on.
+@vindex gnus-visual
+The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
+aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
+colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
+file.
-It goes like this:
+This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
+following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
-If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
-articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
-negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
-with the current one.
+@table @code
+@item group-highlight
+Do highlights in the group buffer.
+@item summary-highlight
+Do highlights in the summary buffer.
+@item article-highlight
+Do highlights in the article buffer.
+@item highlight
+Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
+@item group-menu
+Create menus in the group buffer.
+@item summary-menu
+Create menus in the summary buffers.
+@item article-menu
+Create menus in the article buffer.
+@item browse-menu
+Create menus in the browse buffer.
+@item server-menu
+Create menus in the server buffer.
+@item score-menu
+Create menus in the score buffers.
+@item menu
+Create menus in all buffers.
+@end table
-@vindex transient-mark-mode
-If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
-active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
+So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
+buffers, you could say something like:
-If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
-process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
-the process mark.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
+@end lisp
-If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
-process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
+If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
-Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
-are avoided.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
+@end lisp
-Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
-process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
-marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
-@kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
+in all Gnus buffers.
-@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
-One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
-instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
-Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
-goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
-will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
-summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
-@code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
+Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
-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'.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-mouse-face
+This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
+mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@end table
-@node Interactive
-@section Interactive
-@cindex interaction
+There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
@table @code
-@item gnus-novice-user
-@vindex gnus-novice-user
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
-World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
-really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
-to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
-default.
+@item gnus-article-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
-@item gnus-expert-user
-@vindex gnus-expert-user
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
-questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
-matter how strange.
+@item gnus-group-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
-@item gnus-interactive-catchup
-@vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
-Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
-is @code{t} by default.
+@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
-@item gnus-interactive-exit
-@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
-Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
-default.
-@end table
+@item gnus-server-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
+@item gnus-browse-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
-@node Symbolic Prefixes
-@section Symbolic Prefixes
-@cindex symbolic prefixes
+@item gnus-score-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
-Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
-instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
-@kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
-rule of 900 to the current article.
+@end table
-This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
-additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
-``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
-doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
-for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
-file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
-same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
-@kindex M-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-symbolic-argument
-I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
-prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
-character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
-prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
-command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
-``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
-@code{b}''. You get the drift.
+@node Buttons
+@section Buttons
+@cindex buttons
+@cindex mouse
+@cindex click
-Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
-hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
-functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
+Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
+young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
+these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
+using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
+machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
-If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
-Interactive}.
+Right.
+@vindex gnus-carpal
+Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
+do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
+really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
-@node Formatting Variables
-@section Formatting Variables
-@cindex formatting variables
-Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
-things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
-output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
-Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
-be annoyed by.
+@table @code
-Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
-%(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
-lots of percentages everywhere.
+@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
-@menu
-* 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.
-@end menu
+@item gnus-carpal-button-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
-Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
-@code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
-@code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
-@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
-@code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
-@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
-@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
+@item gnus-carpal-header-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
+Face used on carpal buffer headers.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the group buffer.
-All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
-case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
+@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the summary buffer.
-@kindex M-x gnus-update-format
-@findex gnus-update-format
-Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
-specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
-update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
-examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
+@item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the server buffer.
+@item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the browse buffer.
+@end table
+All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
+are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
+the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
-@node Formatting Basics
-@subsection Formatting Basics
-Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
-buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
-spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
+@node Daemons
+@section Daemons
+@cindex demons
+@cindex daemons
-As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
-modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
-@dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
-@samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
-padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
-the right instead.
+Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
+of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
+present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
+while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
+when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
-You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
-particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
-means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
-less than 4 characters wide.
+Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
+@dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
+@var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
+Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
+been idle for thirty minutes:
-@node Mode Line Formatting
-@subsection Mode Line Formatting
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
+@end lisp
-Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
-buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
-with the following two differences:
+Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
+idle:
-@enumerate
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
+@end lisp
-@item
-There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
+This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
+in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
+@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
-@item
-The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
-Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
-@samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
-so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
-display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
-mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
-@code{mode-line-format} variable.
+If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
+@var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
+the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
+function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
-@end enumerate
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
+be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
+@var{idle} minutes.
+If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
+will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
+minutes.
-@node Advanced Formatting
-@subsection Advanced Formatting
+And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
+the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
+time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
-It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
-Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
-be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
-look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
+@vindex gnus-demon-timestep
+(When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
+seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
+all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
-These are the valid modifiers:
+So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
+your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@table @code
-@item pad
-@itemx pad-left
-Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
-length.
+@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
+@end lisp
-@item pad-right
-Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
-length.
+@findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
+@findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
+@findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
+@findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
+@findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
+Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
+@code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
+@code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
+@code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
+@code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
-@item max
-@itemx max-left
-Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
+@findex gnus-demon-init
+@findex gnus-demon-cancel
+@vindex gnus-demon-handlers
+If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
+run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
+daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
-@item max-right
-Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
-length.
+Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
+functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
+is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
+behave.
-@item cut
-@itemx cut-left
-Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
-@item cut-right
-Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
+@node NoCeM
+@section NoCeM
+@cindex nocem
+@cindex spam
-@item ignore
-Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
+@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
+Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
-@item form
-Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
-used.
-@end table
+Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
+agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
+NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
+implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
+away.
-Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
-will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
-This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
-the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
-@samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
-maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
-than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
+What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
+Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
+from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
+messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
-Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
-last operation, padding.
+Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
+this will make spam disappear.
-@vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
-If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
-default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
-thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
-enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
-the look of your lines.
-@xref{Compilation}.
+There are some variables to customize, of course:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-use-nocem
+@vindex gnus-use-nocem
+Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
+by default.
+@item gnus-nocem-groups
+@vindex gnus-nocem-groups
+Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
+default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
+"alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
-@node User-Defined Specs
-@subsection User-Defined Specs
+@item gnus-nocem-issuers
+@vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
+There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
+people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
+"clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
+"hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
-All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
-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 parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
-it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
-be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
-specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
-should protect against that.
+Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
+@uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
-You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
-much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
-@samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
-given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
-inserted.
+You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
+ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
+messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
+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
+@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:
-@node Formatting Fonts
-@subsection Formatting Fonts
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
+@end lisp
-There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
-variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
-the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
-highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
-over it.
+On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
+@samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
-Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
-normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
-default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
-and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
-@code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
-@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
+@end lisp
+
+The specs are applied left-to-right.
-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:
+@item gnus-nocem-verifyer
+@vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
+@findex mc-verify
+This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
+says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
+function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
+(which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
-@lisp
-;; Create three face types.
-(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
-(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
+If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
+not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
-;; We want the article count to be in
-;; a bold and green face. So we create
-;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
-(copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
-;; Set the color.
-(set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
-(setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
-;; Set the new & fancy format.
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
+(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
+ (not (eq 'forged
+ (ignore-errors
+ (if (mc-verify)
+ t
+ 'forged)))))
@end lisp
-I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
-and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
-
-Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
-mode-line variables.
+This might be dangerous, though.
+@item gnus-nocem-directory
+@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
+This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
+@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
-@node Windows Configuration
-@section Windows Configuration
-@cindex windows configuration
+@item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+@vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
+The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
+The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
+might then see old spam.
-No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
+@item gnus-nocem-check-from
+@vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
+Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
+Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
+valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
+issuers.
-@vindex gnus-use-full-window
-If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
-other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
-@code{t} by default.
+@item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
+@vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
+If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
+group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
-Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
-glitches. Use at your own peril.
+@end table
-@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:
+Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
+(i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
+big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
+unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
-@lisp
-((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
- (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
- (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
-This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
-other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
-configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
-possible names is listed below.
+@node Undo
+@section Undo
+@cindex undo
-The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
-should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
+It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
+Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
+In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
-@lisp
-(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
- (article 1.0)))
-@end lisp
+The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
+Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
+Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
+disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
+removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
+Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
+@code{undo} function.
-This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
-half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
-you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
-reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
-@code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
-rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
-whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
-size spec per split.
+Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
+does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
+takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
+the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
+However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
+a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
+yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
+That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
+added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
+never be totally undoable.
-Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
-@code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
-split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
-fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
-present) gets focus.
+@findex gnus-undo-mode
+@vindex gnus-use-undo
+@findex gnus-undo
+The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
+is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
+default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
+command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
+command.
-Here's a more complicated example:
-@lisp
-(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
- (summary 0.25 point)
- (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
- (article 1.0)))
-@end lisp
+@node Predicate Specifiers
+@section Predicate Specifiers
+@cindex predicate specifiers
-If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
-then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
-occupy, not a percentage.
+Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
+form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
+to type all that much.
-If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
-precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
-split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
-be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
-@code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
-is non-@code{nil}.
+These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
-Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
+Here's an example:
@lisp
-(article (horizontal 1.0
- (vertical 0.5
- (group 1.0)
- (gnus-carpal 4))
- (vertical 1.0
- (summary 0.25 point)
- (summary-carpal 4)
- (article 1.0))))
+(or gnus-article-unseen-p
+ gnus-article-unread-p)
@end lisp
-Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
-@code{horizontal} thingie?
-
-If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
-split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
-Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
-fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
-the screen is to be given to this strip.
-
-For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
-The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
-lines from the splits.
-
-To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
-may look like:
+The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
+functions all take one parameter.
-@example
-split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
-frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
-horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
-vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
-buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
-size = number | frame-params
-buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
-@end example
+@findex gnus-make-predicate
+Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
+to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
+function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
+specifier.
-The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
-top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
-return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
-may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
-@vindex gnus-window-min-width
-@vindex gnus-window-min-height
-@cindex window height
-@cindex window width
-Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
-than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
-windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
-characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
-splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
-you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
+@node Moderation
+@section Moderation
+@cindex moderation
-If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
-@code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
-Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
-windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
+If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
+It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
+@samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
+get a copy.
-@findex gnus-configure-frame
-If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
-@code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
-that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
-nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
-three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
-@code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
-look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
-Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
-@code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
-configuration list.
+The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
+buffers. Put
@lisp
-(gnus-configure-frame
- '(horizontal 1.0
- (vertical 10
- (group 1.0)
- (article 0.3 point))
- (vertical 1.0
- (article 1.0)
- (horizontal 4
- (group 1.0)
- (article 10)))))
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
@end lisp
-You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
-@code{frame} split:
+in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
-@lisp
-(gnus-configure-frame
- '(frame 1.0
- (vertical 1.0
- (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
- (article 1.0))
- (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
- (user-position . t)
- (left . -1) (top . 1))
- (picon 1.0))))
+If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
+supposed to work:
-@end lisp
+@enumerate
+@item
+You split your incoming mail by matching on
+@samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
+articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
-This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
-configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
-frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
-instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
-should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
-@xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
-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.
-The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
-be found in its default value.
+@item
+You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
+(edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
-Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
-@code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
-it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
-might be used:
+@item
+If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
+articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
+@kbd{c} command.
+@end enumerate
+
+To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
@lisp
-(message (horizontal 1.0
- (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
- (vertical 0.24
- (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
- '(summary 0.5))
- (group 1.0)))))
+(setq gnus-moderated-list
+ "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
@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
+@node Image Enhancements
+@section Image Enhancements
-@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
-of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
-you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
+XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21, is able to display pictures and stuff, so
+Gnus has taken advantage of that.
-@lisp
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article (vertical 1.0
- (group 4)
- (summary .25 point)
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
+@menu
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
+@end menu
-You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
-@file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
-Gnus has been loaded.
-@vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
-If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
-won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
-``right'' window configuration, you can set
-@code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
+@node Picons
+@subsection Picons
-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.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\include{picons}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@subsection Example Window Configurations
+So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
+good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
+over your shoulder as you read news.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
-between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
+What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
-@ifinfo
-@example
-+---+---------+
-| G | Summary |
-| r +---------+
-| o | |
-| u | Article |
-| p | |
-+---+---------+
-@end example
-@end ifinfo
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@lisp
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article
- (horizontal 1.0
- (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
- (vertical 1.0
- (summary 0.16 point)
- (article 1.0)))))
+@quotation
+@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
+constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
+organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
+e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
+databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
+in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
+@code{GIF} formats.
+@end quotation
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(summary
- (horizontal 1.0
- (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
- (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-picon-databases
+For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
+point your Web browser at
+@uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
-@end itemize
+If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
+picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
+To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
+@code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
+Picons databases.
-@node Faces and Fonts
-@section Faces and Fonts
-@cindex faces
-@cindex fonts
-@cindex colors
+The following variables offer control over where things are located.
-Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
-it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
-the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
-interface.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-picon-databases
+@vindex gnus-picon-databases
+The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
+containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
+subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
+"/usr/local/faces")}.
-@node Compilation
-@section Compilation
-@cindex compilation
-@cindex byte-compilation
+@item gnus-picon-news-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
+newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
-@findex gnus-compile
+@item gnus-picon-user-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
+faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
-Remember all those line format specification variables?
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
-on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
-variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
-@code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
-unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
-(The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
-associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
-course.)
+@item gnus-picon-domain-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
+domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
+want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
-To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
-fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
-satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
-you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
-compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+@item gnus-picon-file-types
+@vindex gnus-picon-file-types
+Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
+@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your Emacs.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-compile-user-specs
-@vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
-If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
-automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
-an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
@end table
+@node Smileys
+@subsection Smileys
+@cindex smileys
-@node Mode Lines
-@section Mode Lines
-@cindex mode lines
-
-@vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
-@code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
-lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
-@code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
-@code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
-Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
-pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
-quicker.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
+\input{smiley}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@cindex display-time
+@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
+currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
-@vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
-By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
-lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
-to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
-mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
-@code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
-elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
-additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
-this variable:
+In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
@lisp
-(add-hook 'display-time-hook
- (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
- (+ 21
- (if line-number-mode 5 0)
- (if column-number-mode 4 0)
- (length display-time-string)))))
+(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
@end lisp
-If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
-strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
-that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
-complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
-configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
+Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
+the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
+faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
+text and maps that to file names.
+@vindex smiley-regexp-alist
+The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
+variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
+the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
+the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
+displayed.
-@node Highlighting and Menus
-@section Highlighting and Menus
-@cindex visual
-@cindex highlighting
-@cindex menus
+The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
+files:
-@vindex gnus-visual
-The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
-aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
-colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
-file.
+@table @code
-This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
-following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
+@item smiley-data-directory
+@vindex smiley-data-directory
+Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
+
+@item gnus-smiley-file-types
+@vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
+List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
-@table @code
-@item group-highlight
-Do highlights in the group buffer.
-@item summary-highlight
-Do highlights in the summary buffer.
-@item article-highlight
-Do highlights in the article buffer.
-@item highlight
-Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
-@item group-menu
-Create menus in the group buffer.
-@item summary-menu
-Create menus in the summary buffers.
-@item article-menu
-Create menus in the article buffer.
-@item browse-menu
-Create menus in the browse buffer.
-@item server-menu
-Create menus in the server buffer.
-@item score-menu
-Create menus in the score buffers.
-@item menu
-Create menus in all buffers.
@end table
-So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
-buffers, you could say something like:
+
+@node X-Face
+@subsection X-Face
+@cindex x-face
+
+@code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
+depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
+It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
+readers.
+
+@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
+@c @anchor{X-Face}
+
+Decoding an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
+@samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
+have @samp{compface} installed on your system. If either is true,
+Gnus will default to displaying @code{X-Face} headers.
+
+The variable that controls this is 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 20 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 @code{compface} or @code{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 @code{X-Face} support---that
+will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native @code{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}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.})
+
+(Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
+@code{xface}).
+
+Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
+easier insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages.
+
+@findex gnus-random-x-face
+@vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-x-face-directory
+@code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
+@code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
+converts it to the X-Face format by using the
+@code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
+@samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
+header data as a string.
+
+@findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
+@code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
+@code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
+randomly generated data.
+
+@findex gnus-x-face-from-file
+@vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
+@code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
+converts the file to X-Face format by using the
+@code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
+
+Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
+like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
+(setq message-required-news-headers
+ (nconc message-required-news-headers
+ (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
@end lisp
-If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
+Using the last function would be something like this:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
+(setq message-required-news-headers
+ (nconc message-required-news-headers
+ (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
+ (gnus-x-face-from-file
+ "~/My-face.gif"))))))
@end lisp
-If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
-in all Gnus buffers.
-Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
+@node XVarious
+@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
@table @code
-@item gnus-mouse-face
-@vindex gnus-mouse-face
-This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
-mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
+auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
+unusual directory structure.
-@end table
+@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
+@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
+This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
+foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
-There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
+@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.
+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}.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
+default.
-@item gnus-article-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
+@end table
-@item gnus-group-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
+@subsubsection Toolbar
-@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
+@table @code
-@item gnus-server-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
+@item gnus-use-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-use-toolbar
+If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
+one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
+@code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
-@item gnus-browse-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
+@item gnus-group-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
+The toolbar in the group buffer.
-@item gnus-score-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
+@item gnus-summary-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer.
+
+@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
@end table
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@node Buttons
-@section Buttons
-@cindex buttons
-@cindex mouse
-@cindex click
-Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
-young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
-these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
-using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
-machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
+@node Fuzzy Matching
+@section Fuzzy Matching
+@cindex fuzzy matching
-Right.
+Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
+things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
-@vindex gnus-carpal
-Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
-do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
-really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
+As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
+It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
+means, and the implementation has changed over time.
+Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
+@samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
+out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
+adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
+manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
+@node Thwarting Email Spam
+@section Thwarting Email Spam
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
-@item gnus-carpal-button-face
-@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
+In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
+and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
+foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
+people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
+lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
+people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
+well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
+perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
+in the end.
-@item gnus-carpal-header-face
-@vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
-Face used on carpal buffer headers.
+The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
+false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
+have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
+mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
+(``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
+and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
-@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the group buffer.
+This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
-@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the summary buffer.
+@menu
+* The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
+* Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
+* SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
+* Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
+* Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
+* Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
+@end menu
-@item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the server buffer.
+@node The problem of spam
+@subsection The problem of spam
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam filtering approaches
+@cindex filtering approaches, spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
-@item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the browse buffer.
-@end table
+First, some background on spam.
+
+If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
+termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it exists
+because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail, so only
+a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to make it
+worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most common
+spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for further
+spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers}, but terms like
+@emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, and @emph{morons} are in common use as well.
+
+Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
+dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
+example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
+unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
+their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
+of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
+be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
+through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
+requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
+and processing.
+
+The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering. If you get 200
+spam messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you
+block @samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about
+@samp{VIAGRA}, you discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the
+message. This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate
+e-mail. For instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest
+has been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it
+@strong{contained} words that were common in spam messages.
+Nevertheless, in isolated cases, with great care, direct filtering of
+mail can be useful.
+
+Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
+processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
+@code{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @samp{X} in
+China, Ghana, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
+@code{N} systems enter @samp{X} or the spam e-mail from @samp{X} into
+a database. The criteria for spam detection vary - it may be the
+number of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When
+a user of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a
+message is spam, he consults one of those @code{N} systems.
+
+Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
+a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
+fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
+spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
+well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
+sending spam, and their web sites have been shut down for some time
+because of the incident.
+
+The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
+based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
+the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
+words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
+analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
+classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
+run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
+to store the database of spam analyses.
+
+@node Anti-Spam Basics
+@subsection Anti-Spam Basics
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
-All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
-are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
-the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
+One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
+@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
+First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
+put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
+chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
+@samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
+sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
+part of the mail address.)
-@node Daemons
-@section Daemons
-@cindex demons
-@cindex daemons
+@lisp
+(setq message-default-news-headers
+ "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
+@end lisp
-Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
-of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
-present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
-while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
-when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
+Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
-Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
-@dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
-@var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
+@lisp
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
+ (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
+ ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
+ "spam"))
+ ...
+)
+@end lisp
-Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
-been idle for thirty minutes:
+This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
+@code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
+header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
+(This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
+
+In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @sc{smtp} server
+and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
+header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
+thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
+put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
+your fancy split rule in this way:
@lisp
-(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi" "misc")
+ "spam")
@end lisp
-Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
-idle:
+In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
+group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
+check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
+citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
+each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
+
+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 @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
+Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
+cosmic balance somewhat.
+
+This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
+just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
+spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
+to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
+
+
+
+@node SpamAssassin
+@subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
+@cindex SpamAssassin
+@cindex Vipul's Razor
+@cindex DCC
+
+The days where the hints in the previous section was sufficient in
+avoiding spam is coming to an end. There are many tools out there
+that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
+easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
+fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
+though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
+easy to adapt it to most other tools.
+
+If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
+need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
+@code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
+Specifiers}) follows.
@lisp
-(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
+ (pop :user "jrl"
+ :server "pophost"
+ :postscript "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
@end lisp
-This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
-in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
-@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
+Once you managed to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
+the mail contain e.g. a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
+filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
-If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
-@var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
-the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
-function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
+ ...))
+@end lisp
-If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
-be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
-@var{idle} minutes.
+Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
-If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
-will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
-minutes.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
+ nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
+ ...))
+@end lisp
-And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
-the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
-time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
+Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
+programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
+might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
+call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
-@vindex gnus-demon-timestep
-(When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
-seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
-all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
+ ...))
+(defun kevin-spamassassin ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (let ((buf (or (get-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
+ (get-buffer " *nnml move*"))))
+ (if (not buf)
+ (progn (message "Oops, cannot find message buffer") nil)
+ (set-buffer buf)
+ (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
+ "spam")))))
+@end lisp
-So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
-your @file{.gnus} file:
+That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
+might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
+spam. And here is the nifty function:
-@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
@lisp
-(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
+ (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
+ "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
+ (interactive)
+ (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
+ (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
+ (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
@end lisp
-@findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
-@findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
-@findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
-@findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
-@findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
-Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
-@code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
-@code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
-@code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
-@code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
-@file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
+@node Hashcash
+@subsection Hashcash
+@cindex hashcash
+
+A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
+costly for each message they send. This has the obvious drawback that
+you cannot rely on that everyone in the world uses this technique,
+since it is not part of the Internet standards, but it may be useful
+in smaller communities.
+
+While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
+work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
+new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
+will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
+to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
+instead requires that everyone you communicate with supports the
+scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
+The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
+often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
+one of them separately.
+
+@cindex X-Hashcash
+The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
+compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
+resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:}
+header. For more details, and for the external application
+@code{hashcash} you need to install to use this feature, see
+@uref{http://www.cypherspace.org/~adam/hashcash/}. Even more
+information can be found at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
+
+If you wish to call hashcash for each message you send, say something
+like:
-@findex gnus-demon-init
-@findex gnus-demon-cancel
-@vindex gnus-demon-handlers
-If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
-run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
-daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
+@lisp
+(require 'hashcash)
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'mail-add-payment)
+@end lisp
-Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
-functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
-is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
-behave.
+The @code{hashcash.el} library can be found at
+@uref{http://users.actrix.gen.nz/mycroft/hashcash.el}, or in the Gnus
+development contrib directory.
+You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
-@node NoCeM
-@section NoCeM
-@cindex nocem
-@cindex spam
+@table @code
-@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
-Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
+@item hashcash-default-payment
+@vindex hashcash-default-payment
+This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
+should consist of. By default this is 0, meaning nothing will be
+done. Suggested useful values include 17 to 29.
+
+@item hashcash-payment-alist
+@vindex hashcash-payment-alist
+Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
+default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
+@var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
+or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
+that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
+@var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
+(normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
+
+@item hashcash
+@vindex hashcash
+Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed.
-Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
-agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
-NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
-implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
-away.
+@end table
-What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
-Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
-from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
-messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
+Currently there is no built in functionality in Gnus to verify
+hashcash cookies, it is expected that this is performed by your hand
+customized mail filtering scripts. Improvements in this area would be
+a useful contribution, however.
-Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
-this will make spam disappear.
+@node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
+@subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-There are some variables to customize, of course:
+The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
+and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
+filters incoming mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
+@emph{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
+non-spam messages.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-use-nocem
-@vindex gnus-use-nocem
-Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
-by default.
+So, what happens when you load @code{spam.el}? First of all, you get
+the following keyboard commands:
-@item gnus-nocem-groups
-@vindex gnus-nocem-groups
-Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
-default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
-"alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-nocem-issuers
-@vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
-There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
-people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
-"clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
-"hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
+@item M-d
+@itemx M s x
+@itemx S x
+@kindex M-d
+@kindex S x
+@kindex M s x
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
+
+Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
+Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
+with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
+for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
+
+@item M s t
+@itemx S t
+@kindex M s t
+@kindex S t
+@findex spam-bogofilter-score
+@code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
+
+You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
+
+@xref{Bogofilter}.
-Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
-@uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
+@end table
-You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
-ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
-messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
-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
-@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.
+Also, when you load @code{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
+variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
+group.
-For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
-@samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
+The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
+Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
+@code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
+mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
+that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
+processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
+will be detected later.
+
+Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
+one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
+@code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
+groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
+@code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
+by customizing the corresponding variable
+@code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
+parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
+also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
+classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
+groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
+@code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
+considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
+default.
-@lisp
-("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
-@end lisp
+In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
+they get the @samp{$} mark when you enter the group. You must review
+these messages from time to time and remove the @samp{$} mark for
+every message that is not spam after all. To remove the @samp{$}
+mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or @kbd{d} for
+declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a group, all
+spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam processor which
+will study them as spam samples.
+
+Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
+@code{spam-ham-marks} gets overridden below, marks @samp{R} and
+@samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
+@samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
+low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
+are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
+use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
+should then adjust the @code{spam-ham-marks} variable.
+
+@defvar spam-ham-marks
+You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
+consider ham. By default, the list contains the deleted, read,
+killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-spam-marks
+You can customize this variable to be the list of marks you want to
+consider spam. By default, the list contains only the spam mark.
+@end defvar
+
+When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
+@code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
+to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
+explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
+@samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
+spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
+and nothing else.
+
+When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
+marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
+not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
+@strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
+determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
+parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
+names (it's easiest to customize this variable with
+@code{customize-variable gnus-ham-process-destinations}). The ultimate
+location is a group name. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
+parameter is not set, spam articles are only expired.
+
+When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
+a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
+
+When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
+@strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
+the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
+regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
+customize this variable with @code{customize-variable
+gnus-spam-process-destinations}). The ultimate location is a group
+name. If the @code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set,
+the spam articles are only expired.
+
+To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
+must add the following to your fancy split list
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
-On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
-@samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
+@example
+(: spam-split)
+@end example
-@lisp
-("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
-@end lisp
+Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
+@code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
+nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
-The specs are applied left-to-right.
+The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
+mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
+@code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
+but you can customize it.
+@emph{Note for IMAP users}
-@item gnus-nocem-verifyer
-@vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
-@findex mc-verify
-This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
-says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
-function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
-(which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
+The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
+set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
+the headers. By default, the nnimap backend will only retrieve the
+message headers. If you use spam-check-bogofilter, spam-check-ifile,
+or spam-check-stat (the splitters that can benefit from the full
+message body), you should set this variable. It is not set by default
+because it will slow IMAP down.
-If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
-not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
+@xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
+@emph{TODO: Currently, spam.el only supports insertion of articles
+into a backend. There is no way to tell spam.el that an article is no
+longer spam or ham.}
-(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
- (not (eq 'forged
- (ignore-errors
- (if (mc-verify)
- t
- 'forged)))))
-@end lisp
+@emph{TODO: spam.el needs to provide a uniform way of training all the
+statistical databases. Some have that functionality built-in, others
+don't.}
-This might be dangerous, though.
+The following are the methods you can use to control the behavior of
+@code{spam-split} and their corresponding spam and ham processors:
-@item gnus-nocem-directory
-@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
-This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
-@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
+@menu
+* Blacklists and Whitelists::
+* BBDB Whitelists::
+* Blackholes::
+* Regular Expressions Header Matching::
+* Bogofilter::
+* ifile spam filtering::
+* spam-stat spam filtering::
+* Extending the spam elisp package::
+@end menu
-@item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
-@vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
-The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
-The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
-might then see old spam.
+@node Blacklists and Whitelists
+@subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex whitelists, spam filtering
+@cindex blacklists, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item gnus-nocem-check-from
-@vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
-Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
-Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
-valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
-issuers.
+@defvar spam-use-blacklist
-@item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
-@vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
-If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
-group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
+splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
+will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
+filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
+be spammers.
-@end table
+@end defvar
-Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
-(i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
-big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
-unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
+@defvar spam-use-whitelist
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
+splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
+whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
+explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
+messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
-@node Undo
-@section Undo
-@cindex undo
+@end defvar
-It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
-Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
-In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
+@defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
-The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
-Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
-Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
-disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
-removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
-Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
-@code{undo} function.
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
+implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
+unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
-Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
-does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
-takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
-the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
-However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
-a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
-yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
-That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
-added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
-never be totally undoable.
+@end defvar
-@findex gnus-undo-mode
-@vindex gnus-use-undo
-@findex gnus-undo
-The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
-is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
-default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
-command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
-command.
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
-@node Moderation
-@section Moderation
-@cindex moderation
+@end defvar
-If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
-It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
-@samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
-get a copy.
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
-The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
-buffers. Put
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
+whitelist. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
+or @emph{unclassified} groups.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
-@end lisp
+@end defvar
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
+Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
+consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
+sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
+blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
+use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
-If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
-supposed to work:
+Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
+legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
+non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
+Emacs regular expression syntax.
-@enumerate
-@item
-You split your incoming mail by matching on
-@samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
-articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
+The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
+@code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
+the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
+directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
+@code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
+@file{blacklist} respectively.
-@item
-You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
-(edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
+@node BBDB Whitelists
+@subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
+@cindex BBDB, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item
-If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
-articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
-@kbd{c} command.
-@end enumerate
+@defvar spam-use-BBDB
-To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
+Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
+Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
+addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
+for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
+not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
+explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
+messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-moderated-list
- "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
-@end lisp
+@end defvar
+@defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
-@node XEmacs Enhancements
-@section XEmacs Enhancements
-@cindex XEmacs
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
+implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
+unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
+addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
+classified as spammers.
-XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
-advantage of that.
+@end defvar
-@menu
-* 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.
-@end menu
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
+BBDB. Note that this ham processor has no effect in @emph{spam}
+or @emph{unclassified} groups.
-@node Picons
-@subsection Picons
+@end defvar
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{picons}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@node Blackholes
+@subsubsection Blackholes
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex blackholes, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
-good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
-over your shoulder as you read news.
+@defvar spam-use-blackholes
-@menu
-* 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.
-@end menu
+This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
+blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
+when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
+holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
+list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
+contains outdated servers.
+The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
+@code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
+you set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil. It is not recommended at this
+time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to nil despite the possible
+performance improvements, because some users may be unable to use it,
+but you can try it and see if it works for you.
-@node Picon Basics
-@subsubsection Picon Basics
+@end defvar
-What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
+@defvar spam-blackhole-servers
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
-@quotation
-@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
-constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
-organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
-e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
-databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
-in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
-@code{GIF} formats.
-@end quotation
+@end defvar
-@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 @*
-@uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
+@defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
-@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 @*
-@uref{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}.
+A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
+blackhole server list. When set to nil, it has no effect.
+@end defvar
-@node Picon Requirements
-@subsubsection Picon Requirements
+@defvar spam-use-dig
-To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
-19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
-display images.
+Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
+The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
-Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
-display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
-you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
+@end defvar
-@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
-the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
-the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
-@code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
+Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
+ham processor for blackholes.
+@node Regular Expressions Header Matching
+@subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@node Easy Picons
-@subsubsection Easy Picons
+@defvar spam-use-regex-headers
-To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
-@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
+This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
+message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
+option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
+@code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
+Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
+message is spam or ham, respectively.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-picons t)
-(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
-@end lisp
+@end defvar
-and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
-containing the Picons databases.
+@defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
-Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
+The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
+the message, positively identify it as spam.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
- "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
-@end lisp
+@end defvar
+@defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
-@node Hard Picons
-@subsubsection Hard Picons
+The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
+the message, positively identify it as ham.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@end defvar
-Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
-articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
-database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
-author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
-feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
-display them.
+Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
+There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
-@table @code
+@node Bogofilter
+@subsubsection Bogofilter
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item gnus-picons-database
-@vindex gnus-picons-database
-The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
-containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
-subdirectories. This is only useful if
-@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
-@file{/usr/local/faces/}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
-engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
-workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
-this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
-database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-display-where
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
-Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
-default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
-valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
-@samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
-buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
-routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
-@vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
-Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
-displayed.
+@defvar spam-use-bogofilter
-@end table
+Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
+speedy Bogofilter.
-Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
-window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
+With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
+articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
+should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
+category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
+for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
+the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
-Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
-functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
-at the right time.
+Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on an internal
+threshold, set at compilation time. That threshold can't be
+customized.
-@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.
+If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
+processing will be turned off.
-@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-picons
-Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
+You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
-@end table
+@end defvar
+@defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
+Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
+speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
+similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
+must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
+procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
+installation documents for details.
-@node Picon Useless Configuration
-@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
+You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@end defvar
-The following variables offer further control over how things are
-done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
-don't need to worry about.
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
+will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
+@end defvar
-@table @code
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
+articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
+of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
+@emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
+@end defvar
-@item gnus-picons-news-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
-newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
+@defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
-@item gnus-picons-user-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
-faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
+This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
+is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
+database directory.
-@item gnus-picons-domain-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
-domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
-want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
+@end defvar
-@item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
-command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
-(@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
-Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
-gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
-
-@item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
-@vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
-Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
-to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
-@vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
-If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
-XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
-can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
-remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
-@code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
-@vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
-If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
-Defaults to @code{nil}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-display-as-address
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
-If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
-Defaults to @code{t}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
-@vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
-Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
-@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
+The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to ifile in intent and
+purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
+@code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
+variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
+used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
+Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
-@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
-@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
-Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+@node ifile spam filtering
+@subsubsection ifile spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex ifile, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@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'.
+@defvar spam-use-ifile
-If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
-@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use ifile, a
+statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
-@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
-picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
-process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
-Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
-@code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
-cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
+@end defvar
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
-@end table
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
+the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
+sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
-@node Smileys
-@subsection Smileys
-@cindex smileys
+@end defvar
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
-\input{smiley}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
-@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
-currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
+This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
+The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
+the default value of @samp{spam}.
+@end defvar
-In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
+@defvar spam-ifile-database-path
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
-@end lisp
+This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
+default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
-Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
-the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
-faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
-text and maps that to file names.
+@end defvar
-@vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
-@vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
-Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
-@code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
-and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
-@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
+The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
+purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
+@code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
+should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
+functionality.
-The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
-which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
+@node spam-stat spam filtering
+@subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
+@cindex spam-stat
+@cindex spam
-The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
-element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
-and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
+@xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
-The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
-files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
+@defvar spam-use-stat
-@table @code
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
+spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
-@item smiley-data-directory
-@vindex smiley-data-directory
-Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
+@end defvar
-@item smiley-flesh-color
-@vindex smiley-flesh-color
-Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
+articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
+@end defvar
-@item smiley-features-color
-@vindex smiley-features-color
-Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
+articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
+of non-spam messages. Note that this ham processor has no effect in
+@emph{spam} or @emph{unclassified} groups.
+@end defvar
-@item smiley-tongue-color
-@vindex smiley-tongue-color
-Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
+This enables spam.el to cooperate with spam-stat.el. spam-stat.el
+provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database, which unlike ifile or
+Bogofilter does not require external programs. A spam and a ham
+processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for @code{spam-split}
+are provided.
-@item smiley-circle-color
-@vindex smiley-circle-color
-Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@node Extending the spam elisp package
+@subsubsection Extending the spam elisp package
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam elisp package, extending
+@cindex extending the spam elisp package
-@item smiley-mouse-face
-@vindex smiley-mouse-face
-Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
+Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
+incoming mail, provide the following:
-@end table
+@enumerate
+@item
+code
-@node Toolbar
-@subsection Toolbar
+@lisp
+(defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
+ "True if blackbox should be used.")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+Add
+@example
+ (spam-use-blackbox . spam-check-blackbox)
+@end example
+to @code{spam-list-of-checks}.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item
+functionality
-@item gnus-use-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-use-toolbar
-If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
-one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
-@code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
+Write the @code{spam-check-blackbox} function. It should return
+@samp{nil} or @code{spam-split-group}. See the existing
+@code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can do.
-@item gnus-group-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
-The toolbar in the group buffer.
+Make sure to add @code{spam-use-blackbox} to
+@code{spam-list-of-statistical-checks} if Blackbox is a statistical
+mail analyzer that needs the full message body to operate.
-@item gnus-summary-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
-The toolbar in the summary buffer.
+@end enumerate
-@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
-The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
+For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
-@end table
+@enumerate
+@item
+code
-@node XVarious
-@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
+Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
+provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
-@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
-This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
-auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
-unusual directory structure.
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
+ "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
+Only applicable to spam groups.")
-@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
-@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
-This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
-foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
+(defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox"
+ "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
+Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
-@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.
-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}.
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
-@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
-A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
-default.
+@item
+functionality
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@lisp
+(defun spam-blackbox-register-spam-routine ()
+ (spam-generic-register-routine
+ ;; the spam function
+ (lambda (article)
+ (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
+ (when (stringp from)
+ (blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer from))))
+ ;; the ham function
+ nil))
+
+(defun spam-blackbox-register-ham-routine ()
+ (spam-generic-register-routine
+ ;; the spam function
+ nil
+ ;; the ham function
+ (lambda (article)
+ (let ((from (spam-fetch-field-from-fast article)))
+ (when (stringp from)
+ (blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender from))))))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+Write the @code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-ham-sender} and
+@code{blackbox-do-something-with-this-spammer} functions. You can add
+more complex code than fetching the message sender, but keep in mind
+that retrieving the whole message takes significantly longer than the
+sender through @code{spam-fetch-field-from-fast}, because the message
+senders are kept in memory by Gnus.
+@end enumerate
+@node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
+@subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
+@cindex Paul Graham
+@cindex Graham, Paul
+@cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
+@cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
+@cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
+
+Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
+statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
+Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
+filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
+the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
+always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
+on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
+this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
+that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
+or not.
+
+The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
+with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
+either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
+collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
+word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
+non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
+probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
+than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
+
+Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
+First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
+non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
+collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
+this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
-@node Fuzzy Matching
-@section Fuzzy Matching
-@cindex fuzzy matching
+@menu
+* Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
+* Splitting mail using spam-stat::
+* Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
+@end menu
-Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
-things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
+@node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
+@subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
+
+Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
+create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
+one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
+for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
+need several hundred emails in both collections.
+
+Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
+creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
+per mail. Use the following:
+
+@defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
+Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
+is treated as one spam mail.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
+Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
+file is treated as one non-spam mail.
+@end defun
+
+Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
+directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
+the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
+@code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
+@file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
+@samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
+
+When you are using IMAP, you won't have the mails available locally,
+so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent to cache
+the articles. Then you can use directories such as
+@file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
+@code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
+
+@defvar spam-stat
+This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics -- the
+dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
+collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
+word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
+@end defvar
+
+If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
+reset the dictionary.
+
+@defun spam-stat-reset
+Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
+@end defun
+
+When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
+be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
+(instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
+can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
+not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
+only non-spam mails.
+
+@defun spam-stat-reduce-size
+Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
+to update the dictionary incrementally.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-save
+Save the dictionary.
+@end defun
+
+@defvar spam-stat-file
+The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
+@file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
+@end defvar
+
+@node Splitting mail using spam-stat
+@subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
+
+In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
+following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
-It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
-means, and the implementation has changed over time.
+@lisp
+(require 'spam-stat)
+(spam-stat-load)
+@end lisp
-Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
-@samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
-out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
-adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
-manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
+This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
+created.
+Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
+determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
+the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
+use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
-@node Thwarting Email Spam
-@section Thwarting Email Spam
-@cindex email spam
-@cindex spam
-@cindex UCE
-@cindex unsolicited commercial email
+In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
+@samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
+spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
+@code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
-In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
-and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
-foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
-people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
-lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
-people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
-well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
-perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
-in the end.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
-The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
-false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
-have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
-mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
-(``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
-and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
+@defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
+The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
+@end defvar
-This is annoying.
+If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
+the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
+expression are considered potential spam.
-The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
-@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
-First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
-put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
-chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
-@samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
-sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
-part of the mail address.)
+If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
+creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
+consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
+non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
+mails, when creating the dictionary!
@lisp
-(setq message-default-news-headers
- "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ "mail.misc"))
@end lisp
-Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
-(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
+You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
+HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
+@code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
+@samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
+nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
+dictionary!
@lisp
-(
- ...
- (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
- (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
- ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
- "spam"))
- ...
-)
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
+ (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ "mail.misc"))
@end lisp
-This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
-@code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
-header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
-(This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
-In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
-and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
-header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
-thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
-put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
-your fancy split rule in this way:
+@node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
+@subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
+
+The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
+Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
+mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
+mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
+already been processed as non-spam.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
+normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
+been processed as spam.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-save
+Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
+variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-load
+Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
+variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-score-word
+Return the spam score for a word.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-score-buffer
+Return the spam score for a buffer.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-split-fancy
+Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
+spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+@end defun
+
+Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
+following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(
- ...
- (to "larsi" "misc")
- "spam")
+(require 'spam-stat)
+(spam-stat-load)
@end lisp
-In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
-group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
-check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
-citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
-each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
+Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
-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 @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
-Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
-cosmic balance somewhat.
+@example
+Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
+Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
+Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
+Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
+Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
+Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+@end example
-This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
-just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
-spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
-to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
+Here is how you would create your dictionary:
+@example
+Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
+Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
+Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+@end example
@node Various Various
@section Various Various
@table @code
@item gnus-home-directory
-All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
-defaults to @file{~/}.
+@vindex gnus-home-directory
+All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
+variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
@item gnus-directory
@vindex gnus-directory
-Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
-which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
-@file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
+Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
+this variable, which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment
+variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
@item gnus-verbose-backends
@vindex gnus-verbose-backends
This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
-to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
+to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
@item nnheader-max-head-length
@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
-When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
+When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
-the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
+the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
-@code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
+@code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
@end table
-
@node The End
@chapter The End
@chapter Appendices
@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.
-* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
-* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
-* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
+* XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
+* 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::
@end menu
+@node XEmacs
+@section XEmacs
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Installing under XEmacs
+
+XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
+whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
+requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{w3}, @samp{mh-e},
+@samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{rmail}, @samp{eterm}, @samp{mail-lib},
+@samp{xemacs-base}, @samp{sh-script} and @samp{fsf-compat}. The
+@samp{misc-games} package is required for Morse decoding.
+
+
@node History
@section History
``@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.
+* 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.
@end menu
@node Gnus Versions
@subsection Gnus Versions
-@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
@cindex ding Gnus
@cindex September Gnus
+@cindex Red Gnus
@cindex Quassia Gnus
+@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
+@cindex Oort Gnus
+@cindex No Gnus
+@cindex Gnus versions
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
Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
-to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
-interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
+to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
+interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
every one of you to explore and invent.
@table @strong
-@item RFC 822
+@item RFC (2)822
@cindex RFC 822
+@cindex RFC 2822
There are no known breaches of this standard.
@item RFC 1036
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.
+@item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
+@cindex MIME
+All the various @sc{mime} RFCs are supported.
+
+@item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
+Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
+
+@item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
+@cindex RFC 1991
+@cindex RFC 2440
+RFC 1991 is the original PGP message specification, published as a
+Information RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now called Open PGP, and
+put on the Standards Track. Both document a non-@sc{mime} aware PGP
+format. Gnus supports both encoding (signing and encryption) and
+decoding (verification and decryption).
+
+@item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
+RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
+1991) describes the @sc{mime}-wrapping around the RF 1991/2440 format.
+Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
+
+@item S/MIME - RFC 2633
+RFC 2633 describes the @sc{s/mime} format.
+
+@item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
+RFC 1730 is @sc{imap} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060 (@sc{imap} 4
+revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5 authentication for @sc{imap}. RFC
+2086 describes access control lists (ACLs) for @sc{imap}. RFC 2359
+describes a @sc{imap} protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper
+TLS integration (STARTTLS) with @sc{imap}. RFC 1731 describes the
+GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @sc{imap}.
+
@end table
If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
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
+propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. 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
Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
-I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
+I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
wrong show.
@itemize @bullet
Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
@item
+Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
+
+@item
Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
@item
Christopher Davis,
Andrew Eskilsson,
Kai Grossjohann,
+Kevin Greiner,
+Jesper Harder,
+Paul Jarc,
+Simon Josefsson,
David Kågedal,
Richard Pieri,
Fabrice Popineau,
Daniel Quinlan,
+Michael Shields,
+Reiner Steib,
Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
+Jack Vinson,
+Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
and
-Jack Vinson.
+Teodor Zlatanov.
Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
Magnus Hammerin,
Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
Raja R. Harinath,
-Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
+Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
P. E. Jareth Hein,
Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
Scott Hofmann,
Brad Howes,
Miguel de Icaza,
François Felix Ingrand,
-Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
+Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
Lee Iverson,
Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
Randell Jesup,
Fred Johansen,
Gareth Jones,
-Simon Josefsson,
Greg Klanderman,
Karl Kleinpaste,
Michael Klingbeil,
Christoph Wedler,
Joe Wells,
Lee Willis,
-Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
and
Lloyd Zusman.
@cindex new features
@menu
-* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
-* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
-* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
-* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
@end menu
These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
@item
You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
-All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
+All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
@item
read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
@item
-Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
-the @file{.emacs} file.
+Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
+cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
@item
You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
@item
You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
-configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
@item
You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
@iftex
@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
+\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
@item
-Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
+Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
(@pxref{SOUP}).
@item
Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
@item
-All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
@item
Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
@item
-Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
-Configuration}).
+Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
+Layout}).
@item
Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
@iftex
@iflatex
-\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
+\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@iftex
@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
+\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
@item
-Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
+Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
(@pxref{Undo}).
@item
@item
A new command for reading collections of documents
-(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
+(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
@item
Marks}).
@item
-A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
+A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
@item
-A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
+A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
(@pxref{Web Searches}).
Commands}).
@iftex
@iflatex
-\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
+\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
@item
- The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
+ The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
group, which is created automatically.
New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
@item
- @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
-Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
+ @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section ``Symbolic
+Prefixes'' in the Gnus manual for details.
@item
@kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
-@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
+@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
@item
@code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
@item
- The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
+ The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
@item
- Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
+ Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
@item
Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
@subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
New features in Gnus 5.8:
-
+
@itemize @bullet
-@item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
+@item
+The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
If you used procmail like in
(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
@end lisp
-this now has changed to
+this now has changed to
@lisp
(setq mail-sources
'((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
- :suffix ".in")))
+ :suffix ".in")))
@end lisp
More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
-@item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
+@item
+Gnus is now a @sc{mime}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
-@item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
+@item
+Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
-@item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
+@item
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
called to position point.
-@item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
-summary buffers and NOV files.
+@item
+The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
+summary buffers and @sc{nov} files.
-@item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
+@item
+@code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
-@item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
+@item
+The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
subtly different manner.
-@item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
+@item
+New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
@code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
-@item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
+@item
+Gnus can now read @sc{imap} mail via @code{nnimap}.
@end itemize
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
+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
+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
+That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
are reading.
-@item backend
-@cindex backend
-Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
-backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
-is all done by the backends.
+@item back end
+@cindex back end
+Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
+difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
+commonly fetched via the protocol NNTP, whereas mail messages could be
+read from a file on the local disk. The internal architecture of Gnus
+thus comprises a `front end' and a number of `back ends'. Internally,
+when you enter a group (by hitting @key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke
+a function in the front end in Gnus. The front end then `talks' to a
+back end and says things like ``Give me the list of articles in the foo
+group'' or ``Show me article number 4711''.
+
+So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back end
+accesses news via NNTP, the @code{nnimap} back end accesses mail via
+IMAP) or a file format and directory layout (the @code{nnspool} back end
+accesses news via the common `spool directory' format, the @code{nnml}
+back end access mail via a file format and directory layout that's
+quite similar).
+
+Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
+done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
+access the articles.
+
+However, sometimes the term `back end' is also used where `server'
+would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term `select
+method' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
+confusing.
@item native
@cindex native
-Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
+Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
default, way of getting news.
@item foreign
@cindex foreign
You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
-These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
+These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
news.
@item secondary
@cindex secondary
-Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
+Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
@item article
@item @sc{nov}
@cindex nov
-When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
+When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
normal @sc{head} format.
@item select method
@cindex select method
-A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
+A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
server settings.
@item virtual server
for some quite common situations.
@menu
-* 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.
+* 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.
@end menu
@node Slow/Expensive Connection
-@subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
+@subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
hidden initially.
+
@item gnus-updated-mode-lines
If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
lines, which might save some time.
it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
the bug report.
+@cindex patches
+If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
+improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
+
+@cindex edebug
+If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
+in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
+edebug. Debugging lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
+(@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
+Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
+you discover some weird behaviour when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
+step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
+the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
+then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
+return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
+placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
+evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
+@kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
+@kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
+
+@cindex elp
+@cindex profile
+@cindex slow
+Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate a elisp error but
+manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
+can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
+slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
+helps isolating the real problem areas). A fancier approach is to use
+the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is (or should be) fully
+documented elsewhere, but to get you started there are a few steps
+that need to be followed. First, instrument the part of Gnus you are
+interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET
+gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package RET message}. Then perform
+the operation that is slow and press @kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will
+then see which operations that takes time, and can debug them further.
+If the entire operation takes much longer than the time spent in the
+slowest function in the profiler output, you probably profiled the
+wrong part of Gnus. To reset profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x
+elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove
+profiling, but given the complexities and dynamic code generation in
+Gnus, it might not always work perfectly.
+
If you just need help, you are better off asking on
@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
@cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
@cindex ding mailing list
-You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
-Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
+You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@email{ding@@gnus.org}.
+Write to @email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
@page
You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
-backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
+back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
(ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
and general methods of operation.
@menu
-* 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.
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Back End 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.
@end menu
@item gnus-news-group-p
@findex gnus-news-group-p
-Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
+Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
@item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
@findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
@item gnus-check-backend-function
@findex gnus-check-backend-function
-Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
+Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
@var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
@lisp
@end table
-@node Backend Interface
-@subsection Backend Interface
+@node Back End Interface
+@subsection Back End Interface
Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
-server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
+server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
@code{nnmbox-directory}.
-When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
+When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
-function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
+function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
been opened, the function should fail.
Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
-The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
-The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
+The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
+The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
return value.
-Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
-some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
+Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
+some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
-- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
more.
-In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
+Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
+few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
+the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
+possible for later articles to `re-use' older article numbers without
+confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
+numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
+mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
+@code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
+Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
+group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
+
+The previous paragraph already mentions all the `hard' restrictions that
+article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
+assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
+if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
+the `no-reuse' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
+also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
+of numbers as long as possible.
+
+Note that by convention, backends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
+Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
+@file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
+
+In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
@code{nnchoke}.
@cindex @code{nnchoke}
@menu
-* 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.
+* Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
+* Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
@end menu
-@node Required Backend Functions
-@subsubsection Required Backend Functions
+@node Required Back End Functions
+@subsubsection Required Back End Functions
@table @code
@item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
@var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
-@code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
-sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
+@code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
+sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
-The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
+The result data should either be HEADs or @sc{nov} lines, and the result
value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
-of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
+of HEADs and @sc{nov} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
-If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
-headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
+If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
+headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
-presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
+presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
number, do maximum fetches.
header = <text> eol
@end example
+@cindex BNF
+(The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
+
If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
@dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
separated by tabs.
@example
nov-buffer = *nov-line
-nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
+nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
field = <text except TAB>
@end example
@var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
-If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
+If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
server. In fact, it should do so.
@item (nnchoke-request-close)
-Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
-have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
+Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
+have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
-problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
+problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
+articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
+highest as 0.
@example
group-status = [ error / info ] eol
@item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
-a no-op on most backends.
+a no-op on most back ends.
There should be no data returned.
@end example
On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
-that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
+that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
+contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
+and the highest as 0.
@example
active-file = *active-line
@end table
-@node Optional Backend Functions
-@subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
+@node Optional Back End Functions
+@subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
@table @code
@item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
-A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
-alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
+A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
+alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all the
information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
-should return the (altered) group info.
+should return a non-nil value.
There should be no result data from this function.
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
+@file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (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:
+@var{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.
+@var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
+@var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
+marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{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}, @code{unsend},
+@code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end 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
@item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
-If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
+If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
-@var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
+@var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
@var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
@item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
-request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
-another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
+request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
+another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query the
POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
-to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
+to be heeded---if the back end decides that it is too much work just
scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
@item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
The result data from this function should be all groups that were
-created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
-format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
+created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
+(i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
+the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
+in the active buffer format.
+
+It is okay for this function to return `too many' groups; some back ends
+might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
+just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
+Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
+many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
+back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
+server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
@item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
@var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
-numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
+numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
they are.
There should be no result data returned.
-@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
-&optional LAST)
+@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
@var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
+The group should exist before the backend is asked to accept the
+article for that group.
+
There should be no data returned.
@findex nnheader-report
@findex nnheader-get-report
-The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
+The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
-perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
+perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
This function must always returns @code{nil}.
Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
@code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
-recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
+recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
takes one argument---the server symbol.
-Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
-so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
+Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
+so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
@code{nnchoke-status-string}.
-@node Writing New Backends
-@subsubsection Writing New Backends
+@node Writing New Back Ends
+@subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
-Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
+Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
@code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
editing articles.
It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
-backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
+back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
-All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
+All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
package called @code{nnoo}.
-To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
-inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
+To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
+inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
following macros:
@table @code
declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
-variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
-a function in those backends.
+variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
+a function in those back ends.
@lisp
(defvoo nndir-directory nil
of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
@item nnoo-define-basics
-This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
+This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
have.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
-@end example
+@end lisp
@item deffoo
This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
-function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
+function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
@item nnoo-map-functions
-This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
-functions from the parent backends.
+This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
+functions from the parent back ends.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-map-functions nndir
(nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
(nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
-@end example
+@end lisp
This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
@item nnoo-import
-This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
+This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
haven't already been defined.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-import nndir
(nnmh
nnmh-request-list
nnmh-request-newgroups)
(nnml))
-@end example
+@end lisp
This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
@end table
-Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
+Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
@lisp
;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
"*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
nnml-nov-is-evil)
-(defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
+(defvoo nndir-current-group ""
+ nil
+ nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
(defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
(defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
(unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
(push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
(push `(nndir-current-group
- ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ ,(file-name-nondirectory
+ (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
defs)
(push `(nndir-top-directory
,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
@end lisp
-@node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
-@subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+@node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
+@subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
@vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
-Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
+@findex gnus-declare-backend
+Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
-enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
+enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
-@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
+@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
Here's an example:
(gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
@end lisp
+The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
+
The abilities can be:
@table @code
@item mail
-This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
+This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
@item post
-This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
+This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
@item post-mail
-This backend supports both mail and news.
+This back end supports both mail and news.
@item none
-This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
+This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
different.
@item respool
It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
articles and groups.
@item address
The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
-true for almost all backends.
+true for almost all back ends.
@item prompt-address
The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
-@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
+@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
@code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
@end table
-@node Mail-like Backends
-@subsubsection Mail-like Backends
+@node Mail-like Back Ends
+@subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
-One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
-backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
-functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
-@code{nnml-request-scan}:
+One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
+back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
+common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
+definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
@lisp
(deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
@table @var
@item method
-This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
+This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
the call.
@item exit-function
performed for one group only.
@end table
-@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
-save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
+@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
+save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
find the article number assigned to this article.
The function also uses the following variables:
-@var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
-this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
-@var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
-@var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
+@var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
+this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
+@var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
+@var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
this:
@example
BNF definition of a score file:
@example
-score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
-element = rule / atom
-rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
-string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
-number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
-date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
-quote = <ascii 34>
-string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
- "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
-number-header = "lines" / "chars"
-date-header = "date"
-string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
-score = "nil" / <integer>
-date = "nil" / <natural number>
-string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
- "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
- "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
- "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
-number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
-number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
-date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
-date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
-atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
-required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
- exclude-files / read-only / touched
-optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
-mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
-nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
-expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
+score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
+element = rule / atom
+rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
+string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
+number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
+date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
+quote = <ascii 34>
+string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
+ "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
+number-header = "lines" / "chars"
+date-header = "date"
+string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+score = "nil" / <integer>
+date = "nil" / <natural number>
+string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
+ "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
+ "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
+ "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
+number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
+date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
+date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
+atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
+required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
+ exclude-files / read-only / touched
+optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
+mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
+nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
+expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
-files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
-exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
-read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
-adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
-adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
-local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
-eval = "eval" space <form>
-space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
+files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
+exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
+read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
+adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
+adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
+local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
+eval = "eval" space <form>
+space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
@end example
Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
@subsection Various File Formats
@menu
-* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
-* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
@end menu
@example
active = *group-line
-group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
+group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
group = <non-white-space string>
-space = " "
+spc = " "
high-number = <non-negative integer>
low-number = <positive integer>
flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
-If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
+If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
cat instead.
@menu
-* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
-* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
@end menu
to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
-because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
+because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
-``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
+``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
-you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
+you can go and fill your @file{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
how Gnus works.
-If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
+If you have put that thing in your @file{.emacs} file, it will be read
and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
@kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
@end iflatex
@end iftex
+@c Local Variables:
+@c mode: texinfo
+@c coding: iso-8859-1
@c End:
-% LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
+% LocalWords: BNF mucho detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
% LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
-% LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
+% LocalWords: nnmbox newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
% LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
% LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref
projects / elisp / gnus.git- / blobdiff