-\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*-
+\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- -*- coding: iso-latin-1 -*-
@setfilename gnus
-@settitle Semi-gnus 6.10.064 Manual
+@settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
@synindex fn cp
@synindex vr cp
@synindex pg cp
-@c @direntry
-@c * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
-@c @end direntry
+@dircategory Emacs
+@direntry
+* Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
+@end direntry
@iftex
@finalout
@end iftex
\newcommand{\gnusbackslash}{/}
+\newcommand{\gnusref}[1]{``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
+\newcommand{\gnusuref}[1]{\gnustt{#1}}
\newcommand{\gnusxref}[1]{See ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
\newcommand{\gnuspxref}[1]{see ``#1'' on page \pageref{#1}}
\newcommand{\gnussc}[1]{\textsc{#1}}
\newcommand{\gnustitle}[1]{{\huge\textbf{#1}}}
\newcommand{\gnusauthor}[1]{{\large\textbf{#1}}}
+\newcommand{\gnusresult}[1]{\gnustt{=> #1}}
\newcommand{\gnusbullet}{{${\bullet}$}}
\newcommand{\gnusdollar}{\$}
\thispagestyle{empty}
-Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
+Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
-this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
-are preserved on all copies.
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
-manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
-entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
-permission notice identical to this one.
+Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
+under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
+Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
+Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
+license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
+License'' in the Emacs manual.
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
-into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
+(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
+this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
+Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
+This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
+Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
+separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
+license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
\newpage
\end{titlepage}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@ifinfo
+@ifnottex
This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
-Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
-this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
-are preserved on all copies.
+Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-@ignore
-Permission is granted to process this file through Tex and print the
-results, provided the printed document carries copying permission
-notice identical to this one except for the removal of this paragraph
-(this paragraph not being relevant to the printed manual).
+Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
+under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
+Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
+Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
+license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
+License'' in the Emacs manual.
-@end ignore
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
-manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided also that the
-entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
-permission notice identical to this one.
+(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
+this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
+Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
-into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
-@end ifinfo
+This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
+Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
+separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
+license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
+@end ifnottex
@tex
@titlepage
-@title Semi-gnus 6.10.064 Manual
+@title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
@page
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-Permission is granted to make and distribute verbatim copies of
-this manual provided the copyright notice and this permission notice
-are preserved on all copies.
+Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
+under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
+Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
+Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
+license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
+License'' in the Emacs manual.
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute modified versions of this
-manual under the conditions for verbatim copying, provided that the
-entire resulting derived work is distributed under the terms of a
-permission notice identical to this one.
+(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
+this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
+Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
-Permission is granted to copy and distribute translations of this manual
-into another language, under the above conditions for modified versions.
+This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
+Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
+separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
+license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
@end titlepage
@page
spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
luck.
-Semi-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So Semi-gnus
-supports your right to read strange messages including big images or
-other various kinds of formats. Semi-gnus also supports
+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
internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
-API. So Semi-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
+API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
-This manual corresponds to Semi-gnus 6.10.064.
+This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
@end ifinfo
Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
-you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you can
-even read news with it!
+you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
+can even read news with it!
Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
@end iftex
-
@menu
* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
-* The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
-* The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
-* The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
+* 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.
* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
* Key Index:: Key Index.
-@end menu
-
-@node Starting Up
-@chapter Starting gnus
-@cindex starting up
-
-@kindex M-x gnus
-@findex gnus
-If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
-and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
-your Emacs.
-
-@findex gnus-other-frame
-@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
-If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
-@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
-If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
-variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
-@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
+@detailmenu
+ --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
-If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
-terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
+Starting Gnus
-@menu
* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The 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?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
-@end menu
+New Groups
-@node Finding the News
-@section Finding the News
-@cindex finding news
+* 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.
-@vindex gnus-select-method
-@c @head
-The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
-news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
-@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
-native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
-foreign groups.
+Group Buffer
-For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
-you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
+* 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.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
-@end lisp
+Group Buffer Format
-If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
+* 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.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
-@end lisp
+Group Topics
-If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
-certainly be much faster.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
-@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
-@cindex NNTPSERVER
-@cindex @sc{nntp} server
-If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
-@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
-gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
-(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
-that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
+Misc Group Stuff
-@vindex gnus-nntp-server
-If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
-@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
-@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
+* 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.
-@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
-@vindex gnus-nntp-server
-You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
-@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
-(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
-in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
-type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
-will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
-gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
-server.)
+Summary Buffer
-@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
-@kindex B (Group)
-However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
-interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
-better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
-let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
-to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
-maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
+* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
+* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
-@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
-@c @head
-A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
-@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
-listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
-@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
-files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
-appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
-groups are.
+Summary Buffer Format
-For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
-would typically set this variable to
+* 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.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
-@end lisp
+Choosing Articles
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
-@node The First Time
-@section The First Time
-@cindex first time usage
+Reply, Followup and Post
-If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
-be subscribed by default.
+* 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.''
-@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
-If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
-will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
-killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
-something useful.
+Marking Articles
-Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
-picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
-here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
+* 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.
-You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
-help you with most common problems.
+Threading
-If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
-use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
-special.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+Customizing Threading
-@node The Server is Down
-@section The Server is Down
-@cindex server errors
+* 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!
-If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
-problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
-the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
+Decoding Articles
-Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
-without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
-will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
-given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
-for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
-groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
-buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
+* 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?
-@findex gnus-no-server
-@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
-@c @head
-If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
-your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
-@code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
-if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
-your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
-1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
-levels.)
+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.
-@node Slave Gnusae
-@section Slave Gnusae
-@cindex slave
+Article Treatment
-You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
-same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
-are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
-that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
+* 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.
-The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
-@code{.newsrc} file.
+Alternative Approaches
-To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
-Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
-@dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
-taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
-conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
-me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
-Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
-Anyways, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
-however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
-@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
-files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
-on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
-starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
-information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
-they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
+Various Summary Stuff
-Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
-information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
+* 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.
+Article Buffer
-@node Fetching a Group
-@section Fetching a Group
-@cindex fetching a group
+* 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.
-@findex gnus-fetch-group
-It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
-group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
-perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
-command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
-It takes the group name as a parameter.
-
-
-@node New Groups
-@section New Groups
-@cindex new groups
-@cindex subscription
-
-@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
-If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
-you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
-also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
-@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
-@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
-is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
-@code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
-when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+Composing Messages
-@menu
-* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
-* Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
-* Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
-@end menu
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* 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
+Select Methods
-@node Checking New Groups
-@subsection Checking New Groups
+* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
-Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
-list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
-dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
-@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
-server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
-cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
-groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
-@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
-Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
-Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
+Server Buffer
-I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
-server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
-fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
-@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
-few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
-work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
-supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
-You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
-whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
-it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
-@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
-issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
-subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
-if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
-that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
-Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
+Getting News
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-@node Subscription Methods
-@subsection Subscription Methods
+Getting Mail
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
-What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
-@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing 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.
-This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
-with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
+Mail Sources
-Some handy pre-fab functions are:
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
-@table @code
+Choosing a Mail Backend
-@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
-Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
-zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
-(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
-@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
-Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
-new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
+Browsing the Web
-@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
-Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
-@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
-Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
-function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
-@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
-alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
-hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
-@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
-up. Or something like that.
+Other Sources
-@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
-Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
-you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
-to will be subscribed hierarchically.
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
-@item gnus-subscribe-killed
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
-Kill all new groups.
+Document Groups
-@end table
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
-A closely related variable is
-@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
-mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
-hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
-will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
-hierarchy or not.
+SOUP
-One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
-(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
-@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
-will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@sc{imap}
-@node Filtering New Groups
-@subsection Filtering New Groups
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
-A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
-subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
-the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
+Combined Groups
-@example
-options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
-@end example
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
-This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
-person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
-groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
-be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
-be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
-subscribing these groups.
-@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
-variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
+Gnus Unplugged
-@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
-@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
-If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
-set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
-@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
-same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
-and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
-subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* 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.
-@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
-Yet another variable that meddles here is
-@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
-@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
-thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
-meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
-more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
-that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
-@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
-don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
+Agent Categories
-New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
-@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+Agent Commands
-@node Changing Servers
-@section Changing Servers
-@cindex changing servers
+* Group Agent Commands::
+* Summary Agent Commands::
+* Server Agent Commands::
-Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
-This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
-very flaky and you want to use another.
+Scoring
-Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
-@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
-@emph{Wrong!}
+GroupLens
-Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
-@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
-you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
-change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
-worthless.
+* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
+* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
+* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
+* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
-Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
-file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
-common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
-functions more than absolutely necessary.
+Advanced Scoring
-@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
-@findex gnus-change-server
-If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
-the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
-article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
-gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
-will prompt for the method you want to move to.
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
-@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
-You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
-gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
-move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
+Various
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
-and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
-gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
-that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
-
-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.
-
-
-@node Startup Files
-@section Startup Files
-@cindex startup files
-@cindex .newsrc
-@cindex .newsrc.el
-@cindex .newsrc.eld
+* 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.
-Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
-information is traditionally stored in this file.
+Formatting Variables
-Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{GNUS}. In addition to
-keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
-@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
-the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
-the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{GNUS} would read whichever one of these
-files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
-@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
+* 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.
-That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
-@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
-@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
-recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
-never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
-not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
+XEmacs Enhancements
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
-@vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
-You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
-the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
-However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
-gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
-@code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
-@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
-convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
+* 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.
-@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
-If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
-will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
-save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
-will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
-so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
-You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
-@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
-Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
-the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
-saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
-several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
+Picons
-@vindex gnus-startup-file
-The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
-The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
-file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
+* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
+* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
+* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
+* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
+* Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
-@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
-@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
-@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
-@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
-files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
-saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
-@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
-@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
-control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
-startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
+Appendices
-@lisp
-(defun turn-off-backup ()
- (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
+* 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.
-(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
-(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
-@end lisp
+History
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
-(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
-(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
-and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
-@file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
-with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
-suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
-@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
-and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
+* 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.
-@node Auto Save
-@section Auto Save
-@cindex dribble file
-@cindex auto-save
+Customization
-Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
-catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
-special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
-Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
-@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
-this file.
+* 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.
-If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
-read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
-saved.
+Gnus Reference Guide
-@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
-If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
-maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
+* 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.
-@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
-Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
-this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
-into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
-normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
-file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
+Backend Interface
-@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
-If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
-read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
+* 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.
+Various File Formats
-@node The Active File
-@section The Active File
-@cindex active file
-@cindex ignored groups
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
-When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
-articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
-file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
+Emacs for Heathens
-@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
-Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
-regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
-any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
-ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
-recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
-Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
-@c This variable is
-@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
-@c if you set it to anything else.
+@end detailmenu
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-read-active-file
-@c @head
-The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
-can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
-reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
+@node Starting Up
+@chapter Starting gnus
+@cindex starting up
-Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
-you actually subscribe to.
+@kindex M-x gnus
+@findex gnus
+If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
+and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
+your Emacs.
-Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
-variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
-present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
-considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
+@findex gnus-other-frame
+@kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
+If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
+@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
-This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
-attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
-servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
-support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
-at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
-is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
+If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
+variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
+@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
-If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
-lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
-@sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
-read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
-performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
-@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
+If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
+terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
-In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
-kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
+@menu
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+@end menu
-Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
-secondary select methods.
+@node Finding the News
+@section Finding the News
+@cindex finding news
-@node Startup Variables
-@section Startup Variables
-
-@table @code
+@vindex gnus-select-method
+@c @head
+The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
+news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
+@dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
+native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
+foreign groups.
-@item gnus-load-hook
-@vindex gnus-load-hook
-A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
-normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
-times you start gnus.
+For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
+you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
-@item gnus-before-startup-hook
-@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
-A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-startup-hook
-@vindex gnus-startup-hook
-A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
+If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
-@item gnus-started-hook
-@vindex gnus-started-hook
-A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
-successfully.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-setup-news-hook
-@vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
-A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
-generating the group buffer.
+If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
+certainly be much faster.
-@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
-@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
-If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
-startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
-@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
-bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
-best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
-in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
+@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
+@cindex NNTPSERVER
+@cindex @sc{nntp} server
+If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
+@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
+gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
+(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
+that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
-@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
-If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
-your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
-of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
-@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
+@code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
+@code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
-@item gnus-no-groups-message
-@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
-Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
+@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
+@vindex gnus-nntp-server
+You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
+@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
+(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
+in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
+type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
+will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
+gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
+server.)
-@item gnus-play-startup-jingle
-@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
-If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+@kindex B (Group)
+However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
+interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
+better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
+let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
+to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
+maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
-@item gnus-startup-jingle
-@vindex gnus-startup-jingle
-Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
-default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
+@vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
+@c @head
+A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
+listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
+@code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
+files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
+appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
+groups are.
-@end table
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
+would typically set this variable to
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
+@end lisp
-@node The Group Buffer
-@chapter The Group Buffer
-@cindex group buffer
-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.
+@node The First Time
+@section The First Time
+@cindex first time usage
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
-\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
-\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
-\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
-\put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
-\put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
-\put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
+be subscribed by default.
-@menu
-* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
-* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
-* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
-* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
-* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
-* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
-* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
-* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
-* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
-* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
-* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
-* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
-* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
-* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
-* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
-* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
-* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
+If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
+will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
+killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
+something useful.
+Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
+picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
+here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
-@node Group Buffer Format
-@section Group Buffer Format
+You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
+help you with most common problems.
-@menu
-* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
-* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
-* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
-@end menu
+If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
+use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
+special.
-@node Group Line Specification
-@subsection Group Line Specification
-@cindex group buffer format
+@node The Server is Down
+@section The Server is Down
+@cindex server errors
-The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
-make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
+If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
+problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
+the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
-Here's a couple of example group lines:
+Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
+without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
+will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
+given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
+for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
+groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
+buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
-@example
- 25: news.announce.newusers
- * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
-@end example
+@findex gnus-no-server
+@kindex M-x gnus-no-server
+@c @head
+If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
+your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
+@code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
+if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
+your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
+1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
+levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
-Quite simple, huh?
-You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
-@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
-ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
-asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
+@node Slave Gnusae
+@section Slave Gnusae
+@cindex slave
-@vindex gnus-group-line-format
-You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
-@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
-lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
-a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
-@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
+same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
+are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
+that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
-@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
+The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
+@code{.newsrc} file.
-There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
-the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
-even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
-never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
-text properties.
+To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
+Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
+@dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
+taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
+conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
+me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
+Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
-(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
-layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
-instead of wasting time reading news.)
+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}
+files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
+on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
+starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
+information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
+they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
-Here's a list of all available format characters:
+Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
+information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
-@table @samp
-@item M
-An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
+@node Fetching a Group
+@section Fetching a Group
+@cindex fetching a group
-@item S
-Whether the group is subscribed.
+@findex gnus-fetch-group
+It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
+group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
+perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
+command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
+It takes the group name as a parameter.
-@item L
-Level of subscribedness.
-@item N
-Number of unread articles.
+@node New Groups
+@section New Groups
+@cindex new groups
+@cindex subscription
-@item I
-Number of dormant articles.
+@vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
+If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
+you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
+also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
+@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
+@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
+is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
+@code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
+when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
-@item T
-Number of ticked articles.
+@menu
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
+@end menu
-@item R
-Number of read articles.
-@item t
-Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
-minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+@node Checking New Groups
+@subsection Checking New Groups
-@item y
-Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
+Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
+list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
+dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
+@code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
+server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
+cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
+groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
+@code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
+Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
+Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
-@item i
-Number of ticked and dormant articles.
+I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
+server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
+fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
+@code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
+few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
+work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
+supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
+You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
+whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
+it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
+@samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
-@item g
-Full group name.
+This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
+issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
+subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
+if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
+that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
+Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
-@item G
-Group name.
-@item D
-Newsgroup description.
+@node Subscription Methods
+@subsection Subscription Methods
-@item o
-@samp{m} if moderated.
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
+What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
+@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
-@item O
-@samp{(m)} if moderated.
+This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
+with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
-@item s
-Select method.
+Some handy pre-fab functions are:
-@item n
-Select from where.
+@table @code
-@item z
-A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
-used.
+@item gnus-subscribe-zombies
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
+Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
+zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
+(with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
-@item P
-Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-randomly
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
+Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
+new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
-@item c
-@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
-Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
-variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
-The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.emacs.gnus}.
+@item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
+Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
-@item m
-@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
-@cindex %
-@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
-the group lately.
+@item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
+Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
+function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
+alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
+hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
+@samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
+up. Or something like that.
-@item d
-A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
-Timestamp}).
+@item gnus-subscribe-interactively
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
+Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
+you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
+to will be subscribed hierarchically.
-@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
-parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
-be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
-specifier.
-@end table
+@item gnus-subscribe-killed
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
+Kill all new groups.
-@cindex *
-All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
-if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
-group, or a bogus native group.
+@item gnus-subscribe-topics
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
+Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
+parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
+topic parameter that looks like
+@example
+"nnslashdot"
+@end example
-@node Group Modeline Specification
-@subsection Group Modeline Specification
-@cindex group modeline
+will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
+that topic.
-@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
-The mode line can be changed by setting
-@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
-doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
+If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
+top-level topic.
-@table @samp
-@item S
-The native news server.
-@item M
-The native select method.
@end table
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
+A closely related variable is
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
+mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
+hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
+will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
+hierarchy or not.
-@node Group Highlighting
-@subsection Group Highlighting
-@cindex highlighting
-@cindex group highlighting
-
-@vindex gnus-group-highlight
-Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
-that look like @var{(form . face)}. If @var{form} evaluates to
-something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
-
-Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
-background is dark:
+One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
+(@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
+@code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
+will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
-@lisp
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-1
- '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-2
- '((t (:foreground "SeaGreen" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-3
- '((t (:foreground "SpringGreen" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-4
- '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))))
-(face-spec-set 'my-group-face-5
- '((t (:foreground "SkyBlue" :bold t))))
-(setq gnus-group-highlight
- '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
- ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
- ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
- ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
- (t . my-group-face-5)))
-@end lisp
+@node Filtering New Groups
+@subsection Filtering New Groups
-Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
+A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
+subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
+the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
-Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
-include:
+@example
+options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
+@end example
-@table @code
-@item group
-The group name.
-@item unread
-The number of unread articles in the group.
-@item method
-The select method.
-@item mailp
-Whether the group is a mail group.
-@item level
-The level of the group.
-@item score
-The score of the group.
-@item ticked
-The number of ticked articles in the group.
-@item total
-The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
-MIN-NUMBER plus one.
-@item topic
-When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
-topic being inserted.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
+This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
+person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
+groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
+be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
+be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
+subscribing these groups.
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
+variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
-When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
-of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
-functions for snarfing info on the group.
+@vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex gnus-options-subscribe
+If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
+set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
+@code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
+same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
+and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
+subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
-@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
-@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
-@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
-It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
-calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
+@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
+Yet another variable that meddles here is
+@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
+@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
+thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
+meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
+more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
+that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
+don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
+New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
+@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
-@node Group Maneuvering
-@section Group Maneuvering
-@cindex group movement
-All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
-expected, hopefully.
+@node Changing Servers
+@section Changing Servers
+@cindex changing servers
-@table @kbd
+Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
+This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
+very flaky and you want to use another.
-@item n
-@kindex n (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
-Go to the next group that has unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
+Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
+@code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
-@item p
-@itemx DEL
-@kindex DEL (Group)
-@kindex p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
-Go to the previous group that has unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
+@emph{Wrong!}
-@item N
-@kindex N (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-group
-Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
+Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
+@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
+you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
+change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
+worthless.
-@item P
-@kindex P (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-group
-Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
+file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
+common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
+functions more than absolutely necessary.
-@item M-n
-@kindex M-n (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
-Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
-(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
+@kindex M-x gnus-change-server
+@findex gnus-change-server
+If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
+the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
+article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
+gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
+will prompt for the method you want to move to.
-@item M-p
-@kindex M-p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
-Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
-(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
-@end table
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+@findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
+You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
+move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
-Three commands for jumping to groups:
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
+gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
+that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
-@table @kbd
+After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
+since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
+affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
-@item j
-@kindex j (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
-Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
-(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
-like living groups.
-@item ,
-@kindex , (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
-Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
-(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
+@node Startup Files
+@section Startup Files
+@cindex startup files
+@cindex .newsrc
+@cindex .newsrc.el
+@cindex .newsrc.eld
-@item .
-@kindex . (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
-Jump to the first group with unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
-@end table
+Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
+information is traditionally stored in this file.
-@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
-If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
-commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
-the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
-is @code{t}.
+Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
+keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
+@file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
+the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
+the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
+files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
+@sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
+That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
+@file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
+@file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
+recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
+never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
+not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
-@node Selecting a Group
-@section Selecting a Group
-@cindex group selection
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
+@vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
+You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
+the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
+However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
+gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
+@code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
+@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
+convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
+If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
+will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
+save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
+will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
+so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
+You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
+@code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
+Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
+the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
+saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
+several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-group
-Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
-first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
-unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
-this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
-group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
-determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
-positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
-negative, gnus fetches the @var{abs(N)} oldest articles.
+@vindex gnus-startup-file
+The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
+The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
+file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-select-group
-Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
-@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
-does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
-entry.
+@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
+@vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
+@code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
+files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
+saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
+@code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
+@file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
+control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
+startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
-@item M-RET
-@kindex M-RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
-This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
-minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
-scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
-expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
-enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
-(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
-which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
-summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-@item M-SPACE
-@kindex M-SPACE (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
-This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
-command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
-(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+(add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
-@item M-C-RET
-@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
-Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
-doing any processing of its contents
-(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
-turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
-manner will have no permanent effects.
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
+(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
+(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
+and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
+@file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
+with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
+suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
+@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
+and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
-@end table
-@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
-The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
-to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
-(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
-before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
-should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
-number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
-is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
-be fetched.
-@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
-@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
-automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
+@node Auto Save
+@section Auto Save
+@cindex dribble file
+@cindex auto-save
-@table @code
+Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
+catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
+special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
+Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
+@file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
+this file.
-@item nil
-Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
-full summary buffer.
+If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
+read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
+saved.
-@item t
-Select the first unread article when entering the group.
+@vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
+maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
-@item best
-Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
-group.
+@vindex gnus-dribble-directory
+Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
+into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
+normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
+file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
+If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
+read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
-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:
-@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.
+@node The Active File
+@section The Active File
+@cindex active file
+@cindex ignored groups
-@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Select the first unread article.
+When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
+articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
+file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
-@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Select the highest-scored unread article.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
+Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
+regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
+any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
+ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
+recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
+Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
+@c This variable is
+@c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
+@c if you set it to anything else.
-If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
-binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
-in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
-selected.
+@vindex gnus-read-active-file
+@c @head
+The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
+can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
+reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
+Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
+you actually subscribe to.
-@node Subscription Commands
-@section Subscription Commands
-@cindex subscription
+Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
+variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
+present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
+considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
-@table @kbd
+This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
+attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
+servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
+support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
+at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
+is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
-@item S t
-@itemx u
-@kindex S t (Group)
-@kindex u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
-@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
-Toggle subscription to the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
+instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
+servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
+variable.
-@item S s
-@itemx U
-@kindex S s (Group)
-@kindex U (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
-Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
-subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
-(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
+If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
+lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
+@sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
+read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
+performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
+@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
-@item S k
-@itemx C-k
-@kindex S k (Group)
-@kindex C-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-group
-@c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
-Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
+If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
+different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
-@item S y
-@itemx C-y
-@kindex S y (Group)
-@kindex C-y (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-yank-group
-Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
+In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
+kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
-@item C-x C-t
-@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
-Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
-really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
-kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
+Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
+secondary select methods.
-@item S w
-@itemx C-w
-@kindex S w (Group)
-@kindex C-w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-region
-Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
-@item S z
-@kindex S z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
-Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+@node Startup Variables
+@section Startup Variables
-@item S C-k
-@kindex S C-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-kill-level
-Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
-These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
-be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
-really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
-groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
-kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
-@file{.newsrc} file.
+@table @code
-@end table
+@item gnus-load-hook
+@vindex gnus-load-hook
+A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
+normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
+times you start gnus.
-Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+@item gnus-before-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
+A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
+@item gnus-startup-hook
+@vindex gnus-startup-hook
+A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
-@node Group Data
-@section Group Data
+@item gnus-started-hook
+@vindex gnus-started-hook
+A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
+successfully.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-setup-news-hook
+@vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
+A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
+generating the group buffer.
-@item c
-@kindex c (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
-@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
-@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
-Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
-@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
-the group buffer.
+@item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+@vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
+If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
+startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
+@file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
+bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
+best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
+in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
-@item C
-@kindex C (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
-Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
-(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
+@item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
+If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
+your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
+of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
+@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
-@item M-c
-@kindex M-c (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data
-Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
-read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+@item gnus-no-groups-message
+@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
+Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
-@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
-and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
-clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
-caution.
+@item gnus-play-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
+If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
-@end table
+@item gnus-startup-jingle
+@vindex gnus-startup-jingle
+Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
+default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
+@end table
-@node Group Levels
-@section Group Levels
-@cindex group level
-@cindex level
-All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
-group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
-can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
-(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
-a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+@node Group Buffer
+@chapter Group Buffer
+@cindex group buffer
-Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
+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.
-@table @kbd
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
+\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
+\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
+\put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
+\put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
+\put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item S l
-@kindex S l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
-Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
-next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
-prompted for a level.
-@end table
+@menu
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-level-killed
-@vindex gnus-level-zombie
-@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
-@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
-Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
-@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
-@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
-@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
-unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
-(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
-(default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
-same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
-you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
-groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
-reasons of efficiency.
-It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
-low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
+@node Group Buffer Format
+@section Group Buffer Format
-If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
-Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
-them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
+@menu
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+@end menu
-@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
-@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
-Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
-(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
-which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
-(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
-relevant valid ranges.
-@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
-If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
-will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
-particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
-will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
-handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
-rest.
+@node Group Line Specification
+@subsection Group Line Specification
+@cindex group buffer format
-@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
-All groups with a level less than or equal to
-@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
-by default.
+The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
+make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
-@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
-If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
-groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
-@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
-listed.
+Here's a couple of example group lines:
-@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
-If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
-give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
-use this level as the ``work'' level.
+@example
+ 25: news.announce.newusers
+ * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
+@end example
-@vindex gnus-activate-level
-Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
-on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
-activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
-to 5. The default is 6.
+Quite simple, huh?
+You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
+@samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
+ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
+asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
-@node Group Score
-@section Group Score
-@cindex group score
-@cindex group rank
-@cindex rank
+@vindex gnus-group-line-format
+You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
+@code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
+lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
+a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
-is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
-group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
-reason?
+@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
-This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can assign a score to each
-group. You can then sort the group buffer based on this score.
-Alternatively, you can sort on score and then level. (Taken together,
-the level and the score is called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group
-that is on level 4 and has a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group
-on level 5 that has a score of 300. (The level is the most significant
-part and the score is the least significant part.))
+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.
-@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
-If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
-read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
-the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
-sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
-action after each summary exit, you can add
-@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
-@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
-slow things down somewhat.
+(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
+layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
+instead of wasting time reading news.)
+Here's a list of all available format characters:
-@node Marking Groups
-@section Marking Groups
-@cindex marking groups
+@table @samp
-If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
-subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
-numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
-bidding on those groups.
+@item M
+An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
-However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
-perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
-with the process mark and then execute the command.
+@item S
+Whether the group is subscribed.
-@table @kbd
+@item L
+Level of subscribedness.
-@item #
-@kindex # (Group)
-@itemx M m
-@kindex M m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-group
-Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
+@item N
+Number of unread articles.
-@item M-#
-@kindex M-# (Group)
-@itemx M u
-@kindex M u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
-Remove the mark from the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
+@item I
+Number of dormant articles.
-@item M U
-@kindex M U (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
-Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
+@item T
+Number of ticked articles.
-@item M w
-@kindex M w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-region
-Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
+@item R
+Number of read articles.
-@item M b
-@kindex M b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
-Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
+@item t
+Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
+minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
-@item M r
-@kindex M r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
-Mark all groups that match some regular expression
-(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
-@end table
+Gnus uses this estimation because the 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 backends, 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
+backend interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
+want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
-Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+@item y
+Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
-@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
-If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
-with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
-(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
-the command to be executed.
+@item i
+Number of ticked and dormant articles.
+@item g
+Full group name.
-@node Foreign Groups
-@section Foreign Groups
-@cindex foreign groups
+@item G
+Group name.
-Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
-groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
-special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
-groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
-consulted.
+@item D
+Newsgroup description.
-@table @kbd
+@item o
+@samp{m} if moderated.
-@item G m
-@kindex G m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-group
-@cindex making groups
-Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
-for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
-to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+@item O
+@samp{(m)} if moderated.
-@item G r
-@kindex G r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-rename-group
-@cindex renaming groups
-Rename the current group to something else
-(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
-groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
-on some backends.
+@item s
+Select method.
-@item G c
-@kindex G c (Group)
-@cindex customizing
-@findex gnus-group-customize
-Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
+@item n
+Select from where.
-@item G e
-@kindex G e (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
-@cindex renaming groups
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
-group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
+@item z
+A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
+used.
-@item G p
-@kindex G p (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
-
-@item G E
-@kindex G E (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-group
-Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
-
-@item G d
-@kindex G d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
-@cindex nndir
-Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
-for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
-
-@item G h
-@kindex G h (Group)
-@cindex help group
-@findex gnus-group-make-help-group
-Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
+@item P
+Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
-@item G a
-@kindex G a (Group)
-@cindex (ding) archive
-@cindex archive group
-@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
-@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
-@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
-Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
-default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
-(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
-group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
+@item c
+@vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
+Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
+variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
+The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
-@item G k
-@kindex G k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
-@cindex nnkiboze
-Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
-match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
-strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
-@xref{Kibozed Groups}.
+@item m
+@vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
+@cindex %
+@samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
+the group lately.
-@item G D
-@kindex G D (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
-@cindex nneething
-Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
-@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
-@xref{Anything Groups}.
+@item p
+@samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
-@item G f
-@kindex G f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
-@cindex ClariNet Briefs
-@cindex nndoc
-Make a group based on some file or other
-(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
-command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
-Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
-@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
-@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, and @code{forward}. If you run
-this command without a prefix, gnus will guess at the file type.
-@xref{Document Groups}.
+@item d
+A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
+Timestamp}).
-@item G u
-@kindex G u (Group)
-@vindex gnus-useful-groups
-@findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
-Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
-(@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
+parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
+be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
+specifier.
+@end table
-@item G w
-@kindex G w (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
-@cindex nnweb
-Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
-(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
-command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
-search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
-include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
-@xref{Web Searches}.
+@cindex *
+All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
+if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
+group, or a bogus native group.
-If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
-to a particular group by using a match string like
-@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
-@item G DEL
-@kindex G DEL (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-delete-group
-This function will delete the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
-actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
-group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
-absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
-read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
+@node Group Modeline Specification
+@subsection Group Modeline Specification
+@cindex group modeline
-@item G V
-@kindex G V (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
-Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
-(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
+The mode line can be changed by setting
+@code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
-@item G v
-@kindex G v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
-Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
-(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
+@table @samp
+@item S
+The native news server.
+@item M
+The native select method.
@end table
-@xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
-methods.
-@vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
-If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
-gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
-This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
-groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
-@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
-newsgroups.
+@node Group Highlighting
+@subsection Group Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex group highlighting
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight
+Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
+that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
+something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
-@node Group Parameters
-@section Group Parameters
-@cindex group parameters
+Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
+background is dark:
-The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
-Here's an example group parameter list:
+@lisp
+(cond (window-system
+ (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
+ (defface my-group-face-1
+ '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-2
+ '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-3
+ '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-4
+ '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
+ (defface my-group-face-5
+ '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
-@example
-((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
- (auto-expire . t))
-@end example
+(setq gnus-group-highlight
+ '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
+ ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
+ ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
+ ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
+ (t . my-group-face-5)))
+@end lisp
-We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
-the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
-parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
-not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
+Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
-The following group parameters can be used:
+Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
+include:
@table @code
-@item to-address
-@cindex to-address
-Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
-
-@example
-(to-address . "some@@where.com")
-@end example
+@item group
+The group name.
+@item unread
+The number of unread articles in the group.
+@item method
+The select method.
+@item mailp
+Whether the group is a mail group.
+@item level
+The level of the group.
+@item score
+The score of the group.
+@item ticked
+The number of ticked articles in the group.
+@item total
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
+MIN-NUMBER plus one.
+@item topic
+When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
+topic being inserted.
+@end table
-This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
-lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
-the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
-ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
-that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
+When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
+of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
+functions for snarfing info on the group.
-Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
-or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
-@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
-the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
-group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
-list address instead.
+@vindex gnus-group-update-hook
+@findex gnus-group-highlight-line
+@code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
+It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
+calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
-@item to-list
-@cindex to-list
-Address used when doing a @kbd{a} in that group.
-@example
-(to-list . "some@@where.com")
-@end example
+@node Group Maneuvering
+@section Group Maneuvering
+@cindex group movement
-It is totally ignored
-when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
-you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
+All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
+expected, hopefully.
-If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
-@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
-then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
-sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
-@vindex gnus-add-to-list
+@table @kbd
-If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
-@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
-sending the message.
+@item n
+@kindex n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
+Go to the next group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
-@item visible
-@cindex visible
-If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
-that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
-of whether it has any unread articles.
+@item p
+@itemx DEL
+@kindex DEL (Group)
+@kindex p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
+Go to the previous group that has unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
-@item broken-reply-to
-@cindex broken-reply-to
-Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
-headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
-reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
-@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
-broken behavior. So there!
+@item N
+@kindex N (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
-@item to-group
-@cindex to-group
-Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
-posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
+@item P
+@kindex P (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
-@item newsgroup
-@cindex newsgroup
-If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
-will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
-This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
-news group.
+@item M-n
+@kindex M-n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
-@item gcc-self
-@cindex gcc-self
-If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
-composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
-@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
-generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
-be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
-precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
-(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+@item M-p
+@kindex M-p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
+Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
+(@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
+@end table
-@item auto-expire
-@cindex auto-expire
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
-. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
-alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+Three commands for jumping to groups:
-@item total-expire
-@cindex total-expire
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like
-@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
-expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
-caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
-expiry.
+@table @kbd
-@item expiry-wait
-@cindex expiry-wait
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
-. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
-The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
-the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+@item j
+@kindex j (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
+Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
+(@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
+like living groups.
-@item score-file
-@cindex score file group parameter
-Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
-@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
-interactive score entries will be put into this file.
+@item ,
+@kindex , (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
+Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
+(@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
-@item adapt-file
-@cindex adapt file group parameter
-Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
-@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
-All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
+@item .
+@kindex . (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
+Jump to the first group with unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
+@end table
-@item 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.
+@vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
+If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
+commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
+the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
+is @code{t}.
-@item display
-Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
-display on entering the group. Valid values are:
-@table @code
-@item all
-Display all articles, both read and unread.
+@node Selecting a Group
+@section Selecting a Group
+@cindex group selection
-@item default
-Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
-ticked articles.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-@item comment
-Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
-are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
-gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
-groups.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-group
+Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
+first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
+unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
+this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
+group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
+determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
+positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
+negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
-@item 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.
+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
+- 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
-@item @var{(variable form)}
-You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
-are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
-you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
-that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
-in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
-@code{eval}ed there.
+When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
+@kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
+ones.
-This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
-If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
-something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
-group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
-@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group
+Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
+@code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
+does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
+entry.
-@item posting-style
-You can store additional posting style information for this group only
-here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
-@code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
-the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
-take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
+This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
+minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
+scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
+expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
+enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
+(i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
+which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
+summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
-For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
-instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
-like this in the group parameters:
+@item M-SPACE
+@kindex M-SPACE (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
+This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
+command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
+(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
-@example
-(posting-style
- (name "Funky Name")
- (signature "Funky Signature"))
-@end example
+@item M-C-RET
+@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
+Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
+doing any processing of its contents
+(@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
+turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
+manner will have no permanent effects.
@end table
-Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
-might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}).
+@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
+The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
+to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
+(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
+before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
+should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
+number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
+is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
+be fetched.
+@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
-@node Listing Groups
-@section Listing Groups
-@cindex group listing
+@table @code
-These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
+@item nil
+Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
+full summary buffer.
-@table @kbd
+@item t
+Select the first unread article when entering the group.
-@item l
-@itemx A s
-@kindex A s (Group)
-@kindex l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-groups
-List all groups that have unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
-command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
-only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
-@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
-groups).
+@item best
+Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
+group.
-@item L
-@itemx A u
-@kindex A u (Group)
-@kindex L (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
-List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
-(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
-this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
-it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
-unsubscribed groups).
+@end table
-@item A l
-@kindex A l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-level
-List all unread groups on a specific level
-(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
-with no unread articles.
-
-@item A k
-@kindex A k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-killed
-List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
-prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
-currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
-from the server.
-
-@item A z
-@kindex A z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
-List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
-
-@item A m
-@kindex A m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-matching
-List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
-
-@item A M
-@kindex A M (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
-List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
-
-@item A A
-@kindex A A (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-list-active
-List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
-server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
-might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
-to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
-thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
-don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
-Take the output with some grains of salt.
+This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
+be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
+Useful functions include:
-@item A a
-@kindex A a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-apropos
-List all groups that have names that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
+Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
+don't select the article.
-@item A d
-@kindex A d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
-List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
-(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
+@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Select the first unread article.
+@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Select the highest-scored unread article.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-@cindex visible group parameter
-Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
-always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
-add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
-get the same effect.
-
-@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
-Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
-group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
-@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
-groups. It is @code{t} by default.
+If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
+in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
+selected.
-@node Sorting Groups
-@section Sorting Groups
-@cindex sorting groups
-@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
-@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
-The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
-group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
-@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
-include:
+@node Subscription Commands
+@section Subscription Commands
+@cindex subscription
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
-Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
+@item S t
+@itemx u
+@kindex S t (Group)
+@kindex u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
+Toggle subscription to the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
-Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
+@item S s
+@itemx U
+@kindex S s (Group)
+@kindex U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
+Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
+subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
+(@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
-Sort by group level.
+@item S k
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex S k (Group)
+@kindex C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-group
+@c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
+Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
-Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
+@item S y
+@itemx C-y
+@kindex S y (Group)
+@kindex C-y (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-yank-group
+Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
-Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
-are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
+@item C-x C-t
+@kindex C-x C-t (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
+Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
+really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
+kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
-Sort by number of unread articles.
+@item S w
+@itemx C-w
+@kindex S w (Group)
+@kindex C-w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-region
+Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
-@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
-@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
-Sort alphabetically on the select method.
+@item S z
+@kindex S z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
+Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
+@item S C-k
+@kindex S C-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-kill-level
+Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
+These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
+be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
+really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
+groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
+kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
+@file{.newsrc} file.
@end table
-@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
-functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
-the last one.
+Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
-There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
-some sorting criteria:
+@node Group Data
+@section Group Data
@table @kbd
-@item G S a
-@kindex G S a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
-
-@item G S u
-@kindex G S u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
-Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
-@item G S l
-@kindex G S l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
-Sort the group buffer by group level
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
+@item c
+@kindex c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current
+@vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
+Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
+@code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
+the group buffer.
-@item G S v
-@kindex G S v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
-Sort the group buffer by group score
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item C
+@kindex C (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
+Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
+(@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
-@item G S r
-@kindex G S r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
-Sort the group buffer by group rank
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
+read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
-@item G S m
-@kindex G S m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
+If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
+and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
+clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
+caution.
@end table
-All the commands below obeys the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
-commands will sort in reverse order.
+@node Group Levels
+@section Group Levels
+@cindex group level
+@cindex level
-You can also sort a subset of the groups:
+All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
+group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
+can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
+a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
+
+Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
@table @kbd
-@item G P a
-@kindex G P a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
-Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
-@item G P u
-@kindex G P u (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
-Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
+@item S l
+@kindex S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-set-current-level
+Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
+next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
+prompted for a level.
+@end table
-@item G P l
-@kindex G P l (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
-Sort the groups by group level
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
+@vindex gnus-level-killed
+@vindex gnus-level-zombie
+@vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-subscribed
+Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
+@code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
+@code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
+unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
+(default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
+(default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
+same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
+you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
+groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
+reasons of efficiency.
-@item G P v
-@kindex G P v (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
-Sort the groups by group score
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
+low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
-@item G P r
-@kindex G P r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
-Sort the groups by group rank
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
+understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
+subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
+empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
+go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
+groups are hidden, in a way.
+
+Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
+are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
+unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
+information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
+and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
+aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
+
+Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
+a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
+group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
+but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
+the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
+list of killed groups.)
-@item G P m
-@kindex G P m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
-Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
-(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
+Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
+them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
+@vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
+Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
+(default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
+which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
+(un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
+relevant valid ranges.
+@vindex gnus-keep-same-level
+If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
+will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
+particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
+will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
+handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
+rest.
+If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
+one with the best level.
-@node Group Maintenance
-@section Group Maintenance
-@cindex bogus groups
+@vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
+All groups with a level less than or equal to
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
+by default.
-@table @kbd
-@item b
-@kindex b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
-Find bogus groups and delete them
-(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
+@vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
+If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
+groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
+@code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
+listed.
-@item F
-@kindex F (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
-Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
-With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
-for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
-to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
-zombies.
+@vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
+If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
+give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
+use this level as the ``work'' level.
-@item C-c C-x
-@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
-Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
-process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
+@vindex gnus-activate-level
+Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
+on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
+activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
+to 5. The default is 6.
-@item C-c M-C-x
-@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
-Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
-(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
-@end table
+@node Group Score
+@section Group Score
+@cindex group score
+@cindex group rank
+@cindex rank
+You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
+is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
+group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
+reason?
-@node Browse Foreign Server
-@section Browse Foreign Server
-@cindex foreign servers
-@cindex browsing servers
+This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
+to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
+the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
+score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
+called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
+a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
+of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
+least significant part.))
-@table @kbd
-@item B
-@kindex B (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
-You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
-then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
-(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
-@end table
+@findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
+If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
+read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
+the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
+sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
+action after each summary exit, you can add
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
+@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
+slow things down somewhat.
-@findex gnus-browse-mode
-A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
-will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
-a lot) like a normal group buffer.
-Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
+@node Marking Groups
+@section Marking Groups
+@cindex marking groups
+
+If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
+subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
+numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
+bidding on those groups.
+
+However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
+perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
+with the process mark and then execute the command.
@table @kbd
-@item n
-@kindex n (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-next-group
-Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
-@item p
-@kindex p (Browse)
-@findex gnus-group-prev-group
-Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
+@item #
+@kindex # (Group)
+@itemx M m
+@kindex M m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-group
+Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-read-group
-Enter the current group and display the first article
-(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
+@item M-#
+@kindex M-# (Group)
+@itemx M u
+@kindex M u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-group
+Remove the mark from the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-select-group
-Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
+@item M U
+@kindex M U (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
+Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
-@item u
-@kindex u (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
-Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
-subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
+@item M w
+@kindex M w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-region
+Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
-@item l
-@itemx q
-@kindex q (Browse)
-@kindex l (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-exit
-Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
+Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Browse)
-@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
-Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
-there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
+@item M r
+@kindex M r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
+Mark all groups that match some regular expression
+(@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
@end table
+Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
-@node Exiting Gnus
-@section Exiting gnus
-@cindex exiting gnus
+@findex gnus-group-universal-argument
+If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
+with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
+(@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
+the command to be executed.
-Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
-@table @kbd
-@item z
-@kindex z (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-suspend
-Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
-but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
-is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
+@node Foreign Groups
+@section Foreign Groups
+@cindex foreign groups
-@item q
-@kindex q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-exit
-@c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
-Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
+Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
+groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
+special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
+groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
+consulted.
-@item Q
-@kindex Q (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-quit
-Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
-The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
-@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
-@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
-@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
-@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
-exiting gnus.
+@item G m
+@kindex G m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-group
+@cindex making groups
+Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
+for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
+to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
-@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.
+@item G r
+@kindex G r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-rename-group
+@cindex renaming groups
+Rename the current group to something else
+(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
+groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
+on some backends.
-Note:
+@item G c
+@kindex G c (Group)
+@cindex customizing
+@findex gnus-group-customize
+Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
-@quotation
-Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
-numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
-behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
-plastic chair.
-@end quotation
+@item G e
+@kindex G e (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
+@cindex renaming groups
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
+group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
+@item G p
+@kindex G p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
-@node Group Topics
-@section Group Topics
-@cindex topics
+@item G E
+@kindex G E (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-group
+Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
-If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
-them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
-here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
-you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
-even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
-groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
+@item G d
+@kindex G d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
+@cindex nndir
+Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
+for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item G h
+@kindex G h (Group)
+@cindex help group
+@findex gnus-group-make-help-group
+Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
-Here's an example:
+@item G a
+@kindex G a (Group)
+@cindex (ding) archive
+@cindex archive group
+@findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
+@vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
+@vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
+Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
+default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
+(@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
+group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
-@example
-Gnus
- Emacs -- I wuw it!
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- Naughty Emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
-@end example
+@item G k
+@kindex G k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
+@cindex nnkiboze
+Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
+match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
+strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
+@xref{Kibozed Groups}.
-@findex gnus-topic-mode
-@kindex t (Group)
-To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
-@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
-is a toggling command.)
+@item G D
+@kindex G D (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
+@cindex nneething
+Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
+@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
+@xref{Anything Groups}.
-Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
-dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
-press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
-@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
-bothered?
+@item G f
+@kindex G f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
+@cindex ClariNet Briefs
+@cindex nndoc
+Make a group based on some file or other
+(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
+Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
+@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
+@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
+If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
+type. @xref{Document Groups}.
-If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
-the hook for the group mode:
+@item G u
+@kindex G u (Group)
+@vindex gnus-useful-groups
+@findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
+Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
+(@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
-@end lisp
+@item G w
+@kindex G w (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex nnweb
+Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
+(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
+command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
+search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
+include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+@xref{Web Searches}.
-@menu
-* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
-* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
-* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
-* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
-* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
-@end menu
+If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
+to a particular group by using a match string like
+@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+@item G DEL
+@kindex G DEL (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-delete-group
+This function will delete the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
+actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
+group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
+absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
+read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
-@node Topic Variables
-@subsection Topic Variables
-@cindex topic variables
+@item G V
+@kindex G V (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
+Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
-Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
-really neat, I think.
+@item G v
+@kindex G v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
+Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
+(@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
+@end table
-@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:
+@xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
+methods.
-@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-activate-foreign-newsgroups
+If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
+gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
+This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
+groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
+@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
+newsgroups.
-@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
-Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
-@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
-The default is 2.
-@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+@node Group Parameters
+@section Group Parameters
+@cindex group parameters
-@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}.
+The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
+Here's an example group parameter list:
+@example
+((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
+ (auto-expire . t))
+@end example
-@node Topic Commands
-@subsection Topic Commands
-@cindex topic commands
+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.
-When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
-available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
-definitions slightly.
+Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
+is an alist of regexps and values.
-@table @kbd
+The following group parameters can be used:
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
-Prompt for a new topic name and create it
-(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+@table @code
+@item to-address
+@cindex to-address
+Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
-@item T m
-@kindex T m (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-move-group
-Move the current group to some other topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@example
+(to-address . "some@@where.com")
+@end example
-@item T c
-@kindex T c (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
-Copy the current group to some other topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
+lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
+the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
+ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
+that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
-@item T D
-@kindex T D (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
-Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
-This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
-topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
-remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
-the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
-(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
-topic.
+Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
+or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
+@samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
+the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
+group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
+list address instead.
-This command uses the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
-@item T M
-@kindex T M (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
-Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
+@item to-list
+@cindex to-list
+Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
-@item T C
-@kindex T C (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
-Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
+@example
+(to-list . "some@@where.com")
+@end example
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
-Toggle hiding empty topics
-(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
+It is totally ignored
+when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
+you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
-Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
+@code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
+then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
+sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
+@vindex gnus-add-to-list
-@item 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}).
+If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
+@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
+sending the message.
-@item 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.
+See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
-@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 visible
+@cindex visible
+If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
+that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
+of whether it has any unread articles.
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-select-group
-@itemx SPACE
-Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
-When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
-usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
-visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
-toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
-prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+@item broken-reply-to
+@cindex broken-reply-to
+Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
+headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
+reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
+@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
+broken behavior. So there!
-@item 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 to-group
+@cindex to-group
+Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
+posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
-@item 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 newsgroup
+@cindex newsgroup
+If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
+will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
+This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
+news group.
-@item C-y
-@kindex C-y (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
-Yank the previously killed group or topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
-before all groups.
+@item gcc-self
+@cindex gcc-self
+If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
+composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
+@code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
+generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
+be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
+precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
-@item T r
-@kindex T r (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-rename
-Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
+@item auto-expire
+@cindex auto-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
+. t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
+alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
-@item T DEL
-@kindex T DEL (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-delete
-Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
+See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
-@item A T
-@kindex A T (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-list-active
-List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
-(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+@item total-expire
+@cindex total-expire
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like
+@code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
+expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
+caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
+expiry.
-@item G p
-@kindex G p (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
-@cindex group parameters
-@cindex topic parameters
-@cindex parameters
-Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
-@xref{Topic Parameters}.
+See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
-@end table
+@item expiry-wait
+@cindex expiry-wait
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
+. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
+The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
+the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+@item score-file
+@cindex score file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
+interactive score entries will be put into this file.
-@node Topic Sorting
-@subsection Topic Sorting
-@cindex topic sorting
+@item adapt-file
+@cindex adapt file group parameter
+Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
+@file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
+All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
-You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
-commands:
+@item admin-address
+When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
+unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
+messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
+put the admin address somewhere convenient.
+@item display
+Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
+display on entering the group. Valid values are:
-@table @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}).
+@table @code
+@item all
+Display all articles, both read and unread.
-@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 default
+Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
+ticked articles.
+@end table
-@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 comment
+Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
+are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
+gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
+groups.
-@item T S v
-@kindex T S v (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
-Sort the current topic by group score
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item charset
+Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
+@code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
+used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
-@item T S r
-@kindex T S r (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
-Sort the current topic by group rank
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
-
-@item T S m
-@kindex T S m (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
-(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
-
-@end table
+See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
-@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
+@item ignored-charsets
+Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known 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}.
-@node Topic Topology
-@subsection Topic Topology
-@cindex topic topology
-@cindex topology
+@item posting-style
+You can store additional posting style information for this group only
+here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
+@code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
+the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
+take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
-So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
+For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
+instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
+like this in the group parameters:
@example
-Gnus
- Emacs -- I wuw it!
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- Naughty Emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
+(posting-style
+ (name "Funky Name")
+ (signature "Funky Signature"))
@end example
-So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
-that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
-just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
-follows:
-
-@lisp
-(("Gnus" visible)
- (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
- (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
- (("Misc" visible)))
-@end lisp
-
-@vindex gnus-topic-topology
-This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
-for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
-file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
-to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
-setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
+@item 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}.
-This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
-and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
-allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
+@item (@var{variable} @var{form})
+You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
+are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
+you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
+that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
+in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
+@code{eval}ed there.
+This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
+If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
+something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
+group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
+@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
-@node Topic Parameters
-@subsection Topic Parameters
-@cindex topic parameters
+@end table
-All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
-ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
-parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
+group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
+presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
+silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
+parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
-Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
-parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
-know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
-verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
+Group parameters can be set in @code{gnus-parameters} too. But some
+variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For example,
@example
-Gnus
- Emacs
- 3: comp.emacs
- 2: alt.religion.emacs
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- Relief
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
- 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
- Misc
- 8: comp.binaries.fractals
- 13: comp.sources.unix
- 452: alt.sex.emacs
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("mail\\..*" (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring nil)
+ (gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
+ (gcc-self . t)
+ (display . all))
+ ("mail\\.me" (gnus-use-scoring t))
+ ("list\\..*" (total-expire . t)
+ (broken-reply-to . t)))
@end example
-The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
-. "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
-@code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
-topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
-@* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
-. "religion.SCORE")}.
+@node Listing Groups
+@section Listing Groups
+@cindex group listing
-Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
-will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
-group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
-score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
-get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
+These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
-This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
-there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
-parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
-@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
-gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
-of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
-happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
-happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
+@table @kbd
+
+@item l
+@itemx A s
+@kindex A s (Group)
+@kindex l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-groups
+List all groups that have unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
+command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
+only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
+@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
+groups).
+@item L
+@itemx A u
+@kindex A u (Group)
+@kindex L (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
+List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
+(@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
+this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
+it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
+unsubscribed groups).
-@node Misc Group Stuff
-@section Misc Group Stuff
+@item A l
+@kindex A l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-level
+List all unread groups on a specific level
+(@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
+with no unread articles.
-@menu
-* Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
-* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
-* Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
-* File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
-@end menu
+@item A k
+@kindex A k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-killed
+List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
+prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
+currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
+from the server.
-@table @kbd
+@item A z
+@kindex A z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-zombies
+List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
-Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
-@xref{The Server Buffer}.
+@item A m
+@kindex A m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-matching
+List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
-@item a
-@kindex a (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-post-news
-Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
-prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
+@item A M
+@kindex A M (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
+List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
-@item m
-@kindex m (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+@item A A
+@kindex A A (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-active
+List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
+server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
+might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
+to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
+thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
+don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
+Take the output with some grains of salt.
-@end table
+@item A a
+@kindex A a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-apropos
+List all groups that have names that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
-Variables for the group buffer:
+@item A d
+@kindex A d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-description-apropos
+List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
+(@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
-@table @code
+@item A c
+@kindex A c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-cached
+List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
-@item gnus-group-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
-is called after the group buffer has been
-created.
+@item A ?
+@kindex A ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-dormant
+List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
-@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called after the group buffer is
-generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
-unnatural way.
+@item A /
+@kindex A / (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-limit
+List groups limited within the current selection
+(@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
-@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
-is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
-generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
+@item A f
+@kindex A f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-flush
+Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
-@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
-Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
-whether they are empty or not.
+@item A p
+@kindex A p (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-list-plus
+List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
@end table
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@cindex visible group parameter
+Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
+always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
+add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
+get the same effect.
-@node Scanning New Messages
-@subsection Scanning New Messages
-@cindex new messages
-@cindex scanning new news
+@vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
+Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
+group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
+@code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
+groups. It is @code{t} by default.
-@table @kbd
-@item g
-@kindex g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
-Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
-this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
-command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
-backend(s).
+@node Sorting Groups
+@section Sorting Groups
+@cindex sorting groups
-@item M-g
-@kindex M-g (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
-@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
-@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
-Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
-@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
-to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
-
-@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
-@cindex activating groups
-@item C-c M-g
-@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
-Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
-
-@item R
-@kindex R (Group)
-@cindex restarting
-@findex gnus-group-restart
-Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
-file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
-gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
-
-@end table
-
-@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
-
-@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
-@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
-news.
+@kindex C-c C-s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups
+@vindex gnus-group-sort-function
+The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
+group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
+include:
+@table @code
-@node Group Information
-@subsection Group Information
-@cindex group information
-@cindex information on groups
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
+Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
+Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-level
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
+Sort by group level.
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-@cindex FAQ
-@cindex ange-ftp
-Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
-@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
-remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
-that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
-for fetching the file.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
+Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
-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 gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
+Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
+are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
-@item H d
-@itemx C-c C-d
-@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
-@kindex H d (Group)
-@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
-@cindex describing groups
-@cindex group description
-@findex gnus-group-describe-group
-Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
-a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
+Sort by number of unread articles.
-@item M-d
-@kindex M-d (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
-Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
-prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-method
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
+Sort alphabetically on the select method.
-@item H v
-@itemx V
-@kindex V (Group)
-@kindex H v (Group)
-@cindex version
-@findex gnus-version
-Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
+@item gnus-group-sort-by-server
+@findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
+Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
-Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
-@item C-c C-i
-@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
-@cindex info
-@cindex manual
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
+functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
+the last one.
-@node Group Timestamp
-@subsection Group Timestamp
-@cindex timestamps
-@cindex group timestamps
-It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
-group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
-@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
+There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
+some sorting criteria:
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item G S a
+@kindex G S a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
-After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
+@item G S u
+@kindex G S u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
-This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
-use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
+@item G S l
+@kindex G S l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the group buffer by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
-@end lisp
+@item G S v
+@kindex G S v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the group buffer by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
-This will result in lines looking like:
+@item G S r
+@kindex G S r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the group buffer by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
-@example
-* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
- 0: custom 19961002T012713
-@end example
+@item G S m
+@kindex G S m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
-As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
-may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
-something like:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
-@end lisp
+All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
+commands will sort in reverse order.
-@node File Commands
-@subsection File Commands
-@cindex file commands
+You can also sort a subset of the groups:
@table @kbd
+@item G P a
+@kindex G P a (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
+Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
-@item r
-@kindex r (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
-@vindex gnus-init-file
-@cindex reading init file
-Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
-@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+@item G P u
+@kindex G P u (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
+Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
-@item s
-@kindex s (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
-@cindex saving .newsrc
-Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
-(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
-file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+@item G P l
+@kindex G P l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
+Sort the groups by group level
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
-@c @item Z
-@c @kindex Z (Group)
-@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
-@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
+@item G P v
+@kindex G P v (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
+Sort the groups by group score
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
-@end table
+@item G P r
+@kindex G P r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
+Sort the groups by group rank
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+@item G P m
+@kindex G P m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
+Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
-@node The Summary Buffer
-@chapter The Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary buffer
+@end table
-A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
-move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
+And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
+move groups around.
-The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
-group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
-
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
-* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
-* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
-* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
-* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
-* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
-* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
-* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
-* Threading:: How threads are made.
-* Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
-* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
-* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
-* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
-* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
-* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
-* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
-* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
-* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
-* Charsets:: Character set issues.
-* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
-* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
-* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
-* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
-* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
-* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
-* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
-* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
-* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
-* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
-@end menu
+@node Group Maintenance
+@section Group Maintenance
+@cindex bogus groups
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@kindex b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
+Find bogus groups and delete them
+(@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
-@node Summary Buffer Format
-@section Summary Buffer Format
-@cindex summary buffer format
+@item F
+@kindex F (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
+Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
+With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
+for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
+to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
+zombies.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item C-c C-x
+@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
+all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-@menu
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
-@end menu
+@item C-c M-C-x
+@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
+Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
+(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
-@findex mail-extract-address-components
-@findex gnus-extract-address-components
-@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
-Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
-variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
-@code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
-fast, and too simplistic solution;
-@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
-slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
-nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
-answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
-other function instead:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extract-address-components
- 'mail-extract-address-components)
-@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
-@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
-article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
-with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
+@node Browse Foreign Server
+@section Browse Foreign Server
+@cindex foreign servers
+@cindex browsing servers
+@table @kbd
+@item B
+@kindex B (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
+You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
+then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
+(@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
+@end table
-@node Summary Buffer Lines
-@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
+@findex gnus-browse-mode
+A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
+will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
+a lot) like a normal group buffer.
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
-the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
-lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
-(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
-The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+@table @kbd
+@item n
+@kindex n (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-next-group
+Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
-The following format specification characters are understood:
+@item p
+@kindex p (Browse)
+@findex gnus-group-prev-group
+Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
-@table @samp
-@item N
-Article number.
-@item S
-Subject string.
-@item s
-Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
-had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
-(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
-@item F
-Full @code{From} header.
-@item n
-The name (from the @code{From} header).
-@item f
-The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
-(@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
-@item a
-The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
-spec in that it uses the function designated by the
-@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
-may be more thorough.
-@item A
-The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
-the @code{a} spec.
-@item L
-Number of lines in the article.
-@item c
-Number of characters in the article.
-@item I
-Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item T
-Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
-pushes everything after it off the screen).
-@item [
-Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
-for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-@item ]
-Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
-for adopted articles.
-@item >
-One space for each thread level.
-@item <
-Twenty minus thread level spaces.
-@item U
-Unread.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-read-group
+Enter the current group and display the first article
+(@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
-@item R
-This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
-mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
-or has been saved.
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-select-group
+Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
-@item i
-Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item z
-@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
-Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
-default level. If the difference between
-@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
-@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
-@item V
-Total thread score.
-@item x
-@code{Xref}.
-@item D
-@code{Date}.
-@item d
-The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
-@item o
-The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
-@item M
-@code{Message-ID}.
-@item r
-@code{References}.
-@item t
-Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
-down summary buffer generation somewhat.
-@item e
-An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
-article has any children.
-@item P
-The line number.
-@item O
-Download mark.
@item u
-User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
-be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
-following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
-argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
-into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
-@end table
-
-The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
-have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
-compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
-that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
-variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
-buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
+@kindex u (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
+Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
+subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
-The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
-(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
+@item l
+@itemx q
+@kindex q (Browse)
+@kindex l (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-exit
+Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
-This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
+Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
+there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
+@end table
-@node To From Newsgroups
-@subsection To From Newsgroups
-@cindex To
-@cindex Newsgroups
+@node Exiting Gnus
+@section Exiting gnus
+@cindex exiting gnus
-In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
-isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
-you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
-headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
-gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
+Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
-@enumerate
-@item
-@vindex gnus-extra-headers
-The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
-instance:
+@table @kbd
+@item z
+@kindex z (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-suspend
+Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
+but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
+is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extra-headers
- '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
-@end lisp
+@item q
+@kindex q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
+Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
-This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
-storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
+@item Q
+@kindex Q (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-quit
+Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
+The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+@end table
-@item
-@findex gnus-extra-header
-The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
-@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
-access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
+@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
+@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
+@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
+exiting gnus.
-@example
-"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
-@end example
+@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.
-@item
-@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
-The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
-summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
-@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
-@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
-headers are used instead.
+Note:
-@end enumerate
+@quotation
+Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
+numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
+behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
+plastic chair.
+@end quotation
-@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
-A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
-to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
-you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
-this variable.
-@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
-You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
-@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
+@node Group Topics
+@section Group Topics
+@cindex topics
-In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
+If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
+them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
+here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
+you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
+even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
+groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-extra-headers
- '(To Newsgroups))
-(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
-(setq gnus-summary-line-format
- "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
-(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
- "Your Name Here")
-@end lisp
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
-the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
-nntp admin to add:
+Here's an example:
@example
-Newsgroups:full
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
@end example
-to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
-as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
-
+@findex gnus-topic-mode
+@kindex t (Group)
+To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
+@code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
+is a toggling command.)
-@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
+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?
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
-You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
-like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
+If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
+the hook for the group mode:
-Here are the elements you can play with:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
-@table @samp
-@item G
-Group name.
-@item p
-Unprefixed group name.
-@item A
-Current article number.
-@item z
-Current article score.
-@item V
-Gnus version.
-@item U
-Number of unread articles in this group.
-@item e
-Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
-summary buffer.
-@item Z
-A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
-either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
-articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
-and no unselected ones.
-@item g
-Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
-shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
-@item S
-Subject of the current article.
-@item u
-User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
-@item s
-Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
-@item d
-Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item t
-Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
-@item r
-Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
-@item E
-Number of articles expunged by the score files.
-@end table
+@menu
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+@end menu
-@node Summary Highlighting
-@subsection Summary Highlighting
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
-@table @code
+Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
+really neat, I think.
-@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
-This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
-highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@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 gnus-summary-update-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
-This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
-@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
+@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
-@item gnus-summary-selected-face
-@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
-This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
-highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
+@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.
-@item gnus-summary-highlight
-@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
-Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
-list where the elements are of the format @var{(FORM . FACE)}. If you
-would, for instance, like ticked articles to be italic and high-scored
-articles to be bold, you could set this variable to something like
-@lisp
-(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
- ((> score default) . bold))
-@end lisp
-As you may have guessed, if @var{FORM} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
-@var{FACE} will be applied to the line.
-@end table
+@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 Summary Maneuvering
-@section Summary Maneuvering
-@cindex summary movement
-All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
-behave pretty much as you'd expect.
+@node Topic Commands
+@subsection Topic Commands
+@cindex topic commands
-None of these commands select articles.
+When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
+available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
+definitions slightly.
@table @kbd
-@item G M-n
-@itemx M-n
-@kindex M-n (Summary)
-@kindex G M-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
-Go to the next summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
-@item G M-p
-@itemx M-p
-@kindex M-p (Summary)
-@kindex G M-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
-Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
+Prompt for a new topic name and create it
+(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
-@item G j
-@itemx j
-@kindex j (Summary)
-@kindex G j (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
-Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
+@item T m
+@kindex T m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-group
+Move the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item G g
-@kindex G g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
-Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
-without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
-@end table
+@item T j
+@kindex T j (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
+Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
-If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
-can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
-buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
-to the group buffer.
+@item T c
+@kindex T c (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-group
+Copy the current group to some other topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-Variables related to summary movement:
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
+Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
+a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
-@table @code
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-show-topic
+Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
+a prefix, show the topic permanently.
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
-@item gnus-auto-select-next
-If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
-no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
-the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
-empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
-this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
-next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
-special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
-next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
-@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
-the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
-@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
-without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+@item T D
+@kindex T D (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-remove-group
+Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
+This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
+topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
+remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
+the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
+(which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
+topic.
-@item gnus-auto-select-same
-@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
-If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
-article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
-mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
-for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
-articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
+This command uses the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
+@item T M
+@kindex T M (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-move-matching
+Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
-@item gnus-summary-check-current
-@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
-If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
-to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
-Instead, they will choose the current article.
+@item T C
+@kindex T C (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
+Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
-@item gnus-auto-center-summary
-@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
-If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
-centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
-slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
-set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
-action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
-buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
-threads.
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
+Toggle hiding empty topics
+(@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
-This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
-the given number of lines from the top.
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
+Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
-@end table
+@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}).
-@node Choosing Articles
-@section Choosing Articles
-@cindex selecting articles
+@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.
-@menu
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
-@end menu
+@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}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+@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.
-@node Choosing Commands
-@subsection Choosing Commands
+@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.
-None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
-and they all select and display an article.
+@item T r
+@kindex T r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-rename
+Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
-@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
-unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@item T DEL
+@kindex T DEL (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-delete
+Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
-@item G n
-@itemx n
-@kindex n (Summary)
-@kindex G n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
-Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
+@item A T
+@kindex A T (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-list-active
+List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
+(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
@item G p
-@itemx p
-@kindex p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
-Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
+@kindex G p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
+@cindex group parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
+@cindex parameters
+Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
+@xref{Topic Parameters}.
-@item G N
-@itemx N
-@kindex N (Summary)
-@kindex G N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-article
-Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
+@end table
-@item G P
-@itemx P
-@kindex P (Summary)
-@kindex G P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
-Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
-@item G C-n
-@kindex G C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
-Go to the next article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+@node Topic Sorting
+@subsection Topic Sorting
+@cindex topic sorting
-@item G C-p
-@kindex G C-p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
-Go to the previous article with the same subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
+You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
+commands:
-@item G f
-@itemx .
-@kindex G f (Summary)
-@kindex . (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Go to the first unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
-@item G b
-@itemx ,
-@kindex G b (Summary)
-@kindex , (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Go to the article with the highest score
-(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+@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 G l
-@itemx l
-@kindex l (Summary)
-@kindex G l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
-Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
+@item T S u
+@kindex T S u (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
+Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
+
+@item T S l
+@kindex T S l (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
+Sort the current topic by group level
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
+
+@item T S v
+@kindex T S v (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
+Sort the current topic by group score
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S r
+@kindex T S r (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
+Sort the current topic by group rank
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
+
+@item T S m
+@kindex T S m (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
-@item G o
-@kindex G o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
-@cindex history
-@cindex article history
-Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
-command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
-history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
-For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
-@pxref{Article Backlog}.
@end table
+@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
-@node Choosing Variables
-@subsection Choosing Variables
-Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
+@node Topic Topology
+@subsection Topic Topology
+@cindex topic topology
+@cindex topology
-@table @code
-@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
-All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
-article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
-this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
-the server and display it in the article buffer.
+So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
-@item gnus-select-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
-exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs -- I wuw it!
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ Naughty Emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+@end example
-@item gnus-mark-article-hook
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
-@findex gnus-unread-mark
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
-be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
-mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
-only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
-expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
-marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
-instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
-@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
+So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
+that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
+just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
+follows:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(("Gnus" visible)
+ (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
+ (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
+ (("Misc" visible)))
+@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-topic-topology
+This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
+for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
+file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
+to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
+setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
-@node Paging the Article
-@section Scrolling the Article
-@cindex article scrolling
+This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
+and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
+allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
-@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-page
-Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
-or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
-next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@node Topic Parameters
+@subsection Topic Parameters
+@cindex topic parameters
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
-Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
+All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
+ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
+parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
-Scroll the current article one line forward
-(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
+In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
+parameters:
-@item M-RET
-@kindex M-RET (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
-Scroll the current article one line backward
-(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
+@table @code
+@item subscribe
+When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
+@code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
+value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
+topic.
-@item A g
-@itemx g
-@kindex A g (Summary)
-@kindex g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-article
-(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
-given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
-article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
-the way it came from the server.
+@end table
-@item A <
-@itemx <
-@kindex < (Summary)
-@kindex A < (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
-Scroll to the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
+Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
+parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
+know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
+verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
-@item A >
-@itemx >
-@kindex > (Summary)
-@kindex A > (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
-Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
+@example
+Gnus
+ Emacs
+ 3: comp.emacs
+ 2: alt.religion.emacs
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ Relief
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+ 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
+ Misc
+ 8: comp.binaries.fractals
+ 13: comp.sources.unix
+ 452: alt.sex.emacs
+@end example
-@item A s
-@itemx s
-@kindex A s (Summary)
-@kindex s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
-Perform an isearch in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
+The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
+. "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
+@code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
+topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
+@* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
+. "religion.SCORE")}.
-@item h
-@kindex h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
-Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
+Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
+will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
+group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
+score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
+get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
-@end table
+This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
+there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
+parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
+@code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
+gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
+of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
+happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
+happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
-@node Reply Followup and Post
-@section Reply, Followup and Post
+@node Misc Group Stuff
+@section Misc Group Stuff
@menu
-* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
-* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
@end menu
+@table @kbd
-@node Summary Mail Commands
-@subsection Summary Mail Commands
-@cindex mail
-@cindex composing mail
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
+Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
+@xref{Server Buffer}.
-Commands for composing a mail message:
+@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.
-@table @kbd
+@item m
+@kindex m (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-mail
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
-@item S r
-@itemx r
-@kindex S r (Summary)
-@kindex r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
+@end table
-@item S R
-@itemx R
-@kindex R (Summary)
-@kindex S R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
-Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
-original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
-command uses the process/prefix convention.
-
-@item S w
-@kindex S w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
-Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
-goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
-@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
-
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
-message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+Variables for the group buffer:
-@item S o m
-@kindex S o m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
-Forward the current article to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
-headers of the forwarded article.
+@table @code
-@item S m
-@itemx m
-@kindex m (Summary)
-@kindex S m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
-Send a mail to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
+@item gnus-group-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
+is called after the group buffer has been
+created.
-@item S D b
-@kindex S D b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
-@cindex bouncing mail
-If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
-reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
-resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
-will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
-sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
-the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
-that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
-very well fail, though.
+@item gnus-group-prepare-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called after the group buffer is
+generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
+unnatural way.
-@item S D r
-@kindex S D r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
-Not to be confused with the previous command,
-@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
-send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
-headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
-@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
-means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
-header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
-So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
+@item gnus-group-prepared-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
+is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
+generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
-This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
-ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
-@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
-to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
-@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
+@item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+@vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
+Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
+whether they are empty or not.
-This command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
+@vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
+An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
+non-ASCII group names.
-@item S O m
-@kindex S O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
-Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
-result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
-uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+For example:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
+ '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
+@end lisp
-@item S M-c
-@kindex S M-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
-@cindex crossposting
-@cindex excessive crossposting
-Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
-current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
+@item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
+@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.
-@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
-This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
-crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
-using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
+For example:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
+ '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
+@end lisp
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
-
-
-@node Summary Post Commands
-@subsection Summary Post Commands
-@cindex post
-@cindex composing news
-
-Commands for posting a news article:
+@node Scanning New Messages
+@subsection Scanning New Messages
+@cindex new messages
+@cindex scanning new news
@table @kbd
-@item S p
-@itemx a
-@kindex a (Summary)
-@kindex S p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
-Post an article to the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
-
-@item S f
-@itemx f
-@kindex f (Summary)
-@kindex S f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
-Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
-
-@item S F
-@itemx F
-@kindex S F (Summary)
-@kindex F (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
-@item S n
-@kindex S n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
+@item g
+@kindex g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
+Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
+this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
+command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
+backend(s).
-@item S N
-@kindex S N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
-Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
-message through mail and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+@item M-g
+@kindex M-g (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
+@vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
+@c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
+Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
+@code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
+to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
-@item S o p
-@kindex S o p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
-Forward the current article to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
-headers of the forwarded article.
+@findex gnus-activate-all-groups
+@cindex activating groups
+@item C-c M-g
+@kindex C-c M-g (Group)
+Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
-@item S O p
-@kindex S O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
-@cindex digests
-@cindex making digests
-Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
-process/prefix convention.
+@item R
+@kindex R (Group)
+@cindex restarting
+@findex gnus-group-restart
+Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
+file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
+gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
-@item S u
-@kindex S u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-post-news
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
-Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
-(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
-
+@vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
-@node Canceling and Superseding
-@section Canceling Articles
-@cindex canceling articles
-@cindex superseding articles
+@vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
+news.
-Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
-really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
-Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
+@node Group Information
+@subsection Group Information
+@cindex group information
+@cindex information on groups
-@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
-@kindex C (Summary)
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
-Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
-articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
-c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
-canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
-This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@table @kbd
-Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
-live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
-question.
-Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
-want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
-prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+@cindex FAQ
+@cindex ange-ftp
+Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
+@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
+remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
+that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
+for fetching the file.
-If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
-corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
-your original article.
+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.
-@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
-@kindex S (Summary)
-Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
-(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
-where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
-usual way.
+@item H d
+@itemx C-c C-d
+@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
+@kindex H d (Group)
+@kindex C-c C-d (Group)
+@cindex describing groups
+@cindex group description
+@findex gnus-group-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
+a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
-The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
-sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
-have posted almost the same article twice.
+@item M-d
+@kindex M-d (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
+Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
+prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
-If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
-there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
-waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
-to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
-find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
-the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
-header by substituting one of those words for the word
-@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
-you would do normally. The previous article will be
-canceled/superseded.
+@item H v
+@itemx V
+@kindex V (Group)
+@kindex H v (Group)
+@cindex version
+@findex gnus-version
+Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
-Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
+Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
+@item C-c C-i
+@kindex C-c C-i (Group)
+@cindex info
+@cindex manual
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
+@end table
-@node Marking Articles
-@section Marking Articles
-@cindex article marking
-@cindex article ticking
-@cindex marks
-There are several marks you can set on an article.
+@node Group Timestamp
+@subsection Group Timestamp
+@cindex timestamps
+@cindex group timestamps
-You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
-neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
-@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
+It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
+group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
+@code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
-In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-@end menu
+After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
-@ifinfo
-There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
-@end ifinfo
+This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
+use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
-@menu
-* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
-* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
-* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
-@end menu
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
+@end lisp
+This will result in lines looking like:
-@node Unread Articles
-@subsection Unread Articles
+@example
+* 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
+ 0: custom 19961002T012713
+@end example
-The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
-other.
+As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
+may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
+something like:
-@table @samp
-@item !
-@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
-Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
+@end lisp
-@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
-you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
-reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
-tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
-article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
-Articles}).
-@item ?
-@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
-Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
+@node File Commands
+@subsection File Commands
+@cindex file commands
-@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
-are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
-followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+@table @kbd
-@item SPACE
-@vindex gnus-unread-mark
-Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
+@item r
+@kindex r (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-init-file
+@vindex gnus-init-file
+@cindex reading init file
+Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
+@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
-@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
-@end table
+@item s
+@kindex s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
+@cindex saving .newsrc
+Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
+(@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
+file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
+@c @item Z
+@c @kindex Z (Group)
+@c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
+@c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
-@node Read Articles
-@subsection Read Articles
-@cindex expirable mark
+@end table
-All the following marks mark articles as read.
-@table @samp
+@node Summary Buffer
+@chapter Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary buffer
-@item r
-@vindex gnus-del-mark
-These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
-command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
+A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
+move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
-@item R
-@vindex gnus-read-mark
-Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
+The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
+group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-@item O
-@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
-Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
-@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
+You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
-@item K
-@vindex gnus-killed-mark
-Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
+* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
+* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
+* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
+* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
+* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
+* Threading:: How threads are made.
+* Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
+* Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
+* Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
+* Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
+* Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
+* Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
+* Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
+* Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
+* MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
+* Charsets:: Character set issues.
+* Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
+* Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
+* Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
+* Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
+* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
+* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
+* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
+ 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.
+@end menu
-@item X
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
-Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
-@item Y
-@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
-Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
+@node Summary Buffer Format
+@section Summary Buffer Format
+@cindex summary buffer format
-@item C
-@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
-Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item G
-@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
-Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
+@menu
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+@end menu
-@item F
-@vindex gnus-souped-mark
-@sc{SOUP}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
+@findex mail-extract-address-components
+@findex gnus-extract-address-components
+@vindex gnus-extract-address-components
+Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
+variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
+@code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
+fast, and too simplistic solution;
+@code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
+slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
+nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
+answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
+other function instead:
-@item Q
-@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
-Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
-Threading}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extract-address-components
+ 'mail-extract-address-components)
+@end lisp
-@item M
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
-Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
-(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+@vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
+@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
+article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
+with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
-@end table
-All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
-They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
+@node Summary Buffer Lines
+@subsection Summary Buffer Lines
-One more special mark, though:
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
+the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
+lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
+(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+
+There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
+the colon after performing an operation.
+
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+
+The following format specification characters are understood:
@table @samp
-@item E
-@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
-Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
+@item N
+Article number.
+@item S
+Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
+@code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@item s
+Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
+had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
+(@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
+@item F
+Full @code{From} header.
+@item n
+The name (from the @code{From} header).
+@item f
+The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
+(@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
+@item a
+The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
+spec in that it uses the function designated by the
+@code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
+may be more thorough.
+@item A
+The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
+the @code{a} spec.
+@item L
+Number of lines in the article.
+@item c
+Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
+methods (like nnfolder).
+@item I
+Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item B
+A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace lines.
+@item T
+Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
+pushes everything after it off the screen).
+@item [
+Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
+for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item ]
+Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
+for adopted articles.
+@item >
+One space for each thread level.
+@item <
+Twenty minus thread level spaces.
+@item U
+Unread.
-Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
-automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
-control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
-articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
-any time.
+@item R
+This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
+mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
+or has been saved.
+
+@item i
+Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item z
+@vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
+Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
+default level. If the difference between
+@code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
+@code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
+@item V
+Total thread score.
+@item x
+@code{Xref}.
+@item D
+@code{Date}.
+@item d
+The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
+@item o
+The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
+@item M
+@code{Message-ID}.
+@item r
+@code{References}.
+@item t
+Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
+down summary buffer generation somewhat.
+@item e
+An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
+article has any children.
+@item P
+The line number.
+@item O
+Download mark.
+@item u
+User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
+be a letter. Gnus will call the function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
+argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
+into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
@end table
+The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
+have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
+compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
+that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
+variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
+buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
-@node Other Marks
-@subsection Other Marks
-@cindex process mark
-@cindex bookmarks
+The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
+(Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
-There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
-read or not.
+This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
-long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
-before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
-in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
-encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
+@node To From Newsgroups
+@subsection To From Newsgroups
+@cindex To
+@cindex Newsgroups
-@item
-@vindex gnus-replied-mark
-All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
-answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
+isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
+you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
+headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
+gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
+@enumerate
@item
-@vindex gnus-cached-mark
-Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
-the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
+@vindex gnus-extra-headers
+The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
+instance:
-@item
-@vindex gnus-saved-mark
-Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
-religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
-(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
+@end lisp
+
+This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
+storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
@item
-@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
-@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
-If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
-marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
-@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
+@findex gnus-extra-header
+The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
+@code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
+access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
+
+@example
+"%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
+@end example
@item
-@vindex gnus-process-mark
-Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
-variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
-instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
-all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
-marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
+@vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
+summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
+@code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
+@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
+headers are used instead.
-@end itemize
+@end enumerate
-You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
-appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
-replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
+@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.
-Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
-replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
-you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
+@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
+You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
+@code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
+In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
+@file{~/.gnus}:
-@node Setting Marks
-@subsection Setting Marks
-@cindex setting marks
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers
+ '(To Newsgroups))
+(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
+(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
+ "Your Name Here")
+@end lisp
-All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
+Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
+the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
+nntp admin to add:
-@table @kbd
-@item M c
-@itemx M-u
-@kindex M c (Summary)
-@kindex M-u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
-@cindex mark as unread
-Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
-article as unread.
+@example
+Newsgroups:full
+@end example
-@item M t
-@itemx !
-@kindex ! (Summary)
-@kindex M t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
-Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
-@xref{Article Caching}.
+to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
+as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
-@item M ?
-@itemx ?
-@kindex ? (Summary)
-@kindex M ? (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
-Mark the current article as dormant
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-
-@item M d
-@itemx d
-@kindex M d (Summary)
-@kindex d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
-Mark the current article as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
-
-@item D
-@kindex D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
-Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
-
-@item M k
-@itemx k
-@kindex k (Summary)
-@kindex M k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
-and then select the next unread article
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
-
-@item M K
-@itemx C-k
-@kindex M K (Summary)
-@kindex C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
-Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
-@item M C
-@kindex M C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
-Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
+@node Summary Buffer Mode Line
+@subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
-@item M C-c
-@kindex M C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
-Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
-articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
+You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
+like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
-@item M H
-@kindex M H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
-Catchup the current group to point
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+Here are the elements you can play with:
-@item C-w
-@kindex C-w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
-Mark all articles between point and mark as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
+@table @samp
+@item G
+Group name.
+@item p
+Unprefixed group name.
+@item A
+Current article number.
+@item z
+Current article score.
+@item V
+Gnus version.
+@item U
+Number of unread articles in this group.
+@item e
+Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
+summary buffer.
+@item Z
+A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
+either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
+articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
+and no unselected ones.
+@item g
+Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
+shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
+@item S
+Subject of the current article.
+@item u
+User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
+@item s
+Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
+@item d
+Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item t
+Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
+@item r
+Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
+@item E
+Number of articles expunged by the score files.
+@end table
-@item M V k
-@kindex M V k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
-Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
-@item M e
-@itemx E
-@kindex M e (Summary)
-@kindex E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
-Mark the current article as expirable
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+@node Summary Highlighting
+@subsection Summary Highlighting
-@item M b
-@kindex M b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
-Set a bookmark in the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
+@table @code
-@item M B
-@kindex M B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
-Remove the bookmark from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
+@item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
+This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
+highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-@item M V c
-@kindex M V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
-Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
-over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@item gnus-summary-update-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
+This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
+@code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
-@item M V u
-@kindex M V u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
-Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
-numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
+@item gnus-summary-selected-face
+@vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
+This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
+highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
-@item M V m
-@kindex M V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
-Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
-score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@item gnus-summary-highlight
+@vindex gnus-summary-highlight
+Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
+list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
+. @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
+italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
+to something like
+@lisp
+(((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
+ ((> score default) . bold))
+@end lisp
+As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
+@var{face} will be applied to the line.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
-The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
-be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
-the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
-one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
-@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
-@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
-The default is @code{t}.
+@node Summary Maneuvering
+@section Summary Maneuvering
+@cindex summary movement
-@node Generic Marking Commands
-@subsection Generic Marking Commands
+All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
+behave pretty much as you'd expect.
-Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
-the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
-article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
-even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go the the
-previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
-well.
+None of these commands select articles.
-Multiply these five behaviours with five different marking commands, and
-you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
-command should do.
+@table @kbd
+@item G M-n
+@itemx M-n
+@kindex M-n (Summary)
+@kindex G M-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
+Go to the next summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
-To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
-different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
-buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
-to list in this manual.
+@item G M-p
+@itemx M-p
+@kindex M-p (Summary)
+@kindex G M-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
+Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
-While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
-altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
-@kbd{!} command to go the the next article instead of the next unread
-article, you could say something like:
+@item G g
+@kindex G g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
+Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
+without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
+@end table
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
-(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
- (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
-@end lisp
+If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
+can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
+buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
+to the group buffer.
-or
+Variables related to summary movement:
-@lisp
-(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
- (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-next
+@item gnus-auto-select-next
+If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
+no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
+the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
+empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
+this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
+next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
+special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
+next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
+@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
+the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
+@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
+without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
-@node Setting Process Marks
-@subsection Setting Process Marks
-@cindex setting process marks
+@item gnus-auto-select-same
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
+If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
+article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
+mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
+for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
+articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
-@table @kbd
+This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
-@item M P p
-@itemx #
-@kindex # (Summary)
-@kindex M P p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
-Mark the current article with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
+@item gnus-summary-check-current
+@vindex gnus-summary-check-current
+If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
+to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
+Instead, they will choose the current article.
-@item M P u
-@itemx M-#
-@kindex M P u (Summary)
-@kindex M-# (Summary)
-Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
+@item gnus-auto-center-summary
+@vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
+If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
+centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
+slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
+set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
+action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
+buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
+threads.
-@item M P U
-@kindex M P U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
-Remove the process mark from all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
+This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
+the given number of lines from the top.
-@item M P i
-@kindex M P i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
-Invert the list of process marked articles
-(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
+@end table
-@item M P R
-@kindex M P R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
-Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
-expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
-@item M P r
-@kindex M P r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
-Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+@node Choosing Articles
+@section Choosing Articles
+@cindex selecting articles
-@item M P t
-@kindex M P t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@menu
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+@end menu
-@item M P T
-@kindex M P T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@item M P v
-@kindex M P v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
-Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
+@node Choosing Commands
+@subsection Choosing Commands
-@item M P s
-@kindex M P s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
-Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
+and they all select and display an article.
-@item M P S
-@kindex M P S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
-Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
+If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
+@ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
-@item M P a
-@kindex M P a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
-Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+@table @kbd
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
+unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
-@item M P b
-@kindex M P b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
-Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
+@item G n
+@itemx n
+@kindex n (Summary)
+@kindex G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
+Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
-@item M P k
-@kindex M P k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
+@item G p
+@itemx p
+@kindex p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
+Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
-@item M P y
-@kindex M P y (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
-Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
+@item G N
+@itemx N
+@kindex N (Summary)
+@kindex G N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-article
+Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
-@item M P w
-@kindex M P w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
-Push the current process mark set onto the stack
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
+@item G P
+@itemx P
+@kindex P (Summary)
+@kindex G P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-article
+Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
-@end table
+@item G C-n
+@kindex G C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
+Go to the next article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
+@item G C-p
+@kindex G C-p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
+Go to the previous article with the same subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
-@node Limiting
-@section Limiting
-@cindex limiting
+@item G f
+@itemx .
+@kindex G f (Summary)
+@kindex . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
+Go to the first unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
-It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
-subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
-commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
-buffer.
+@item G b
+@itemx ,
+@kindex G b (Summary)
+@kindex , (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
+Go to the article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
-All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
-from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
-additional articles.
+@item G l
+@itemx l
+@kindex l (Summary)
+@kindex G l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
+Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
-@table @kbd
+@item G o
+@kindex G o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-article
+@cindex history
+@cindex article history
+Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
+command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
+history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
+For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
+@pxref{Article Backlog}.
-@item / /
-@itemx / s
-@kindex / / (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
-Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+@item G j
+@itemx j
+@kindex j (Summary)
+@kindex G j (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-goto-article
+Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
-@item / 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}).
+@end table
-@item / u
-@itemx x
-@kindex / u (Summary)
-@kindex x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
-Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
-buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
-dormant articles will also be excluded.
-@item / m
-@kindex / m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
-Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
-with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
+@node Choosing Variables
+@subsection Choosing Variables
-@item / t
-@kindex / t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
-Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}). If given a prefix, limit to
-articles younger than that number of days.
+Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
-@item / n
-@kindex / n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
-Limit the summary buffer to the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+@vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
+All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
+article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
+this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
+the server and display it in the article buffer.
-@item / w
-@kindex / w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
-Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
-(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
-the stack.
+@item gnus-select-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
+exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
-@item / 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 / E
-@itemx M S
-@kindex M S (Summary)
-@kindex / E (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
-Include all expunged articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
-
-@item / D
-@kindex / D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
-Include all dormant articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
-
-@item / *
-@kindex / * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
-Include all cached articles in the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
-
-@item / d
-@kindex / d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
+@item gnus-mark-article-hook
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
+@findex gnus-unread-mark
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
+be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
+only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
+marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
+instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
+@code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
-@item / M
-@kindex / M (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
-Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
+@end table
-@item / T
-@kindex / T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
-Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
-@item / c
-@kindex / c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
+@node Paging the Article
+@section Scrolling the Article
+@cindex article scrolling
-@item / C
-@kindex / C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
-Mark all excluded unread articles as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
-also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+@table @kbd
-@end table
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-page
+Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
+or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
+next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
+Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
-@node Threading
-@section Threading
-@cindex threading
-@cindex article threading
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
+Scroll the current article one line forward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
-Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
-to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
-hierarchical fashion.
+@item M-RET
+@kindex M-RET (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
+Scroll the current article one line backward
+(@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
-Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
-articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
-trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
-or simply missing. Weird news propagation excarcerbates the problem,
-so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
-plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
-@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
+@item A g
+@itemx g
+@kindex A g (Summary)
+@kindex g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+(Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
+given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
+article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
+the way it came from the server.
-First, a quick overview of the concepts:
+If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
+@kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
+encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
-@table @dfn
-@item root
-The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+ '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
+ (2 . big5)))
+@end lisp
-@item thread
-A tree-like article structure.
+then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
-@item sub-thread
-A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
+@item A <
+@itemx <
+@kindex < (Summary)
+@kindex A < (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
+Scroll to the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
-@item loose threads
-Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
-already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
-summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
-belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
-called loose threads.
+@item A >
+@itemx >
+@kindex > (Summary)
+@kindex A > (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
+Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
-@item thread gathering
-An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
+@item A s
+@itemx s
+@kindex A s (Summary)
+@kindex s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
+Perform an isearch in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
-@item sparse threads
-A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
-displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
+@item h
+@kindex h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
+Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
@end table
+@node Reply Followup and Post
+@section Reply, Followup and Post
+
@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
@end menu
-@node Customizing Threading
-@subsection Customizing Threading
-@cindex customizing threading
+@node Summary Mail Commands
+@subsection Summary Mail Commands
+@cindex mail
+@cindex composing mail
-@menu
-* Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
-* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
-* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
-* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
-@end menu
+Commands for composing a mail message:
+@table @kbd
-@node Loose Threads
-@subsubsection Loose Threads
-@cindex <
-@cindex >
-@cindex loose threads
+@item S r
+@itemx r
+@kindex S r (Summary)
+@kindex r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
-@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
-If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
-and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
-Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
-read or killed the root in a previous session.
+@item S R
+@itemx R
+@kindex R (Summary)
+@kindex S R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
-When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
-something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
-There are four possible values:
+@item S w
+@kindex S w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
+Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
+goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item S W
+@kindex S W (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
+message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
-@cindex adopting articles
+@item S v
+@kindex S v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
+Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
+that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
+articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@table @code
+@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 adopt
-Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
-parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
-marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
-square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
+@item S o m
+@itemx C-c C-f
+@kindex S o m (Summary)
+@kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
+Forward the current article to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
-@item dummy
-@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
-Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
-parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
-selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
-article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
-format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
-which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+@item S m
+@itemx m
+@kindex m (Summary)
+@kindex S m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
+Send a mail to some other person
+(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
-@item empty
-Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
-subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
-use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Format}).)
+@item S D b
+@kindex S D b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
+@cindex bouncing mail
+If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
+reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
+resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
+will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
+sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
+the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
+that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
+very well fail, though.
-@item none
-Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
-display them after one another.
+@item S D r
+@kindex S D r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message
+Not to be confused with the previous command,
+@code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
+send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
+headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
+@code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
+means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
+header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
+So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
-@item nil
-Don't gather loose threads.
-@end table
+This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
+ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
+@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
+to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
-@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
-Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
-subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
-super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
-presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
-you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
-first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
-variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
-everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
+This command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@cindex fuzzy article gathering
-If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
-use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+@item S O m
+@kindex S O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
+Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
+result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
-This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
-that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
-simplification is used.
+@item S M-c
+@kindex S M-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
+@cindex crossposting
+@cindex excessive crossposting
+Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
+current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
-@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
-If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
-as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
+@findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
+This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
+crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
+using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
-@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
- (concat
- "\\`\\[?\\("
- (mapconcat
- 'identity
- '("looking"
- "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
- "help" "query" "problem" "question"
- "answer" "reference" "announce"
- "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
- ;; ...
- )
- "\\|")
- "\\)\\s *\\("
- (mapconcat 'identity
- '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
- "\\|")
- "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
-subjects.
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
-If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
-@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
-list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
-arrive at the simplified version of the string.
-Useful functions to put in this list include:
+@node Summary Post Commands
+@subsection Summary Post Commands
+@cindex post
+@cindex composing news
-@table @code
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
-Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
+Commands for posting a news article:
-@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
-Simplify fuzzily.
+@table @kbd
+@item S p
+@itemx a
+@kindex a (Summary)
+@kindex S p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
+Post an article to the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
-@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
-@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
-Remove excessive whitespace.
-@end table
+@item S f
+@itemx f
+@kindex f (Summary)
+@kindex S f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
+Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
-You may also write your own functions, of course.
+@item S F
+@itemx F
+@kindex S F (Summary)
+@kindex F (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
+@item S n
+@kindex S n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
-@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
-Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
-to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
-@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
-you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
-what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
-The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
+@item S N
+@kindex S N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
+Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
+message through mail and include the original message
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
+the process/prefix convention.
-@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
-Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
-that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
-is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
-@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
-This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
-articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
-newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
-cholera:
+@item S o p
+@kindex S o p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
+Forward the current article to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
+headers of the forwarded article.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
-This function is the default gathering function and looks at
-@code{Subject}s exclusively.
+@item S O p
+@kindex S O p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
+@cindex digests
+@cindex making digests
+Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
+process/prefix convention.
-@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
-This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
+@item S u
+@kindex S u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-post-news
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
+Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
+(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
@end table
-If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
-something like:
+Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
- 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
-@end lisp
-@end table
+@node Summary Message Commands
+@subsection Summary Message Commands
+@table @kbd
+@item S y
+@kindex S y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-message
+Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
+buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
+what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@node Filling In Threads
-@subsubsection Filling In Threads
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
-@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
-If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
-more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
-would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
-connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
-to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
-that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
-fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
-overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
-@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
-expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
-This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
-visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
-(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+@node Canceling and Superseding
+@subsection Canceling Articles
+@cindex canceling articles
+@cindex superseding articles
-@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
-@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
-Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
-gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
-the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
-together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
-@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
-is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
-lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
-question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
-``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
-thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
-off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
-@code{nil} by default.
-
-@end table
+Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
+really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
+Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
-@node More Threading
-@subsubsection More Threading
+@findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
+@kindex C (Summary)
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
+Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
+articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
+c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
+canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
+This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-show-threads
-@vindex gnus-show-threads
-If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
-the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
-off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
-slower and more awkward.
+Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
+live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
+question.
-@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
-If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
-generated.
+Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
+want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
+prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
-@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
-@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
-All threads that have a total score (as defined by
-@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
-expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
-threads are expunged.
+If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
+corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
+your original article.
-@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
-@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
-if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
-will be hidden.
+@findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
+@kindex S (Summary)
+Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
+(@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
+where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
+usual way.
-@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
-Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
-this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
-is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
-in a new thread.
+The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
+sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
+have posted almost the same article twice.
-@item gnus-thread-indent-level
-@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
-This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
-The default is 4.
+If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
+there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
+waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
+to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
+find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
+the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
+header by substituting one of those words for the word
+@code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
+you would do normally. The previous article will be
+canceled/superseded.
-@end table
+Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
-@node Low-Level Threading
-@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
+@node Marking Articles
+@section Marking Articles
+@cindex article marking
+@cindex article ticking
+@cindex marks
-@table @code
+There are several marks you can set on an article.
-@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
-@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
-Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
-@code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
-@code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
-@code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
+You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
+neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
+@dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
-@item gnus-alter-header-function
-@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
-If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
-article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
-the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
-if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
-in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
-variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
-meaningful. Here's one example:
+In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
+@menu
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+@end menu
-(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
- (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
- (when (string-match
- "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
- (mail-header-set-id
- (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
- header))))
-@end lisp
+@ifinfo
+There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
+@end ifinfo
-@end table
+@menu
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+@end menu
-@node Thread Commands
-@subsection Thread Commands
-@cindex thread commands
+@node Unread Articles
+@subsection Unread Articles
-@table @kbd
+The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
+other.
-@item T k
-@itemx M-C-k
-@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
-Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
-remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
-articles instead.
+@table @samp
+@item !
+@vindex gnus-ticked-mark
+Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
-@item T l
-@itemx M-C-l
-@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
-Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
+@dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
+you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
+reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
+tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
+news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
+you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
+(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
-@item T i
-@kindex T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
-Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
+@item ?
+@vindex gnus-dormant-mark
+Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
-@item T #
-@kindex T # (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
-Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
+@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
+are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
+followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
+messages.
-@item T M-#
-@kindex T M-# (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
-Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
-(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@item SPACE
+@vindex gnus-unread-mark
+Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
-@item T T
-@kindex T T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
-Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
+@dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
+@end table
-@item T s
-@kindex T s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
-Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
-(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
-@item T h
-@kindex T h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
-Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+@node Read Articles
+@subsection Read Articles
+@cindex expirable mark
-@item T S
-@kindex T S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
-Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
+All the following marks mark articles as read.
-@item T H
-@kindex T H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
-Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
+@table @samp
-@item T t
-@kindex T t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
-Re-thread the current article's thread
-(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
-summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
+@item r
+@vindex gnus-del-mark
+These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
+command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
-@item T ^
-@kindex T ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
-Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
-(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
+@item R
+@vindex gnus-read-mark
+Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
-@end table
+@item O
+@vindex gnus-ancient-mark
+Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
+@dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
-The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
-understand the numeric prefix.
+@item K
+@vindex gnus-killed-mark
+Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
-@table @kbd
+@item X
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
+Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
-Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
+@item Y
+@vindex gnus-low-score-mark
+Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
-@item T p
-@kindex T p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
-Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+@item C
+@vindex gnus-catchup-mark
+Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
-@item T d
-@kindex T d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
-Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
+@item G
+@vindex gnus-canceled-mark
+Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
-@item T u
-@kindex T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
-Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
+@item F
+@vindex gnus-souped-mark
+@sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
+
+@item Q
+@vindex gnus-sparse-mark
+Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
+Threading}.
+
+@item M
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
+Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
+(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@item T o
-@kindex T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
-Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
@end table
-@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
-If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
-threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
-a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
-wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
-have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
-you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
-is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
-when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
-the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
-operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
-that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
-Matching}).
+All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
+They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
+One more special mark, though:
-@node Sorting
-@section Sorting
+@table @samp
+@item E
+@vindex gnus-expirable-mark
+Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
-@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
-If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
-setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
-function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
-@code{(not some-function)} elements.
+Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
+automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
+control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
+articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
+any time.
+@end table
-By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
-predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
-Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
-thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
-normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
+@node Other Marks
+@subsection Other Marks
+@cindex process mark
+@cindex bookmarks
-If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
-last function in the list. You should probably always include
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
-functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
-equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
-ascending article order.
+There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
+read or not.
-If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
-by number, you could do something like:
+@itemize @bullet
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
- gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
- (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
+long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
+before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
+in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
+encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
-The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
-summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
-alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
-subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
-which the articles arrived.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-replied-mark
+All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
+answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
-If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
-say something like:
+@vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
+All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '((lambda (t1 t2)
- (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
- gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
-@end lisp
+@item
+@vindex gnus-cached-mark
+Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
+the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
-The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
-@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
-functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
-tickles your fancy.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-saved-mark
+Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
+religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
-@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
-@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
-If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
-you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
-It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
-it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
-sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+@item
+@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
+@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
+If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
+marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
+@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
-If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
-say something like:
+@item
+@vindex gnus-process-mark
+Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
+variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
+instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
+all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
+marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
- '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
- gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
-@end lisp
+@end itemize
+You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
+appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
+replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
+Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
+replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
+you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
-@node Asynchronous Fetching
-@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
-@cindex asynchronous article fetching
-@cindex article pre-fetch
-@cindex pre-fetch
-If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
-network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
-for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
-article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
-while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
+@node Setting Marks
+@subsection Setting Marks
+@cindex setting marks
-First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
-article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
+All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
-Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
-quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
-know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
-article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
-connection is blocked.
+@table @kbd
+@item M c
+@itemx M-u
+@kindex M c (Summary)
+@kindex M-u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
+@cindex mark as unread
+Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
+article as unread.
-To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
-connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
-thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
-extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
+@item M t
+@itemx !
+@kindex ! (Summary)
+@kindex M t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
+Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
+@xref{Article Caching}.
-Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
-the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
-loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
-also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
-extra connection.
+@item M ?
+@itemx ?
+@kindex ? (Summary)
+@kindex M ? (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
+Mark the current article as dormant
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
-you really want to.
+@item M d
+@itemx d
+@kindex M d (Summary)
+@kindex d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
+Mark the current article as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
-@vindex gnus-asynchronous
-Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
-happen automatically.
+@item D
+@kindex D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
+Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
-@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
-You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
-@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
-that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
-the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
-pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
-@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
-
-@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
-@findex gnus-async-read-p
-There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
-articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
-return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
-pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
-@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
-data structure as the only parameter.
-
-If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+@item M k
+@itemx k
+@kindex k (Summary)
+@kindex M k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
+and then select the next unread article
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
-@lisp
-(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
- "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
- (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
- (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
- 100)))
+@item M K
+@itemx C-k
+@kindex M K (Summary)
+@kindex C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
+Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
-(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
-@end lisp
+@item M C
+@kindex M C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
+Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
-These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
-preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
-It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
+@item M C-c
+@kindex M C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
+Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
+articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
-@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
-Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
-@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
-articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
+@item M H
+@kindex M H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
+Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
-@table @code
-@item read
-Remove articles when they are read.
+@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 exit
-Remove articles when exiting the group.
-@end table
+@item C-w
+@kindex C-w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
+Mark all articles between point and mark as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
-The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
+@item M V k
+@kindex M V k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-below
+Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
-@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
-@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
-@c from the next group.
+@item M e
+@itemx E
+@kindex M e (Summary)
+@kindex E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
+Mark the current article as expirable
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
+@item M b
+@kindex M b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
+Set a bookmark in the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
-@node Article Caching
-@section Article Caching
-@cindex article caching
-@cindex caching
+@item M B
+@kindex M B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
+Remove the bookmark from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
-If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
-consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
-locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
-potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
-your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
+@item M V c
+@kindex M V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-clear-above
+Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
+over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
-Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
+@item M V u
+@kindex M V u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-tick-above
+Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
+numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-@vindex gnus-cache-directory
-@vindex gnus-use-cache
-To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
-all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
-over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
-cache is flat or hierarchal is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
+@item M V m
+@kindex M V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-above
+Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
+score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
+@end table
-When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
-cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
-expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
-keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
-as dormant, and don't worry.
+@vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
+The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
+be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
+the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
+one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
+@code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
+@kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
+The default is @code{t}.
-When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
-@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
-@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
-The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
-variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
-dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
-put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
-articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
-symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
-@code{unread} and @code{read}.
+@node Generic Marking Commands
+@subsection Generic Marking Commands
-@findex gnus-jog-cache
-So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
-picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
-subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
-store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
-command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
-really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
-Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
-to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
-not then be downloaded by this command.
+Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
+the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
+article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
+even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
+previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
+well.
-@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
-@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
-It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
-if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
-sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
-feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
+Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
+you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
+command should do.
-To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
-regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
-@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
-Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
-variables, the group is not cached.
+To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
+different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
+buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
+to list in this manual.
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
-@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
-@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
-The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
-file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
-of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
-offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
-gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
-files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
-file.
+While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
+altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
+@kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
+article, you could say something like:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
+@end lisp
-@node Persistent Articles
-@section Persistent Articles
-@cindex persistent articles
+or
-Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
-In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
-useful in my opinion.
+@lisp
+(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
+ (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
+@end lisp
-Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
-that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
-(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
-that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
-the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
-the expiry going on at the news server.
-This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
-be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
-you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+@node Setting Process Marks
+@subsection Setting Process Marks
+@cindex setting process marks
@table @kbd
-@item *
-@kindex * (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
-Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+@item M P p
+@itemx #
+@kindex # (Summary)
+@kindex M P p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
+Mark the current article with the process mark
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
-@item M-*
-@kindex M-* (Summary)
-@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
-Remove the current article from the persistent articles
-(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
-article.
-@end table
+@item M P u
+@itemx M-#
+@kindex M P u (Summary)
+@kindex M-# (Summary)
+Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
-Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-
-To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
-you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
-interested in persistent articles:
+@item M P U
+@kindex M P U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
+Remove the process mark from all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
-@end lisp
+@item M P i
+@kindex M P i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
+Invert the list of process marked articles
+(@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
+@item M P R
+@kindex M P R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
+Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
-@node Article Backlog
-@section Article Backlog
-@cindex backlog
-@cindex article backlog
+@item M P G
+@kindex M P G (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
+Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
+expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
-If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
-unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
-by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
-already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
-you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
-re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
-that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
-increase memory usage some.
+@item M P r
+@kindex M P r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
+Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
-@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
-If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
-at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
-variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
-@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
-bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
-that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
+@item M P t
+@kindex M P t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+@item M P T
+@kindex M P T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
+@item M P v
+@kindex M P v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-over
+Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
-@node Saving Articles
-@section Saving Articles
-@cindex saving articles
+@item M P s
+@kindex M P s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-series
+Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
-Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
-for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
-processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
-approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+@item M P S
+@kindex M P S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
+Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
-@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.
+@item M P a
+@kindex M P a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
-@vindex gnus-saved-headers
-If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
-@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
-deleted before saving.
+@item M P b
+@kindex M P b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
+Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
-@table @kbd
+@item M P k
+@kindex M P k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
-@item O o
-@itemx o
-@kindex O o (Summary)
-@kindex o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
-Save the current article using the default article saver
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
+@item M P y
+@kindex M P y (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
+Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
-@item O m
-@kindex O m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
-Save the current article in mail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
+@item M P w
+@kindex M P w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
+Push the current process mark set onto the stack
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
-@item O r
-@kindex O r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
-Save the current article in rmail format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
+@end table
-@item O f
-@kindex O f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
-Save the current article in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
+Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
+set process marks based on article body contents.
-@item O F
-@kindex O F (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
-Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
-file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
-@item O b
-@kindex O b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
-Save the current article body in plain file format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
+@node Limiting
+@section Limiting
+@cindex limiting
-@item O h
-@kindex O h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
-Save the current article in mh folder format
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
+It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
+subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
+commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
+buffer.
-@item O v
-@kindex O v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
-Save the current article in a VM folder
-(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
+All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
+from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
+additional articles.
-@item O p
-@kindex O p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
-Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
-the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
-All these commands use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
-functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
-and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
-the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
-default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
-loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
-just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
-have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
-to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
-save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
-files.
+@item / /
+@itemx / s
+@kindex / / (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+@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}).
-@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
-You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
-gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the four ready-made
-functions below, or you can create your own.
+@item / 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}).
-@table @code
+@item / u
+@itemx x
+@kindex / u (Summary)
+@kindex x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
+Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
+buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
+dormant articles will also be excluded.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
-@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+@item / m
+@kindex / m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
+Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
+with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
-@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
-Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
+@item / t
+@kindex / t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
+Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
+articles younger than that number of days.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
-@vindex gnus-file-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
-the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@item / n
+@kindex / n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
+Limit the summary buffer to the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
-Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
-@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
-article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@item / w
+@kindex / w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
+Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
+(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
+the stack.
-@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
-@findex gnus-folder-save-name
-@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
-@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
-@cindex rcvstore
-@cindex MH folders
-Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
-library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
-to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
-@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
-@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
+@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 gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
-Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
-reader to use this setting.
-@end table
+@item / E
+@itemx M S
+@kindex M S (Summary)
+@kindex / E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
+Include all expunged articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
-@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
-All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
-in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
-@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
-default.
+@item / D
+@kindex / D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
+Include all dormant articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
-As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
-suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
-available functions that generate names:
+@item / *
+@kindex / * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
+Include all cached articles in the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
-@table @code
+@item / d
+@kindex / d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
-@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+@item / M
+@kindex / M (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
+Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
-@item gnus-numeric-save-name
-@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
+@item / T
+@kindex / T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
+Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
-@item gnus-Plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
+@item / c
+@kindex / c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
+Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
-@item gnus-plain-save-name
-@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@end table
+@item / C
+@kindex / C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
+Mark all excluded unread articles as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
-@vindex gnus-split-methods
-You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
-the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
-save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
-related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
-like:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
- ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
- (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
- ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
-@end lisp
-We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
-elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
-a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
-head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
-group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
-@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
-the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
-result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
-called returns a string or a list of strings.
+@node Threading
+@section Threading
+@cindex threading
+@cindex article threading
-You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
-saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
-then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
-name completion over the results from applying this variable.
+Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
+to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
+hierarchical fashion.
-This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
-means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
-@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
-name.
+Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
+articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
+trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
+or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
+so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
+plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
+@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
-Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
-lots of mail groups called things like
-@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
-these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
-following will do just that:
+First, a quick overview of the concepts:
-@lisp
-(defun my-save-name (group)
- (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
- (substring group (match-end 0))))
+@table @dfn
+@item root
+The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
-(setq gnus-split-methods
- '((gnus-article-archive-name)
- (my-save-name)))
-@end lisp
+@item thread
+A tree-like article structure.
+@item sub-thread
+A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
-@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
-Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
-@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
-(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
-the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
-all the files in the top level directory
-(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
-@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
-on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
-Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
+@item loose threads
+Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
+already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
+summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
+belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
+called loose threads.
-This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
-is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
-names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
-@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
-contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
-for kill files.
+@item thread gathering
+An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
-If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
-a spool, you could
+@item sparse threads
+A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
+displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
-(setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
-@end lisp
+@end table
-Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
-ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
-the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
-around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
+@menu
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+@end menu
-@node Decoding Articles
-@section Decoding Articles
-@cindex decoding articles
-Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
-encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
+@node Customizing Threading
+@subsection Customizing Threading
+@cindex customizing threading
@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?
+* Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
@end menu
-@cindex series
-@cindex article series
-All these functions use the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
-the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
-can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
-articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
-Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
-simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
-last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
+@node Loose Threads
+@subsubsection Loose Threads
+@cindex <
+@cindex >
+@cindex loose threads
-For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
-will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
-([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-summary-make-false-root
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
+If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
+and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
+Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
+read or killed the root in a previous session.
-Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
-series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
-commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
+When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
+something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
+There are four possible values:
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@node Uuencoded Articles
-@subsection Uuencoded Articles
-@cindex uudecode
-@cindex uuencoded articles
+@cindex adopting articles
-@table @kbd
+@table @code
-@item X u
-@kindex X u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
-@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
-Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
+@item adopt
+Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
+parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
+marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
+square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
-@item X U
-@kindex X U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
-Uudecodes and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+@item dummy
+@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
+parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
+selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
+article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
+format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
+which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@item X v u
-@kindex X v u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
-Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
+@item empty
+Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
+subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
+use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Format}).)
-@item X v U
-@kindex X v U (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
-Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
+@item none
+Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
+display them after one another.
+@item nil
+Don't gather loose threads.
@end table
-Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
-the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
-entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
-(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+@item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
+Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
+subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
+super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
+presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
+you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
+first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
+variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
+everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
-All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
-@sc{GNUS 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
-the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
-articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
-@kbd{X u}.
+@cindex fuzzy article gathering
+If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
+use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
-Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
-@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
-@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
-automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
-you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
-off.
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
+This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
+that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
+simplification is used.
+@item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+@vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
+as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
-@node Shell Archives
-@subsection Shell Archives
-@cindex unshar
-@cindex shell archives
-@cindex shared articles
+@c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
+ (concat
+ "\\`\\[?\\("
+ (mapconcat
+ 'identity
+ '("looking"
+ "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
+ "help" "query" "problem" "question"
+ "answer" "reference" "announce"
+ "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
+ ;; ...
+ )
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)\\s *\\("
+ (mapconcat 'identity
+ '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
+ "\\|")
+ "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
+@end lisp
-Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
-sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
-some commands to deal with these:
+All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
+subjects.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+@vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
+If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
+@code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
+list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
+arrive at the simplified version of the string.
-@item X s
-@kindex X s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
-Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
+Useful functions to put in this list include:
-@item X S
-@kindex X S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
-Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-re
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
+Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
-@item X v s
-@kindex X v s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
-Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
+@item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+@findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
+Simplify fuzzily.
-@item X v S
-@kindex X v S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
-Unshars, views and saves the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace.
@end table
+You may also write your own functions, of course.
-@node PostScript Files
-@subsection PostScript Files
-@cindex PostScript
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X p
-@kindex X p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
-Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
+@item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+@vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
+Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
+to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
+@samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
+you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
+what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
+The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
-@item X P
-@kindex X P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
-Unpack and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
+@item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+@vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
+that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
+is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
+@code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
+This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
+articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
+newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
+cholera:
-@item X v p
-@kindex X v p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
-View the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
+This function is the default gathering function and looks at
+@code{Subject}s exclusively.
-@item X v P
-@kindex X v P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
-View and save the current PostScript series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
+@item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+@findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
+This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
@end table
+If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
+something like:
-@node Other Files
-@subsection Other Files
-
-@table @kbd
-@item X o
-@kindex X o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
-Save the current series
-(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
-@item X b
-@kindex X b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
-Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
-doesn't really work yet.
@end table
-@node Decoding Variables
-@subsection Decoding Variables
-
-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.
-@end menu
-
+@node Filling In Threads
+@subsubsection Filling In Threads
-@node Rule Variables
-@subsubsection Rule Variables
-@cindex rule variables
+@table @code
+@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
+If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
+more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
+would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
+connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
+to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
+that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
+fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
+overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
+@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
+expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
-Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
-variables are of the form
+This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
+visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
+(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
-@lisp
- (list '(regexp1 command2)
- '(regexp2 command2)
- ...)
-@end lisp
-
-@table @code
+@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
+@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
+Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
+gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
+the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
+together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
+@dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
+is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
+lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
+question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
+``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
+thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
+off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
+@code{nil} by default.
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
-@cindex sox
-This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
-for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
-say something like:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
- (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
-@end lisp
+@item 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
+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.
-@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
-This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
-user and default view rules.
+If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
+@code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
+that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
-@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
-This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
-archives.
@end table
-@node Other Decode Variables
-@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
+@node More Threading
+@subsubsection More Threading
@table @code
-@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-
-@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
-successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
-and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
-anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
+@item gnus-show-threads
+@vindex gnus-show-threads
+If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
+the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
+off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
+slower and more awkward.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
+generated.
-@item gnus-uu-grab-view
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
-View the file.
+@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
+All threads that have a total score (as defined by
+@code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
+expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+threads are expunged.
-@item gnus-uu-grab-move
-@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
-Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
-@end table
+@item gnus-thread-hide-killed
+@vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
+if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
+will be hidden.
-@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
-Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
-@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
-that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
-time.
+@item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+@vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
+Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
+change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
+result in a new thread.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
-Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
+@item gnus-thread-indent-level
+@vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
+This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
+The default is 4.
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
-Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
-@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
-kludgey.
+@item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+@vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
+Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
+arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
+arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
+using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
+up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
+Setting this variable to an alternate value
+(e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
+appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
+more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
-@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
-Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
+@end table
-@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
-looking for files to display.
-@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
-Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
-after viewing it.
+@node Low-Level Threading
+@subsubsection Low-Level Threading
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
-rules.
+@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
-unpacking commands.
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
+@code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
+@code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
+@code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
-@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
-from articles.
+@item gnus-alter-header-function
+@vindex gnus-alter-header-function
+If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
+article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
+the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
+if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
+in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
+variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
+meaningful. Here's one example:
-@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
-decoded articles as unread.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
-@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
-uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
+(defun my-alter-message-id (header)
+ (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
+ (when (string-match
+ "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
+ (mail-header-set-id
+ (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
+ header))))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
-Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
+@end table
-@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
-@cindex metamail
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
-commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
-content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
-@code{metamail} for viewing.
-@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
-decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
-embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC1153---no easy way
-to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
-simply dropped them.
+@node Thread Commands
+@subsection Thread Commands
+@cindex thread commands
-@end table
+@table @kbd
+@item T k
+@itemx M-C-k
+@kindex T k (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
+Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
+(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
+remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
+articles instead.
-@node Uuencoding and Posting
-@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
+@item T l
+@itemx M-C-l
+@kindex T l (Summary)
+@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
+Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
-@table @code
+@item T i
+@kindex T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
+Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
-before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
-either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
-for you when you post the article.
+@item T #
+@kindex T # (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
+Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-length
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
-Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
-many articles it takes to post the entire file.
+@item T M-#
+@kindex T M-# (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
+Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
+(@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
-Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
-thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
-to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
-seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
-think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+@item T T
+@kindex T T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
+Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
-@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
-Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
-article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
-variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
-at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
-Default is @code{t}.
+@item T s
+@kindex T s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
+Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
-@end table
+@item T h
+@kindex T h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
+Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
+@item T S
+@kindex T S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
+Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
-@node Viewing Files
-@subsection Viewing Files
-@cindex viewing files
-@cindex pseudo-articles
+@item T H
+@kindex T H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
+Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
-After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
-to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
-viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
-containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
-uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
-This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
-of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+@item T t
+@kindex T t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
+Re-thread the current article's thread
+(@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
+summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
-Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
-extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
-``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
-will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
+@item T ^
+@kindex T ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
+Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
+(@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
-until the viewing is done before proceeding.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
-the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
-immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
-be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
+The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
+understand the numeric prefix.
-@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
-If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
-pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
-@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
-a list of parameters to that command.
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
-If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
-pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Summary)
+@itemx M-C-n
+@kindex M-C-n (Summary)
+@itemx M-down
+@kindex M-down (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
+Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
-So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
-@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
-Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
+@item T p
+@kindex T p (Summary)
+@itemx M-C-p
+@kindex M-C-p (Summary)
+@itemx M-up
+@kindex M-up (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
+Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
+@item T d
+@kindex T d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-down-thread
+Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
-@node Article Treatment
-@section Article Treatment
+@item T u
+@kindex T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-up-thread
+Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
-Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
-object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
-written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
-writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
-these articles easier.
+@item T o
+@kindex T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-top-thread
+Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
+@end table
-@menu
-* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
-* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
-* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
-* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
-* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
-* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
-* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
+If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
+threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
+a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
+have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
+you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
+is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
+when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
+the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
+operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
+that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
+Matching}).
-@node Article Highlighting
-@subsection Article Highlighting
-@cindex highlighting
+@node Sorting the Summary Buffer
+@section Sorting the Summary Buffer
-Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
-you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
+setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
+function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
+@code{(not some-function)} elements.
-@table @kbd
+By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
+predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
-@item W H a
-@kindex W H a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight
-@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
-Do much highlighting of the current article
-(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
-text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
+Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
+thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
+normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
-@item W H h
-@kindex W H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
-@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
-Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
-highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
-variable, which is a list where each element has the form @var{(regexp
-name content)}. @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
-header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
-(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
-the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
-@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
+If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
+last function in the list. You should probably always include
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
+functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
+equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
+ascending article order.
-@item W H c
-@kindex W H c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
-Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
+If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
+by number, you could do something like:
-Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
+ (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
+summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
+alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
+subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
+which the articles arrived.
-@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
-default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
+say something like:
-@item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
-@vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
-Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
+ '((lambda (t1 t2)
+ (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
+ gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
-Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
+@vindex gnus-thread-score-function
+The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
+@code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
+functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
+tickles your fancy.
-@item gnus-cite-face-list
-@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
-List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
-When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
-gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
-This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+@findex gnus-article-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
+you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
+It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
+it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
+sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
-@item gnus-supercite-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
-Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
+If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
+say something like:
-@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
-Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
+ gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
-Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
-that it's a citation.
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
-Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
-Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
+@node Asynchronous Fetching
+@section Asynchronous Article Fetching
+@cindex asynchronous article fetching
+@cindex article pre-fetch
+@cindex pre-fetch
-@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
-@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
-Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
-cited text belonging to the attribution.
+If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
+network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
+for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
+article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
+while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
-@end table
+First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
+article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
+Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
+quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
+know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
+article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
+connection is blocked.
-@item W H s
-@kindex W H s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-@vindex gnus-signature-face
-@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
-Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
-Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
-Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
-highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
-default.
+To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
+connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
+thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
+extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
-@end table
+Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
+the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
+loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
+also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
+extra connection.
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+you really want to.
+@vindex gnus-asynchronous
+Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
+happen automatically.
-@node Article Fontisizing
-@subsection Article Fontisizing
-@cindex emphasis
-@cindex article emphasis
+@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
+You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
+@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
+that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
+pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
+@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
-@findex gnus-article-emphasize
-@kindex W e (Summary)
-People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
-like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*}. Gnus can make this look nicer by
-running the article through the @kbd{W e}
-(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
+@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.
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
-How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
-element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
-that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
-emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
-should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
-groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
-highlighting.
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-article-emphasis
- '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
- ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
+ "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
+ (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
+ (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
+ 100)))
+
+(setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
-@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
-By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
-@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
-@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
+These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
+preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
+It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
-If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
-customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
-to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
-say something like:
+@vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
+Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
+@code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
+articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
-@lisp
-(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item read
+Remove articles when they are read.
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
+@item exit
+Remove articles when exiting the group.
+@end table
+The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
-@node Article Hiding
-@subsection Article Hiding
-@cindex article hiding
+@c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
+@c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
+@c from the next group.
-Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
-too much cruft in most articles.
-@table @kbd
+@node Article Caching
+@section Article Caching
+@cindex article caching
+@cindex caching
-@item W W a
-@kindex W W a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide
-Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
-(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
-headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
+consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
+locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
+potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
+your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
-@item W W h
-@kindex W W h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-headers
-Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
-Headers}.
+Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
-@item W W b
-@kindex W W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+@vindex gnus-cache-directory
+@vindex gnus-use-cache
+To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
+all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
+over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
+cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
-@item W W s
-@kindex W W s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
-Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
-Signature}.
+When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
+cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
+expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
+keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
+as dormant, and don't worry.
-@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.
+When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
-(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
+@vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
+@vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
+The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
+variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
+dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
+put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
+articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
+symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
+@code{unread} and @code{read}.
-;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
-;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
+@findex gnus-jog-cache
+So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
+picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
+subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
+store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
+command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
+really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
+Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
+to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
+not then be downloaded by this command.
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
- (lambda ()
- (save-excursion
- (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
- (mc-verify))))
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
+@vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
+It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
+if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
+sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
+feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
-@item W W P
-@kindex W W P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
-Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
+To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
+regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
+@code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
+Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
+variables, the group is not cached.
-@item W W B
-@kindex W W B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
-Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
-annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
-groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
-the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
-group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
-which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
-removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
-signature should be removed.
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
+@findex gnus-cache-generate-active
+@vindex gnus-cache-active-file
+The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
+file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
+of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
+offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
+files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
+file.
-@item W W c
-@kindex W W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
-customizing the hiding:
-@table @code
+@node Persistent Articles
+@section Persistent Articles
+@cindex persistent articles
-@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
-@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
-@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
-@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
-Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
-allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
-by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
-specs are valid:
+Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
+In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
+useful in my opinion.
-@table @samp
-@item b
-Starting point of the hidden text.
-@item e
-Ending point of the hidden text.
-@item l
-Number of characters in the hidden region.
-@item n
-Number of lines of hidden text.
-@end table
+Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
+that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
+(using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
+that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
+the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
+the expiry going on at the news server.
-@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
-@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
-The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave shown.
+This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
+be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
+you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item *
+@kindex * (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-enter-article
+Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
+@item M-*
+@kindex M-* (Summary)
+@findex gnus-cache-remove-article
+Remove the current article from the persistent articles
+(@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
+article.
@end table
-@item W W C-c
-@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
+Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
-Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
-following two variables:
+To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
+you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
+interested in persistent articles:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
-If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
-50), hide the cited text.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
-The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
-is hidden.
-@end table
-@item W W C
-@kindex W W C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
-Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
-(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
-useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
-have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+@node Article Backlog
+@section Article Backlog
+@cindex backlog
+@cindex article backlog
-@end table
+If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
+unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
+by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
+already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
+you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
+re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
+that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
+increase memory usage some.
-All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
-prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
-hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
+@vindex gnus-keep-backlog
+If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
+at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
+variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
+@emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
+bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
+that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
-Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
-citation customization.
+This variable is @code{nil} by default.
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
-automatically.
+@node Saving Articles
+@section Saving Articles
+@cindex saving articles
-@node Article Washing
-@subsection Article Washing
-@cindex washing
-@cindex article washing
+Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
+for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
+processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
+approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
-@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
+If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
+unwanted headers before saving the article.
-@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
-something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
-Cleaner, perhaps.
+@vindex gnus-saved-headers
+If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
+@code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
+deleted before saving.
@table @kbd
-@item W l
-@kindex W l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
-Remove page breaks from the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
-delimiters.
+@item O o
+@itemx o
+@kindex O o (Summary)
+@kindex o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
+Save the current article using the default article saver
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
-@item W r
-@kindex W r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
-Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
-Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
-(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
+@item O m
+@kindex O m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
+Save the current article in mail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
-It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
-positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
-#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
-is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+@item O r
+@kindex O r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
+Save the current article in rmail format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
-@item W t
-@kindex W t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
+@item O f
+@kindex O f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
+Save the current article in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
-@item W v
-@kindex W v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
-Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
-(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+@item O F
+@kindex O F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
+Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
+file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
-@item W m
-@kindex W m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
-Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
+@item O b
+@kindex O b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
+Save the current article body in plain file format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
-@item W o
-@kindex W o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
-Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+@item O h
+@kindex O h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
+Save the current article in mh folder format
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
-@item W d
-@kindex W d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
-@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
-@cindex Smartquotes
-@cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
-@cindex Latin 1
-Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
-@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
-(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
-whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
-interactively.
+@item O v
+@kindex O v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
+Save the current article in a VM folder
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
-@item W w
-@kindex W w (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
-Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
+@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}).
+@end table
-You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
-when filling.
+@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
+All these commands use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
+functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
+and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
+the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
+default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
+loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
+just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
+have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
+to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
+save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
+files.
-@item W q
-@kindex W q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
-Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
-@item W C
-@kindex W C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentencse
-Capitalize the first word in each sentence
-(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
+@vindex gnus-default-article-saver
+You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
+gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
+functions below, or you can create your own.
-@item W c
-@kindex W c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
-Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
-(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
-CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
+@table @code
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Summary)
-@cindex x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{xface}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
-Look for and display any X-Face headers
-(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
-function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
-If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
-sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
-face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
-is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
-The default action under Emacs is to fork off an @code{xv} to view the
-face; under XEmacs the default action is to display the face before the
-@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
-support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
-X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
-external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends.) If you
-want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
-last.
-
-@item W b
-@kindex W b (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
-Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
-@xref{Article Buttons}.
-
-@item W B
-@kindex W B (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
-Add clickable buttons to the article headers
-(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-
-@item W W H
-@kindex W W H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
-Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
-article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
-
-@item W E l
-@kindex W E l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
+@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item W E m
-@kindex W E m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
-Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
-lines with a single empty line.
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
+@vindex gnus-mail-save-name
+Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
-@item W E t
-@kindex W E t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
-(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
+@vindex gnus-file-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
+the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@item W E a
-@kindex W E a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
-Do all the three commands above
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
+Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
-@item W E A
-@kindex W E A (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
-Remove all blank lines
-(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
+@findex gnus-folder-save-name
+@findex gnus-Folder-save-name
+@vindex gnus-folder-save-name
+@cindex rcvstore
+@cindex MH folders
+Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
+library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
+to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
+@code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
+@code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
-@item W E s
-@kindex W E s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
-Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
-body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
+@item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+@findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
+Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
+reader to use this setting.
+@end table
-@item W E e
-@kindex W E e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
-Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
-body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
+@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
+All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
+in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
+@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+default.
-@end table
+As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
+suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
+available functions that generate names:
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-Numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-@node Article Buttons
-@subsection Article Buttons
-@cindex buttons
+@item gnus-numeric-save-name
+@findex gnus-numeric-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
-People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
-be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
-with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
-button on these references.
+@item gnus-Plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-Plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-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:
+@item gnus-plain-save-name
+@findex gnus-plain-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
-@table @code
+@item gnus-sender-save-name
+@findex gnus-sender-save-name
+File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
+@end table
-@item gnus-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-button-alist
-This is an alist where each entry has this form:
+@vindex gnus-split-methods
+You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
+the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
+save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
+related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+like:
@lisp
-(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+(("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
+ ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
+ (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
+ ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
@end lisp
-@table @var
+We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
+elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
+a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
+head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
+group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
+@code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
+the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
+result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
+called returns a string or a list of strings.
-@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>]*\\)>}.
+You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
+saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
+then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
+name completion over the results from applying this variable.
-@item button-par
-Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
-is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
-highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
+This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
+means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
+@code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
+name.
-@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.
+Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
+lots of mail groups called things like
+@samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
+these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
+following will do just that:
-@item function
-This function will be called when you click on this button.
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-name (group)
+ (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
+ (substring group (match-end 0))))
-@item data-par
-As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
-says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
+(setq gnus-split-methods
+ '((gnus-article-archive-name)
+ (my-save-name)))
+@end lisp
-@end table
-So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
+@vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
+Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
+@code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
+(@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
+the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
+all the files in the top level directory
+(@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
+@file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
+on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
+Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
-@lisp
-("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
-@end lisp
+This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
+is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
+names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
+@code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
+contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
+for kill files.
-@item gnus-header-button-alist
-@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
-This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
-article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
-used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
+If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
+a spool, you could
@lisp
-(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
+(setq gnus-default-article-saver
+ 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
@end lisp
-@var{HEADER} is a regular expression.
-
-@item gnus-button-url-regexp
-@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
-A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
-default values of the variables above.
-
-@item gnus-article-button-face
-@vindex gnus-article-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
-
-@item gnus-article-mouse-face
-@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
-Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
+Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
+ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
+the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
+around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
-@end table
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
+@node Decoding Articles
+@section Decoding Articles
+@cindex decoding articles
+Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
+encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
-@node Article Date
-@subsection Article Date
-
-The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
-heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
-when the article was sent.
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item W T u
-@kindex W T u (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-ut
-Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
-(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
+@menu
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+@end menu
-@item W T i
-@kindex W T i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
-@cindex ISO 8601
-Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
-(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
+@cindex series
+@cindex article series
+All these functions use the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
+the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
+can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
+articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
-@item W T l
-@kindex W T l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-local
-Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
+Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
+simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
+last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
-@item W T s
-@kindex W T s (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-article-time-format
-@findex gnus-article-date-user
-@findex format-time-string
-Display the date using a user-defined format
-(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
-@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
-to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
-for a list of possible format specs.
+For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
+will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
+([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
-@item W T e
-@kindex W T e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
-@findex gnus-start-date-timer
-@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
-Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
-(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
+Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
+series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
+commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
-@example
-X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
-@end example
-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.
+@node Uuencoded Articles
+@subsection Uuencoded Articles
+@cindex uudecode
+@cindex uuencoded articles
-An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
-into wonderful absurdities.
+@table @kbd
-If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
+@item X u
+@kindex X u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
+@c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
+Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
-@lisp
-(gnus-start-date-timer)
-@end lisp
+@item X U
+@kindex X U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
+Uudecodes and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
-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.
+@item X v u
+@kindex X v u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
+Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
-@item W T o
-@kindex W T o (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-date-original
-Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
-be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
-worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
-that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
-@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
+@item X v U
+@kindex X v U (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
+Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
@end table
-@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
-preferred format automatically.
+Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
+the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
+entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
+(@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
+All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
+@sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
+the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
+articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
+@kbd{X u}.
-@node Article Signature
-@subsection Article Signature
-@cindex signatures
-@cindex article signature
+@vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
+Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
+@code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
+@samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
+automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
+you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
+off.
-@vindex gnus-signature-separator
-Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
-body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
-that says what is to be considered a signature is
-@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
-@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
-non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
-of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
-from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-separator
- '("^-- $" ; The standard
- "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
- "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
- ; line of dashes. Shame!
- "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
- "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
- "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
-@end lisp
+@node Shell Archives
+@subsection Shell Archives
+@cindex unshar
+@cindex shell archives
+@cindex shared articles
-The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
-positives.
+Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
+sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
+some commands to deal with these:
-@vindex gnus-signature-limit
-@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
-signature.
+@table @kbd
-@enumerate
-@item
-If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
-that integer.
-@item
-If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
-than that number.
-@item
-If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
-and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
-@item
-If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
-in question is not a signature.
-@end enumerate
+@item X s
+@kindex X s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
+Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
-This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
-listed above. Here's an example:
+@item X S
+@kindex X S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
+Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-signature-limit
- '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
-@end lisp
+@item X v s
+@kindex X v s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
+Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
-This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
-separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
-the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
-signature after all.
+@item X v S
+@kindex X v S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
+Unshars, views and saves the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
+@end table
-@node MIME Commands
-@section MIME Commands
-@cindex MIME decoding
+@node PostScript Files
+@subsection PostScript Files
+@cindex PostScript
@table @kbd
-@item M-t
-@kindex M-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
-Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
-
-@item W M w
-@kindex W M w (Summary)
-Decode RFC2047-encoded words in the article headers
-(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
-@item W M c
-@kindex W M c (Summary)
-Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
-(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
+@item X p
+@kindex X p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
+Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
-This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
-charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
-prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
-groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
-MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
-the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+@item X P
+@kindex X P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
+Unpack and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
-@item W M v
-@kindex W M v (Summary)
-View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
+@item X v p
+@kindex X v p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
+View the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
+@item X v P
+@kindex X v P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
+View and save the current PostScript series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
@end table
-Relevant variables:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
-@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
-this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
-@code{nil}.
+@node Other Files
+@subsection Other Files
-To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
+@table @kbd
+@item X o
+@kindex X o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-save
+Save the current series
+(@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
- '("text/x-vcard"))
-@end lisp
+@item X b
+@kindex X b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
+Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
+doesn't really work yet.
+@end table
-@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
-@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
-this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
-displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
-@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
-@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
-For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
-handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
-users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
-the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
-save all jpegs into some directory).
+@node Decoding Variables
+@subsection Decoding Variables
-Here's an example function the does the latter:
+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.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Rule Variables
+@subsubsection Rule Variables
+@cindex rule variables
+
+Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
+variables are of the form
@lisp
-(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
- (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
- (with-temp-buffer
- (insert (mm-get-part handle))
- (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
- (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
-(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
- 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
+ (list '(regexp1 command2)
+ '(regexp2 command2)
+ ...)
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
-@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
-Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+@cindex sox
+This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
+say something like:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
+ (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
+@end lisp
+
+@item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
+This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
+user and default view rules.
+@item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
+This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
+archives.
@end table
-@node Charsets
-@section Charsets
-@cindex charsets
+@node Other Decode Variables
+@subsubsection Other Decode Variables
-People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
-charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
-newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
-just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
-help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
-what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
-hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
-@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
-This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
-variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
-default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+@item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
+All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
+successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
+and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
+anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
-In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
-aren't. These blitely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
-if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
-@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
-charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
-on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
-Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
-something some agents insist on having in there.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-grab-view
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-view
+View the file.
-@node Article Commands
-@section Article Commands
+@item gnus-uu-grab-move
+@findex gnus-uu-grab-move
+Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
+@end table
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+@vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
+Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
+@code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
+that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
+time.
-@item A P
-@cindex PostScript
-@cindex printing
-@kindex A P (Summary)
-@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
-@findex gnus-summary-print-article
-Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
-run just before printing the buffer.
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
+Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
-@end table
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
+Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
+kludgey.
+@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+@vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
+Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
-@node Summary Sorting
-@section Summary Sorting
-@cindex summary sorting
+@item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+@vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
+looking for files to display.
-You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
-can't really see why you'd want that.
+@item gnus-uu-view-and-save
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
+Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
+after viewing it.
-@table @kbd
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
+rules.
-@item C-c C-s C-n
-@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
-Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
+@item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
+unpacking commands.
-@item C-c C-s C-a
-@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
-Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+@item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+@vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
+from articles.
-@item C-c C-s C-s
-@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
-Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
+@item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+@vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
+decoded articles as unread.
-@item C-c C-s C-d
-@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
-Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
+@item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+@vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
+uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
-@item C-c C-s C-l
-@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
-Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
+@item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+@vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
+Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
-@item C-c C-s C-c
-@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
-Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
+@item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
+@cindex metamail
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
+content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
+@code{metamail} for viewing.
+
+@item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+@vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
+decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
+embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
+to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
+simply dropped them.
-@item C-c C-s C-i
-@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
-Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
@end table
-These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
-use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
-line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
-root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
-toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
-Commands}).
+@node Uuencoding and Posting
+@subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
-@node Finding the Parent
-@section Finding the Parent
-@cindex parent articles
-@cindex referring articles
+@table @code
-@table @kbd
-@item ^
-@kindex ^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
-If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
-displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
-if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
-and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
-can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
-you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
-summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
-
-If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
-the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
-ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
-grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
-@kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
-article.
+@item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
+before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
+either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
+for you when you post the article.
-@item A R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
-@kindex A R (Summary)
-Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
-article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
+@item gnus-uu-post-length
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-length
+Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
+many articles it takes to post the entire file.
-@item A T (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
-@kindex A T (Summary)
-Display the full thread where the current article appears
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
-headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
-you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
-to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
-visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
-faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
+@item gnus-uu-post-threaded
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
+thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
+to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
+seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
+think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
-@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
-The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
-articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
-fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
-the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
-by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
+@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
+Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
+article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
+variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
+at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
+Default is @code{t}.
-@item M-^ (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
-@kindex M-^ (Summary)
-@cindex Message-ID
-@cindex fetching by Message-ID
-You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
-matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
-@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
-that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
-have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
@end table
-The current select method will be used when fetching by
-@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
-by giving this command a prefix.
-@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
-If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
-support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
-you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
-would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
-updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
-necessary.
+@node Viewing Files
+@subsection Viewing Files
+@cindex viewing files
+@cindex pseudo-articles
-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.
+After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
+to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
+viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
+containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
+uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
+This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
+of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
+Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
+extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
+``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
+will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
-@node Alternative Approaches
-@section Alternative Approaches
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
+until the viewing is done before proceeding.
-Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
-gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
+the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
+immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
+be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
-@menu
-* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
-* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
+If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
+pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
+@code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
+a list of parameters to that command.
+@vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
+If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
+pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
-@node Pick and Read
-@subsection Pick and Read
-@cindex pick and read
+So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
+@emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
+Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
-Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
-a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
-buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
-articles with just an article buffer displayed.
-@findex gnus-pick-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
-Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
-this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
-mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
-it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
+@node Article Treatment
+@section Article Treatment
-Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
+Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
+object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
+written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
+writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
+these articles easier.
-@table @kbd
-@item .
-@kindex . (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
-Pick the article or thread on the current line
-(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
-entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
-it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
-thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
-at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
+@menu
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
+@end menu
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-next-page
-Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
-at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
-@item u
-@kindex u (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
-Unpick the thread or article
-(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
-@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
-thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
-just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
-the thread or article at that line.
+@node Article Highlighting
+@subsection Article Highlighting
+@cindex highlighting
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Pick)
-@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
-@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
-Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
-given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
-@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
-will still be visible when you are reading.
+Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
+you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
-pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
-which is mapped to the same function
-@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
+@item W H a
+@kindex W H a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight
+@findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
+Do much highlighting of the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
+text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
-If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
+@item W H h
+@kindex W H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
+@vindex gnus-header-face-alist
+Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
+highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
+variable, which is a list where each element has the form
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
+@var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
+header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
+(@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
+the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
+@var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
-@end lisp
+@item W H c
+@kindex W H c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
+Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
-@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
+Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
-@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
-If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
-all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
-@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
-The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
-standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
-displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
-@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
+@item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
+If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
+default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
+@item gnus-cite-max-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
+Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
-@node Binary Groups
-@subsection Binary Groups
-@cindex binary groups
-
-@findex gnus-binary-mode
-@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
-If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
-@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
-is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
-selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
-instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
-
-@kindex g (Binary)
-@findex gnus-binary-show-article
-The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
-command, when you have turned on this mode
-(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
-
-@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
+@item gnus-cite-face-list
+@vindex gnus-cite-face-list
+List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
+When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
+gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
+This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
+@item gnus-supercite-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
+Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
-@node Tree Display
-@section Tree Display
-@cindex trees
+@item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+@vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
+Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
-@vindex gnus-use-trees
-If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
-@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
-additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
-in the tree buffer.
+@item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+@vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
+Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
+that it's a citation.
-There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
+Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
-A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
+Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
-@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
-A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
-Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
-of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
+@item gnus-cite-attribution-face
+@vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
+Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
+cited text belonging to the attribution.
-@item gnus-selected-tree-face
-@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
-Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
-default is @code{modeline}.
+@end table
-@item gnus-tree-line-format
-@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
-A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
-though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
-is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
-the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
-length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
-Valid specs are:
+@item W H s
+@kindex W H s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+@vindex gnus-signature-face
+@findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
+Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
+Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
+Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
+highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
+default.
-@table @samp
-@item n
-The name of the poster.
-@item f
-The @code{From} header.
-@item N
-The number of the article.
-@item [
-The opening bracket.
-@item ]
-The closing bracket.
-@item s
-The subject.
@end table
-@xref{Formatting Variables}.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
-Variables related to the display are:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-tree-brackets
-@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
-This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
-``sparse'' articles. The format is @var{((real-open . real-close)
-(sparse-open . sparse-close) (dummy-open . dummy-close))}, and the
-default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
+@node Article Fontisizing
+@subsection Article Fontisizing
+@cindex emphasis
+@cindex article emphasis
-@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
-This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
-nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
+@findex gnus-article-emphasize
+@kindex W e (Summary)
+People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
+like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
+this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
+(@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
+How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
+element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
+that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
+emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
+should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
+groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
+highlighting.
-@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
-@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
-buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
-windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
-higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
-have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
-buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
-other windows displayed next to it.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-emphasis-alist
+ '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
+ ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-generate-tree-function
-@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
-@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
-@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
-The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
-functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
-@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
+@cindex slash
+@cindex asterisk
+@cindex underline
+@cindex /
+@cindex *
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
+@vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
+By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
+@code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
+@code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
-Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
+If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
+customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
+to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
+say something like:
-@example
-@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
- | \[Jan]
- | \[odd]-[Eri]
- | \(***)-[Eri]
- | \[odd]-[Paa]
- \[Bjo]
- \[Gun]
- \[Gun]-[Jor]
-@end example
+@lisp
+(copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
+@end lisp
-Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
+@vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
-@example
-@{***@}
- |--------------------------\-----\-----\
-(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
- |--\-----\-----\ |
-[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
- | | |--\
-[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
- |
- [Paa]
-@end example
+If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
+@code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
+syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
+parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
-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:
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-trees t
- gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
- gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article
- (vertical 1.0
- (horizontal 0.25
- (summary 0.75 point)
- (tree 1.0))
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
-@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+@node Article Hiding
+@subsection Article Hiding
+@cindex article hiding
+Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
+too much cruft in most articles.
-@node Mail Group Commands
-@section Mail Group Commands
-@cindex mail group commands
+@table @kbd
-Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
-invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
+@item W W a
+@kindex W W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide
+Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
+(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
+headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
-All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@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
+Headers}.
-@table @kbd
+@item W W b
+@kindex W W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
-@item B e
-@kindex B e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-Expire all expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+@item W W s
+@kindex W W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-signature
+Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
+Signature}.
-@item B M-C-e
-@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
-Delete all the expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
-articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
-disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
+@item W W l
+@kindex W W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
+are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
+@code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
+@samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
+may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
-@item B DEL
-@kindex B DEL (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
-Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
-disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
-(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
+@table @code
-@item B m
-@kindex B m (Summary)
-@cindex move mail
-@findex gnus-summary-move-article
-Move the article from one mail group to another
-(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}).
+@item gnus-list-identifiers
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
+subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
-@item B c
-@kindex B c (Summary)
-@cindex copy mail
-@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
-Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
-(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}).
-
-@item B B
-@kindex B B (Summary)
-@cindex crosspost mail
-@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
-Crosspost the current article to some other group
-(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
-the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
-be properly updated.
+@end table
-@item B i
-@kindex B i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-import-article
-Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
-name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@item W W p
+@kindex W W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
+@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
+@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
+signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
+articles that have signatures in them do:
+@lisp
+;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
-@item B r
-@kindex B r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
-Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
-@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
-select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
-which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
+(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
-@item B w
-@itemx e
-@kindex B w (Summary)
-@kindex e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
-@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
-Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
-editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
-(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
-@kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
+;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
+;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
-@item B q
-@kindex B q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
-If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
-the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
-will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
+(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
+ (mc-verify))))
+@end lisp
-@item B t
-@kindex B t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
-Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
-when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
+@item W W P
+@kindex W W P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
+Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
-@item B p
-@kindex B p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
-Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
-follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
-@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
-(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
-article from your news server (or rather, from
-@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
-report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
-it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
-propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
-just not have arrived yet.
+@item W W B
+@kindex W W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@cindex banner
+@cindex OneList
+@cindex stripping advertisements
+@cindex advertisements
+Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
+annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
+groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
+the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
+group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
+which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
+removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
+signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
+corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
+used.
-@end table
+@item W W c
+@kindex W W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
+customizing the hiding:
-@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
-@cindex moving articles
-If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
-suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
-variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
-(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
-suggestions you find reasonable.
+@table @code
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-move-split-methods
- '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
- ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
- (".*" "nnml:misc")))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+@itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
+@vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
+Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
+allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
+by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
+specs are valid:
+@table @samp
+@item b
+Starting point of the hidden text.
+@item e
+Ending point of the hidden text.
+@item l
+Number of characters in the hidden region.
+@item n
+Number of lines of hidden text.
+@end table
-@node Various Summary Stuff
-@section Various Summary Stuff
+@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
+@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
+The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
+shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
+and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
-@menu
-* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
-@end menu
+@end table
-@table @code
-@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
-@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
-This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
+@item W W C-c
+@kindex W W C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
-@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
-@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
-This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
-generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
-the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
-is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
-have been set.
+Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
+following two variables:
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
-It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
-it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
-some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
+If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
+50), hide the cited text.
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
-@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
-A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
-generated.
+@item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+@vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
+The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
+is hidden.
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
-When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
-it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
-same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
-sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
-If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
-@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
-any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
-article---it'll be as if it never existed.
+@item W W C
+@kindex W W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
+Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
+(@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
+useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
+have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
@end table
+All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
+prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
+hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
-@node Summary Group Information
-@subsection Summary Group Information
-
-@table @kbd
+Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
+citation customization.
-@item H f
-@kindex H f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
-@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
-current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
-FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
-on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
-In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
-be used for fetching the file.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
+automatically.
-@item H d
-@kindex H d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
-Give a brief description of the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
-rereading the description from the server.
-@item H h
-@kindex H h (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
-Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
-keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
+@node Article Washing
+@subsection Article Washing
+@cindex washing
+@cindex article washing
-@item H i
-@kindex H i (Summary)
-@findex gnus-info-find-node
-Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
-@end table
+We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
+@kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
+@dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
+something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
+Cleaner, perhaps.
-@node Searching for Articles
-@subsection Searching for Articles
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
+articles by default.
@table @kbd
-@item M-s
-@kindex M-s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
-
-@item M-r
-@kindex M-r (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
-Search through all previous articles for a regexp
-(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
+@item C-u g
+This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
+you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
+the server.
-@item &
-@kindex & (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
-This command will prompt you for a header field, a regular expression to
-match on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
-(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If given a prefix, search
-backward instead.
+@item W l
+@kindex W l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
+Remove page breaks from the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
+delimiters.
-@item M-&
-@kindex M-& (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
-Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
-the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
-@end table
+@item W r
+@kindex W r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
+Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
+Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
+(Typically offensive jokes and such.)
-@node Summary Generation Commands
-@subsection Summary Generation Commands
+It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
+positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
+#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
+is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
-@table @kbd
+@item W t
+@item t
+@kindex W t (Summary)
+@kindex t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
-@item Y g
-@kindex Y g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prepare
-Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
+@item W v
+@kindex W v (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
-@item Y c
-@kindex Y c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
-Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
+@item W m
+@kindex W m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
+Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
-@end table
+@item W o
+@kindex W o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
+Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
+@item W d
+@kindex W d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
+@vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
+@cindex Smartquotes
+@cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
+@cindex Latin 1
+Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
+@code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
+whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
+interactively.
-@node Really Various Summary Commands
-@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
+Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
+an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
+like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
+apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
-@table @kbd
+@item W w
+@kindex W w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
+Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
-@item A D
-@itemx C-d
-@kindex C-d (Summary)
-@kindex A D (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
-If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
-a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
-article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
-guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
-to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
-whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
-some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
-fashion.
+You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
+when filling.
-@item M-C-d
-@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-read-document
-This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
-several documents into one biiig group
-(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
-@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
-@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
-command understands the process/prefix convention
-(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item W Q
+@kindex W Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
-@item C-t
-@kindex C-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
-Toggle truncation of summary lines
-(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
-line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
-to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
+@item W C
+@kindex W C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
+Capitalize the first word in each sentence
+(@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
-@item =
-@kindex = (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
-Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
-If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
+@item W c
+@kindex W c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-cr
+Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
+(this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
+CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
-@item M-C-e
-@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
-Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
-group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
+@item W 6
+@kindex W 6 (Summary)
+@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
+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)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
+Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
+common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
+makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
+
+@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.
+If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
-@item M-C-g
-@kindex M-C-g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
-Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
-group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
+@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.
-@end table
+@item W b
+@kindex W b (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons
+Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
+@item W B
+@kindex W B (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
+Add clickable buttons to the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
-@cindex summary exit
-@cindex exiting groups
+@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}}
-Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
-group and return you to the group buffer.
+@item W W H
+@kindex W W H (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
+Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
-@table @kbd
+@item W E l
+@kindex W E l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
-@item Z Z
-@itemx q
-@kindex Z Z (Summary)
-@kindex q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit
-@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
-Exit the current group and update all information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
-called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
-@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
-@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
-process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
-group mode having no more (unread) groups.
+@item W E m
+@kindex W E m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
+Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
+lines with a single empty line.
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
-@item Z E
-@itemx Q
-@kindex Z E (Summary)
-@kindex Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
-Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
+@item W E t
+@kindex W E t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
-@item Z c
-@itemx c
-@kindex Z c (Summary)
-@kindex c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
-Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
+@item W E a
+@kindex W E a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
+Do all the three commands above
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
-@item Z C
-@kindex Z C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
-Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
+@item W E A
+@kindex W E A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
+Remove all blank lines
+(@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
-@item Z n
-@kindex Z n (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
-Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+@item W E s
+@kindex W E s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
+Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
-@item Z R
-@kindex Z R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
-Exit this group, and then enter it again
-(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
-all articles, both read and unread.
-
-@item Z G
-@itemx M-g
-@kindex Z G (Summary)
-@kindex M-g (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
-@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
-Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
-group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
-articles, both read and unread.
+@item W E e
+@kindex W E e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
+Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
+body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
-@item Z N
-@kindex Z N (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-next-group
-Exit the group and go to the next group
-(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
+@end table
-@item Z P
-@kindex Z P (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
-Exit the group and go to the previous group
-(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
-@item Z s
-@kindex Z s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
-Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
-and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
-given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
-command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
-@end table
-@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
-@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current
-group.
+@node Article Buttons
+@subsection Article Buttons
+@cindex buttons
-@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
-@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
-@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
-If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
-about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
-If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
-(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
-something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
-called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
-buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
-@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
-summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
+People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
+be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
+with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
+button on these references.
-There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
+Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
+two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
+article heads:
-@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
-The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
-read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
-summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
-@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
-this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
-other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
-neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
-both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-alist
+This is an alist where each entry has this form:
-@node Crosspost Handling
-@section Crosspost Handling
+@lisp
+(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
-@cindex velveeta
-@cindex spamming
-Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
-read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
-posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
-several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
-by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
-heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
-(@pxref{NoCeM}).
+@table @var
-Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
-separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
-@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
-@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
-excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+@item regexp
+All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
+external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
+@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
-@cindex cross-posting
-@cindex Xref
-@cindex @sc{nov}
-One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
-correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
-(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
-does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
-Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
-even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
-articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
-them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
-the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
-the cross reference mechanism.
+@item button-par
+Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
+is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
+highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
-@cindex LIST overview.fmt
-@cindex overview.fmt
-To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
-in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
-@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
-overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
-get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
-your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
-overview files.
+@item use-p
+This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
+this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
+avoid false matches.
-@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
-If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
-set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
-considerably.
+@item function
+This function will be called when you click on this button.
-C'est la vie.
+@item data-par
+As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
+says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
-For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+@end table
+So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
-@node Duplicate Suppression
-@section Duplicate Suppression
+@lisp
+("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
+@end lisp
-By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
-article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
-(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
-approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
-reasons.
+@item gnus-header-button-alist
+@vindex gnus-header-button-alist
+This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
+article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
+used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
-@enumerate
-@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
-is evil and not very common.
+@lisp
+(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+@end lisp
-@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
-@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
+@var{header} is a regular expression.
-@item
-You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
-different @sc{nntp} servers.
+@item gnus-button-url-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
+A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
+default values of the variables above.
-@item
-You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
-@end enumerate
+@item gnus-article-button-face
+@vindex gnus-article-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
-I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
-well, but these four are the most common situations.
+@item gnus-article-mouse-face
+@vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
+Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
-If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
-consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
-will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
-otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
-all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
-mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
-so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
-once.
+@end table
-Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
-sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
-fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
-to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
-article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
-saw the article in.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
-@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
-If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
-@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
-@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
-If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
-make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
-However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
-session are suppressed.
+@node Article Date
+@subsection Article Date
-@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
-This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
-suppression list. The default is 10000.
+The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
+heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
+when the article was sent.
-@item gnus-duplicate-file
-@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
-The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
-default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
-@end table
+@table @kbd
-If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
-you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
-the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
-so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
-@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
-to you to figure out, I think.
+@item W T u
+@kindex W T u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-ut
+Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
+(@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
+@item W T i
+@kindex W T i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
+@cindex ISO 8601
+Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
+(@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
-@node The Article Buffer
-@chapter The Article Buffer
-@cindex article buffer
+@item W T l
+@kindex W T l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-local
+Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
-The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
-one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
-tell gnus otherwise.
+@item W T p
+@kindex W T p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-english
+Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
+(@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
-@menu
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using MIME:: Pushing to mime articles as @sc{mime} messages.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
-@end menu
-
-
-@node Hiding Headers
-@section Hiding Headers
-@cindex hiding headers
-@cindex deleting headers
-
-The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
-@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
+@item W T s
+@kindex W T s (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-article-time-format
+@findex gnus-article-date-user
+@findex format-time-string
+Display the date using a user-defined format
+(@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
+@code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
+to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
+for a list of possible format specs.
-@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
-There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
-who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
-article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
-most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
-through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
-@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
-of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
-article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
+@item W T e
+@kindex W T e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
+@findex gnus-start-date-timer
+@findex gnus-stop-date-timer
+Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
+(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
-Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
+@example
+X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
+@end example
-@table @code
+The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
+whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
+replace it.
-@item gnus-visible-headers
-@vindex gnus-visible-headers
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
-that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
-headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
+An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
+into wonderful absurdities.
-For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
-the article and the subject, you'd say:
+If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
@lisp
-(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
+(gnus-start-date-timer)
@end lisp
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-remain visible.
-
-@item gnus-ignored-headers
-@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
-This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
-variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
-should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
-hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
-
-For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
-and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
+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.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
-@end lisp
+@item W T o
+@kindex W T o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-date-original
+Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
+be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
+worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
+that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
+@emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
-This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
-be removed.
+@end table
-Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
-variable will have no effect.
+@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
+preferred format automatically.
-@end table
-@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
-Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
-can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
-variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
-the headers are to be displayed.
+@node Article Signature
+@subsection Article Signature
+@cindex signatures
+@cindex article signature
-For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
-and then the subject, you might say something like:
+@vindex gnus-signature-separator
+Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
+body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
+that says what is to be considered a signature is
+@code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
+@samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
+non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
+of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
+from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
+(setq gnus-signature-separator
+ '("^-- $" ; The standard
+ "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
+ "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
+ ; line of dashes. Shame!
+ "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
+ "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
+ "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
@end lisp
-Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
-variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
+The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
+positives.
-@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
-@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
-You can hide further boring headers by setting
-@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
-does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
-list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
-lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
-from sight.
+@vindex gnus-signature-limit
+@code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
+signature when displaying articles.
-These conditions are:
-@table @code
-@item empty
-Remove all empty headers.
-@item followup-to
-Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
-@code{Newsgroups} header.
-@item reply-to
-Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
-@code{From} header.
-@item newsgroups
-Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
-name.
-@item date
-Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
-old.
-@item long-to
-Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
-@item many-to
-Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
-@end table
+@enumerate
+@item
+If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
+that integer.
+@item
+If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
+than that number.
+@item
+If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
+and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
+@item
+If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
+in question is not a signature.
+@end enumerate
-To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
+This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
+listed above. Here's an example:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
- '(empty followup-to reply-to))
+(setq gnus-signature-limit
+ '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
@end lisp
-This is also the default value for this variable.
-
+This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
+separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
+the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
+signature after all.
-@node Using MIME
-@section Using @sc{mime}
-@cindex @sc{mime}
-Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
-while people stand around yawning.
+@node Article Miscellania
+@subsection Article Miscellania
-@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
-while all newsreaders die of fear.
+@table @kbd
+@item A t
+@kindex A t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-babel
+Translate the article from one language to another
+(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
-@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
-of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
-other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
+@end table
-@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).
-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.
+@node MIME Commands
+@section @sc{mime} Commands
+@cindex MIME decoding
+@cindex attachments
+@cindex viewing attachments
-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,
-you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
-@sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
-sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
-the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
-look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
-can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
-room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
-rather stupid.)
+The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
+instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
-Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
+@table @kbd
+@item b
+@itemx K v
+@kindex b (Summary)
+@kindex K v (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K o
+@kindex K o (Summary)
+Save the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K c
+@kindex K c (Summary)
+Copy the @sc{mime} part.
+
+@item K e
+@kindex K e (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part externally.
+
+@item K i
+@kindex K i (Summary)
+View the @sc{mime} part internally.
+
+@item K |
+@kindex K | (Summary)
+Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
+@end table
-To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
-@code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
-non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
-buffer when there are nobody else.
+The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
+the same manner:
+@table @kbd
+@item K b
+@kindex K b (Summary)
+Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
+mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
+parts.
-@node Customizing Articles
-@section Customizing Articles
-@cindex article customization
+@item K m
+@kindex K m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
+Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
+This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
+be viewed in a more pleasant manner
+(@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
+
+@item X m
+@kindex X m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
+Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
+(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
-exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
-called automatically when you select the articles.
+@item M-t
+@kindex M-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
+Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
-To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
-``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
-@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
-be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
+@item W M w
+@kindex W M w (Summary)
+Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
-@enumerate
-@item
-@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
+@item W M c
+@kindex W M c (Summary)
+Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
+(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
-@item
-@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
+This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
+charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
+prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
+MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
+the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-@item
-@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
+@item W M v
+@kindex W M v (Summary)
+View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
-@item
-@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
+@end table
-@item
-An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
-than this number.
+Relevant variables:
-@item
-A list:
+@table @code
+@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
-The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
-predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
-@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
+To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
@lisp
-(or last
- (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+(setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
+ '("text/x-vcard"))
@end lisp
-@item
-@code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
-non-nil.
+@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
-@item
-@code{nomime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}'
-is nil.
+@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
+@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
+For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
+handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
+users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
+the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
+save all jpegs into some directory).
-@end enumerate
+Here's an example function the does the latter:
-You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
-to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
-be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
-considered to contain just a single part.
+@lisp
+(defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
+ (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
+ (with-temp-buffer
+ (insert (mm-get-part handle))
+ (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
+(setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
+ 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
-Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
-want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
-treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
-variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
-type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
-controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
+@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
+Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
-The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
-customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
-group.
+@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
-@table @code
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature
-@item gnus-treat-buttonize
-@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head
-@item gnus-treat-emphasize
-@item gnus-treat-fill-article
-@item gnus-treat-strip-cr
-@item gnus-treat-hide-headers
-@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers
-@item gnus-treat-hide-signature
-@item gnus-treat-hide-citation
-@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp
-@item gnus-treat-strip-pem
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature
-@item gnus-treat-date-ut
-@item gnus-treat-date-local
-@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed
-@item gnus-treat-date-original
-@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body
-@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines
-@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines
-@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines
-@item gnus-treat-strip-blank-lines
-@item gnus-treat-overstrike
-@item gnus-treat-display-xface
-@item gnus-treat-display-smileys
-@item gnus-treat-display-picons
-@end table
+@lisp
+(setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+ '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
-You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
-@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
-part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
-information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
-everything. However, you shouldn't delete any headers. Instead make
-them invisible if you want to make them go away.
+@noindent
+to your @file{.gnus} file.
+@end table
-@node Article Keymap
-@section Article Keymap
-Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
-article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
-buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
-buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
-buffer.
+@node Charsets
+@section Charsets
+@cindex charsets
-A few additional keystrokes are available:
+People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
+charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
+newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
+just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
+help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
+what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
+hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
-@table @kbd
+@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
+This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
+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.
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-page
-Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+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
+@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.
-@item DEL
-@kindex DEL (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-page
-Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
+When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
+determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
+encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
+quoted-printable header encoding.
-@item C-c ^
-@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-refer-article
-If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
-@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
-(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
+This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
+for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
+header body-list}@code{)}, where:
-@item C-c C-m
-@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-mail
-Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
-given a prefix, include the mail.
+@table @var
+@item test
+is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
+variable to query,
+@item header
+is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
+means encode all charsets),
+@item body-list
+is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
+encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
+encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
+@end table
-@item s
-@kindex s (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-show-summary
-Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
-(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
+@cindex Russian
+@cindex koi8-r
+@cindex koi8-u
+@cindex iso-8859-5
+@cindex coding system aliases
+@cindex preferred charset
-@item ?
-@kindex ? (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
-Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
-(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
+Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
-@item TAB
-@kindex TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-next-button
-Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
-only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
+If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
+charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
-@item M-TAB
-@kindex M-TAB (Article)
-@findex gnus-article-prev-button
-Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+@lisp
+(put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
+ 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
-@end table
+This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
+the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
+If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
-@node Misc Article
-@section Misc Article
+@lisp
+(define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+This will almost do the right thing.
-@item gnus-single-article-buffer
-@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
-If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
-(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
-article buffer.
+And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
+something like
-@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
-@item gnus-article-decode-hook
-@cindex MIME
-Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
-@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
+@lisp
+(codepage-setup 1251)
+(define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
+@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
-@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
-This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
-article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
-depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
-the contents of the article buffer.
-@item gnus-article-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
-Hook called in article mode buffers.
+@node Article Commands
+@section Article Commands
-@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
-Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
-@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
-@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
-This variable is a format string along the same lines as
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
-accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with one
-extension:
+@item A P
+@cindex PostScript
+@cindex printing
+@kindex A P (Summary)
+@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
+@findex gnus-summary-print-article
+Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
+run just before printing the buffer.
-@table @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.
-@item m
-The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
@end table
-@vindex gnus-break-pages
-@item gnus-break-pages
-Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
-is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
-page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
-paging will not be done.
+@node Summary Sorting
+@section Summary Sorting
+@cindex summary sorting
-@item gnus-page-delimiter
-@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
-This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
-(formfeed).
-@end table
+You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
+can't really see why you'd want that.
+@table @kbd
-@node Composing Messages
-@chapter Composing Messages
-@cindex composing messages
-@cindex messages
-@cindex mail
-@cindex sending mail
-@cindex reply
-@cindex followup
-@cindex post
+@item C-c C-s C-n
+@kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
+Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
-@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
-All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
-where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the article
-by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The Message
-Manual}. If you are in a foreign news group, and you wish to post the
-article using the foreign server, you can give a prefix to @kbd{C-c C-c}
-to make gnus try to post using the foreign server.
-
-@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* Post:: Posting and following up.
-* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
-* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
-* Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
-* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
-* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
-* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
-@end menu
-
-Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
-remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
+@item C-c C-s C-a
+@kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
+Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+@item C-c C-s C-s
+@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
+Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
-@node Mail
-@section Mail
+@item C-c C-s C-d
+@kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
+Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
-Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
+@item C-c C-s C-l
+@kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
+Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
-@table @code
-@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
-@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
-List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
-headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
+@item C-c C-s C-c
+@kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
+Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
-@item 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 C-c C-s C-i
+@kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
+Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@item C-c C-s C-o
+@kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
+Sort using the default sorting method
+(@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
@end table
+These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
+use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
+line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
+root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
+toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
+Commands}).
-@node Post
-@section Post
-Variables for composing news articles:
+@node Finding the Parent
+@section Finding the Parent
+@cindex parent articles
+@cindex referring articles
-@table @code
-@item gnus-sent-message-ids-file
-@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-file
-Gnus will keep a @code{Message-ID} history file of all the mails it has
-sent. If it discovers that it has already sent a mail, it will ask the
-user whether to re-send the mail. (This is primarily useful when
-dealing with @sc{soup} packets and the like where one is apt to send the
-same packet multiple times.) This variable says what the name of this
-history file is. It is @file{~/News/Sent-Message-IDs} by default. Set
-this variable to @code{nil} if you don't want gnus to keep a history
-file.
+@table @kbd
+@item ^
+@kindex ^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
+If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
+displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
+if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
+and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
+can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
+you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
+summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
-@item gnus-sent-message-ids-length
-@vindex gnus-sent-message-ids-length
-This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the history
-file. It is 1000 by default.
+If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
+the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
+ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
+grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
+@kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
+article.
-@end table
+@item A R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-references
+@kindex A R (Summary)
+Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
+article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
+@item A T (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
+@kindex A T (Summary)
+Display the full thread where the current article appears
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
+headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
+you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
+to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
+visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
+faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
-@node Posting Server
-@section Posting Server
+@vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
+The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
+articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
+fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
+the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
+by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
-When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
-(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+@item M-^ (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-refer-article
+@kindex M-^ (Summary)
+@cindex Message-ID
+@cindex fetching by Message-ID
+You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
+matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
+(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
+@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
+that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
+have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+@end table
-Thank you for asking. I hate you.
+The current select method will be used when fetching by
+@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
+by giving this command a prefix.
-@vindex gnus-post-method
+@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
+If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
+support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
+updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
+necessary.
-It can be quite complicated. Normally, gnus will use the same native
-server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
-reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
-(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
-then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
+@code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
+is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
+match.
+
+Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
+then ask Deja if that fails:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
+(setq gnus-refer-article-method
+ '(current
+ (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
@end lisp
-Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
-this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
-can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
-the ``current'' server for posting.
-
-If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
-gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
+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.
-You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
-If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
-for posting.
-Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
-you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
-groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
-@code{current}.
+@node Alternative Approaches
+@section Alternative Approaches
+Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
+gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
-@node Mail and Post
-@section Mail and Post
+@menu
+* Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
+* Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
+@end menu
-Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
-posting:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
-@cindex mailing lists
+@node Pick and Read
+@subsection Pick and Read
+@cindex pick and read
-If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
-gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
-problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
-One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
-@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
-really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
-lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
-still a pain, though.
+Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
+a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
+buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
+articles with just an article buffer displayed.
-@end table
+@findex gnus-pick-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
+Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
+this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
+mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
+it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
-You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
-you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
-spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
+Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
-@cindex ispell
-@findex ispell-message
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item .
+@kindex . (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
+Pick the article or thread on the current line
+(@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
+entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
+it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
+thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
+at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-next-page
+Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
+at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
-@node Archived Messages
-@section Archived Messages
-@cindex archived messages
-@cindex sent messages
+@item u
+@kindex u (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
+Unpick the thread or article
+(@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
+@code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
+thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
+just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
+the thread or article at that line.
-Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
-send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
-store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
-@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
-is the default.
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Pick)
+@findex gnus-pick-start-reading
+@vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
+Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
+given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
+@code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
+will still be visible when you are reading.
-@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:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
- (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
-@end lisp
+All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
+pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
+which is mapped to the same function
+@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
-You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
-@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likeable select method
-for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
-directory chosen, you could say something like:
+If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-method
- '(nnfolder "archive"
- (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
- (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
- (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
-@cindex Gcc
-Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
-to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
-determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
-
-This variable can be used to do the following:
+@vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item a string
-Messages will be saved in that group.
-@item a list of strings
-Messages will be saved in all those groups.
-@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
-When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
-@item @code{nil}
-No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
-@end itemize
+@vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
+If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
+all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
-Let's illustrate:
+@vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
+The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
+standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
+displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
-Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
-@end lisp
-Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
-@end lisp
+@node Binary Groups
+@subsection Binary Groups
+@cindex binary groups
-Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
- ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
- (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
-@end lisp
+@findex gnus-binary-mode
+@kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
+If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
+@kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
+is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
+selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
+instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
-More complex stuff:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- "misc-mail")))
-@end lisp
+@kindex g (Binary)
+@findex gnus-binary-show-article
+The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
+command, when you have turned on this mode
+(@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
-How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
-messages in one file per month:
+@vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-message-archive-group
- '((if (message-news-p)
- "misc-news"
- (concat "mail." (format-time-string
- "%Y-%m" (current-time))))))
-@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.)
+@node Tree Display
+@section Tree Display
+@cindex trees
-Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
-group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
-you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
-archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
-gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
-enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
-group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
-if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
-nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
-continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
+@vindex gnus-use-trees
+If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
+@code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
+additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
+in the tree buffer.
-That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
-different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
-case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
-this will disable archiving.
+There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
@table @code
-@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
-@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
-All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
-all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
-you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
-group names.
+@item gnus-tree-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
+A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
-If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
-message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
-current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
-of names).
+@item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
+A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
+Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
+of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
-This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
-but the latter is the preferred method.
+@item gnus-selected-tree-face
+@vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
+Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
+default is @code{modeline}.
+
+@item gnus-tree-line-format
+@vindex gnus-tree-line-format
+A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
+though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
+is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
+the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
+length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
+
+Valid specs are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item n
+The name of the poster.
+@item f
+The @code{From} header.
+@item N
+The number of the article.
+@item [
+The opening bracket.
+@item ]
+The closing bracket.
+@item s
+The subject.
@end table
+@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@node Posting Styles
-@section Posting Styles
-@cindex posting styles
-@cindex styles
+Variables related to the display are:
-All them variables, they make my head swim.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-tree-brackets
+@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
+This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
+``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
+(@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
+default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
-So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
-on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
-and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
-on?
+@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
+This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
+nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
-@vindex gnus-posting-styles
-One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
-variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
-came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
-a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
-variable:
+@end table
-@lisp
-((".*"
- (signature "Peace and happiness")
- (organization "What me?"))
- ("^comp"
- (signature "Death to everybody"))
- ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
- (organization "Emacs is it")))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-tree-minimize-window
+@vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
+buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
+windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
+higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
+have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
+buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
+other windows displayed next to it.
-As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
-@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
-``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
-over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
-applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
-the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
-@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
-signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
+@item gnus-generate-tree-function
+@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
+@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+@findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
+The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
+functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
+@code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
-The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
-string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
-If it's a function symbol, that function will be called with no
-arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
-referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
-any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
-to @dfn{match}.
+@end table
-Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
-attribute consists of a @var{(name value)} pair. The attribute name
-can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
-@code{organization}, @code{address}, @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.
+Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
-The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function (the
-return value will be used), a variable (its value will be used) or a
-list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value will be used).
+@example
+@{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
+ | \[Jan]
+ | \[odd]-[Eri]
+ | \(***)-[Eri]
+ | \[odd]-[Paa]
+ \[Bjo]
+ \[Gun]
+ \[Gun]-[Jor]
+@end example
-If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
-meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
-of the two dynamically bound variables @code{message-this-is-news} and
-@code{message-this-is-mail}.
+Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
-@vindex message-this-is-mail
-@vindex message-this-is-news
+@example
+@{***@}
+ |--------------------------\-----\-----\
+(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
+ |--\-----\-----\ |
+[odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
+ | | |--\
+[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
+ |
+ [Paa]
+@end example
-So here's a new example:
+If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
+side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
+following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-posting-styles
- '((".*"
- (signature-file "~/.signature")
- (name "User Name")
- ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
- (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
- ("^rec.humor"
- (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
- ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
- (signature my-quote-randomizer))
- (message-this-is-news
- (signature my-news-signature))
- (posting-from-work-p
- (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
- (address "user@@bar.foo")
- (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
- (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
- ("^nn.+:"
- (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
+(setq gnus-use-trees t
+ gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
+ gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
+(gnus-add-configuration
+ '(article
+ (vertical 1.0
+ (horizontal 0.25
+ (summary 0.75 point)
+ (tree 1.0))
+ (article 1.0))))
@end lisp
+@xref{Windows Configuration}.
-@node Drafts
-@section Drafts
-@cindex drafts
-
-If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
-you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
-craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
-the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
-other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
-Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
-some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
-automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
-If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
-article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
-group.)
+@node Mail Group Commands
+@section Mail Group Commands
+@cindex mail group commands
-@cindex nndraft
-@vindex nndraft-directory
-The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
-@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
-@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
-@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
-that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
-read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
+Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
+invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
-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.
+All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
-@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
-@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
-@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
-@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
-@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
-@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
-@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
-@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
-@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
-@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
-@c
-@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
-@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
-@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
+@table @kbd
-@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
-@kindex D e (Draft)
-When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
-draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
-that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
+@item B e
+@kindex B e (Summary)
+@findex 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}).
-Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
-Articles}).
+@item B M-C-e
+@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
+Delete all the expirable articles in the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
+articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
+disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
-@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
-@findex gnus-draft-send-message
-If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
-doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
-(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
-command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
-in the buffer.
+@item B DEL
+@kindex B DEL (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-delete-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
+Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
+disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
+(@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
-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.
+@item B m
+@kindex B m (Summary)
+@cindex move mail
+@findex gnus-summary-move-article
+@vindex gnus-preserve-marks
+Move the article from one mail group to another
+(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
+@item B c
+@kindex B c (Summary)
+@cindex copy mail
+@findex gnus-summary-copy-article
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
+Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
+(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
+@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
-@node Rejected Articles
-@section Rejected Articles
-@cindex rejected articles
+@item B B
+@kindex B B (Summary)
+@cindex crosspost mail
+@findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
+Crosspost the current article to some other group
+(@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
+the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
+be properly updated.
-Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
-doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
-@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
-Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
+@item B i
+@kindex B i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-import-article
+Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
+(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
+name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
-These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
-(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
-fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
-you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
-articles until some later time when the server feels better.
+@item B r
+@kindex B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
+@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
+select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
+which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
+Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
+(which is the default).
-The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
-(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
-typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
+@item B w
+@itemx e
+@kindex B w (Summary)
+@kindex e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
+@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
+editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
+(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
+@kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
+@item B q
+@kindex B q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-query
+If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
+the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
+will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
-@node Select Methods
-@chapter Select Methods
-@cindex foreign groups
-@cindex select methods
+@item B t
+@kindex B t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
+Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
+when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
-A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
-default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
-@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
-personal mail group.
+@item B p
+@kindex B p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
+Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
+follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
+@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
+(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
+article from your news server (or rather, from
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
+report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
+it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
+propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
+just not have arrived yet.
-A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
-a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
-list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
-@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
-name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
-value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+@end table
-One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
-we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
+@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
+@cindex moving articles
+If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
+suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
+variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
+(@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
+suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
+@code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
+@code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
-group as.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-move-split-methods
+ '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
+ ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
+ (".*" "nnml:misc")))
+@end lisp
-For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
-@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
-method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
-@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
-backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
-The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
+@node Various Summary Stuff
+@section Various Summary Stuff
@menu
-* The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
-* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
-* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
-* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
@end menu
+@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
+@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
+This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
-@node The Server Buffer
-@section The Server Buffer
+@vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
+@item gnus-summary-generate-hook
+This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
+generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
+the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
+is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
+have been set.
-Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
-one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
-connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
-one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
-the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
-backend represents a virtual server.
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
+It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
+it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
+some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
-For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
-different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
-on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
-use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
-
-These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
-complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
-@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
-hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
-Anyways, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
-server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
-select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
-
-To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
-(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-
-@menu
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
-* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
-* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-@end menu
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+@item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
+generated.
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
+@vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+@item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
+When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
+it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
+same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
+sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
+If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
+@code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
+any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
+article---it'll be as if it never existed.
+@vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+@item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
+This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
+of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
+list of articles to be selected.
-@node Server Buffer Format
-@subsection Server Buffer Format
-@cindex server buffer format
+For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
+the list in one particular group:
-@vindex gnus-server-line-format
-You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
-@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
-variable, with some simple extensions:
+@lisp
+(defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
+ (if (string= group "some.group")
+ (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
+ articles))
+@end lisp
-@table @samp
+@end table
-@item h
-How the news is fetched---the backend name.
-@item n
-The name of this server.
+@node Summary Group Information
+@subsection Summary Group Information
-@item w
-Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
+@table @kbd
-@item s
-The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
-@end table
+@item H f
+@kindex H f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
+@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
+Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
+current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
+FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
+on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
+In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
+be used for fetching the file.
-@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
-The mode line can also be customized by using the
-@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
-Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
+@item H d
+@kindex H d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-group
+Give a brief description of the current group
+(@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
+rereading the description from the server.
-@table @samp
-@item S
-Server name.
+@item H h
+@kindex H h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
+Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
+keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
-@item M
-Server method.
+@item H i
+@kindex H i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-info-find-node
+Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
@end table
-Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
-
-@node Server Commands
-@subsection Server Commands
-@cindex server commands
+@node Searching for Articles
+@subsection Searching for Articles
@table @kbd
-@item a
-@kindex a (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-add-server
-Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
-
-@item e
-@kindex e (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-edit-server
-Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
+@item M-s
+@kindex M-s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
+Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
-@item SPACE
-@kindex SPACE (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-read-server
-Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+@item M-r
+@kindex M-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
+Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
+(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
-@item q
-@kindex q (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-exit
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
+@item &
+@kindex & (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-execute-command
+This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
+on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
+(@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
+string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
+search backward instead.
-@item k
-@kindex k (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-kill-server
-Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
+For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
+all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
-@item y
-@kindex y (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-yank-server
-Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
+@item M-&
+@kindex M-& (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
+Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
+the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
+@end table
-@item c
-@kindex c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-copy-server
-Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
+@node Summary Generation Commands
+@subsection Summary Generation Commands
-@item l
-@kindex l (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-list-servers
-List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
+@table @kbd
-@item s
-@kindex s (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-scan-server
-Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
-(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
-servers.
+@item Y g
+@kindex Y g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prepare
+Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
-@item g
-@kindex g (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
-Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
-(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
-a mail backend that has gotten out of synch.
+@item Y c
+@kindex Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
+Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
@end table
-@node Example Methods
-@subsection Example Methods
+@node Really Various Summary Commands
+@subsection Really Various Summary Commands
-Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
+@table @kbd
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi")
-@end lisp
+@item A D
+@itemx C-d
+@kindex C-d (Summary)
+@kindex A D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
+If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
+a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
+article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
+guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
+to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
+whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
+some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
+fashion.
-Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+@item M-C-d
+@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-read-document
+This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
+several documents into one biiig group
+(@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
+@code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
+@code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
+command understands the process/prefix convention
+(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@lisp
-(nnspool "")
-@end lisp
+@item C-t
+@kindex C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
+Toggle truncation of summary lines
+(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
+line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
+to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
-As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
-backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
-will.
+@item =
+@kindex = (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-expand-window
+Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
+If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
-After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
-@var{(variable form)} pairs.
+@item M-C-e
+@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
+Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
-To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
-port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
-look like then:
+@item M-C-a
+@kindex M-C-a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
+Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
+group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
-@lisp
-(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
-variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
-@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
-you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
-mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
-your private mail:
+@node Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@section Exiting the Summary Buffer
+@cindex summary exit
+@cindex exiting groups
-@lisp
-(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
-@end lisp
+Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
+group and return you to the group buffer.
-(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
-that.)
+@table @kbd
-Here's the method for a public spool:
+@item Z Z
+@itemx q
+@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit
+@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
+Exit the current group and update all information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
+called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
+@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
+@code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
+process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
+group mode having no more (unread) groups.
-@lisp
-(nnmh "public"
- (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
- (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
-@end lisp
+@item Z E
+@itemx Q
+@kindex Z E (Summary)
+@kindex Q (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
+Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
-If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
-server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
-on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
-Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
-should probably look something like this:
+@item Z c
+@itemx c
+@kindex Z c (Summary)
+@kindex c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
+Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
-@lisp
-(nntp "firewall"
- (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
-@end lisp
+@item Z C
+@kindex Z C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
+Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
-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:
+@item Z n
+@kindex Z n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
-@lisp
-(nntp "news"
- (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
- (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
-@end lisp
+@item Z R
+@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
+Exit this group, and then enter it again
+(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
+all articles, both read and unread.
-This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
-provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
-connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
-@code{ssh} @file{config} file.
+@item Z G
+@itemx M-g
+@kindex Z G (Summary)
+@kindex M-g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
+@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
+Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
+group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
+articles, both read and unread.
+@item Z N
+@kindex Z N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-next-group
+Exit the group and go to the next group
+(@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
-@node Creating a Virtual Server
-@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+@item Z P
+@kindex Z P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-prev-group
+Exit the group and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
-If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
-articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
+@item Z s
+@kindex Z s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
+Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
+and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
+given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
+command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
+@end table
-First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
-would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
-could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+@vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
+@code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
+with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
+(@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
-Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+@findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
+@findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
+@vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
+If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
+about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
+If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
+(Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
+something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
+called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
+buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
+@code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
+summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
-You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
-@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
-Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
-will contain the following:
+There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
-@lisp
-(nnspool "cache")
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
+The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
+read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
+summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
+@code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
+this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
+other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
+neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
+both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
-Change that to:
-@lisp
-(nnspool "cache"
- (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
-@end lisp
+@node Crosspost Handling
+@section Crosspost Handling
-Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
-@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
-buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
+@cindex velveeta
+@cindex spamming
+Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
+read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
+posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
+several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
+by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
+heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
+(@pxref{NoCeM}).
+Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
+separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
+@dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
+@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
+excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
-@node Server Variables
-@subsection Server Variables
+@cindex cross-posting
+@cindex Xref
+@cindex @sc{nov}
+One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
+correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
+(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
+Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
+even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
+articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
+them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
+the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
+the cross reference mechanism.
-One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
-in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
-variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
-change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
-won't change the "derived" variables.
+@cindex LIST overview.fmt
+@cindex overview.fmt
+To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
+@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
+overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
+get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
+your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
+overview files.
-This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
-@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
-directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
-@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
-new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
-@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
-variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
-variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
-manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
+@vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
+If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
+set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
+considerably.
-@lisp
-(nnml "public"
- (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
- (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
- (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
-@end lisp
+C'est la vie.
+For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
-@node Servers and Methods
-@subsection Servers and Methods
-Wherever you would normally use a select method
-(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
-when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
-instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
-over.
+@node Duplicate Suppression
+@section Duplicate Suppression
+By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
+article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
+(@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
+approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
+reasons.
-@node Unavailable Servers
-@subsection Unavailable Servers
+@enumerate
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+is evil and not very common.
-If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
-@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
-with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
-will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
-actually the case or not.
+@item
+The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
-That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
-Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
-@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
-away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
-to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
-attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
-attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
-it will regard that server as ``down''.
+@item
+You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
+different @sc{nntp} servers.
-So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
-How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
+@item
+You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
+@end enumerate
-You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
-with the following commands:
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item O
-@kindex O (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-server
-Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
-(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
+I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
+well, but these four are the most common situations.
-@item C
-@kindex C (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-server
-Close the connection (if any) to the server
-(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
+If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
+consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
+will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
+otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
+all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
+mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
+so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
+once.
-@item D
-@kindex D (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-deny-server
-Mark the current server as unreachable
-(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
+Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
+sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
+fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
+to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
+article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
+saw the article in.
-@item M-o
-@kindex M-o (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
-Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
+@table @code
+@item gnus-suppress-duplicates
+@vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
+If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
-@item M-c
-@kindex M-c (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
-Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
-(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+@item gnus-save-duplicate-list
+@vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
+If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
+make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
+However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
+session are suppressed.
-@item R
-@kindex R (Server)
-@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
-Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
-(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+@item gnus-duplicate-list-length
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
+This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
+suppression list. The default is 10000.
+@item gnus-duplicate-file
+@vindex gnus-duplicate-file
+The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
+default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
@end table
+If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
+you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
+the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
+so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
+@code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
+to you to figure out, I think.
-@node Getting News
-@section Getting News
-@cindex reading news
-@cindex news backends
+@node Security
+@section Security
-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.
+Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
+encrypted messages.
-@menu
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-@end menu
+@enumerate
+@item
+To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
+gpg.el.
+@end enumerate
-@node NNTP
-@subsection @sc{nntp}
-@cindex nntp
+@table @code
+@item mm-verify-option
+@vindex mm-verify-option
+Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
+@code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+
+@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
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
-Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
-You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
-server as the, uhm, address.
+@end table
-If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
-third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
-to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
-that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@node Article Buffer
+@chapter Article Buffer
+@cindex article buffer
-The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
-fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
-you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
+one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
+tell gnus otherwise.
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
-server:
+@menu
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+@end menu
-@table @code
-@item nntp-server-opened-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
-@cindex @sc{mode reader}
-@cindex authinfo
-@cindex authentification
-@cindex nntp authentification
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
-is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
-commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
-default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
-@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
-present in this hook.
+@node Hiding Headers
+@section Hiding Headers
+@cindex hiding headers
+@cindex deleting headers
-@item nntp-authinfo-function
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
-@findex nntp-send-authinfo
-@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
-This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
-server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
-through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
-@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
-are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
-format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
-@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
-manual page, but here are the salient facts:
+The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
+@dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
-@enumerate
-@item
-The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
+@vindex gnus-show-all-headers
+There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
+who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
+article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
+most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
+through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
+of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
+article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
-@item
-Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs. The
-valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
-@samp{default} and @samp{force}. (The latter is not a valid
-@file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} token, which is the only way the
-@file{.authinfo} file format deviates from the @file{.netrc} file
-format.)
+Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
-@end enumerate
+@table @code
-Here's an example file:
+@item gnus-visible-headers
+@vindex gnus-visible-headers
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
+that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
+headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
-@example
-machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
-machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
-@end example
+For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
+the article and the subject, you'd say:
-The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
-have to be first, for instance.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
+@end lisp
-In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
-former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
-user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
-@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
-@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
-@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
-until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+remain visible.
-You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
-that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
+@item gnus-ignored-headers
+@vindex gnus-ignored-headers
+This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
+variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
+should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
+hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
-@example
-default force yes
-@end example
+For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
+and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
-This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
-previously mentioned.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
+@end lisp
-Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
+This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
+be removed.
-@item nntp-server-action-alist
-@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
-This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
-taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
-every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
+Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
+variable will have no effect.
-@lisp
-(setq nntp-server-action-alist
- '(("innd" (ding))))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-You probably don't want to do that, though.
+@vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
+Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
+can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
+variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
+the headers are to be displayed.
-The default value is
+For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
+and then the subject, you might say something like:
@lisp
-'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
- (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+(setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
@end lisp
-This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
-nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
+Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
+variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
-@item nntp-maximum-request
-@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
-will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
-waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
-by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
-your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
+@findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
+@vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
+You can hide further boring headers by setting
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
+does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
+list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
+lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
+from sight.
-@item nntp-connection-timeout
-@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
-If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
-regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
-responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
-time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
-somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
-that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
-connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
-no timeouts are done.
-
-@c @item nntp-command-timeout
-@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
-@c @cindex PPP connections
-@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
-@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
-@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
-@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
-@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
-@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
-@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
-@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
-@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
-@c likely number is 30 seconds.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
-@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
-@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
-@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
-@c described above.
-
-@item nntp-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-hook
-This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
-server.
+These conditions are:
+@table @code
+@item empty
+Remove all empty headers.
+@item followup-to
+Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
+@code{Newsgroups} header.
+@item reply-to
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
+@code{From} header.
+@item newsgroups
+Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
+name.
+@item to-address
+Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
+@item date
+Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
+old.
+@item long-to
+Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
+@item many-to
+Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
+@end table
-@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:
+To include these three elements, you could say something like;
-@table @code
-@item nntp-open-network-stream
-This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
-remote system.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
+ '(empty followup-to reply-to))
+@end lisp
-@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.
+This is also the default value for this variable.
-@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
-@table @code
+@node Using MIME
+@section Using @sc{mime}
+@cindex @sc{mime}
-@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.
+Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
+while people stand around yawning.
-@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
-This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+while all newsreaders die of fear.
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system.
+@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
+other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
-@end table
+@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).
-@item nntp-open-telnet
-Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
-to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
+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.
-@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
+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,
+you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
+@sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
+sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
+the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
+look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
+can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
+room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
+rather stupid.)
-@table @code
-@item nntp-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-telnet-command
-Command used to start @code{telnet}.
+Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
-@item nntp-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
+To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
+@code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
+non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
+buffer when there are nobody else.
-@item nntp-telnet-user-name
-@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
-User name for log in on the remote system.
+Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
-@item nntp-telnet-passwd
-@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
-Password to use when logging in.
-@item nntp-telnet-parameters
-@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
-A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
-via @code{telnet}.
+@node Customizing Articles
+@section Customizing Articles
+@cindex article customization
-@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?}.
+A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
+exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
+called automatically when you select the articles.
-@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.
+To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
+``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
+@code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
+be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
-@end table
+Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
+for sensible values.
-@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
-@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
-Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
-you must have SSLay installed
-(@file{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
-@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distributeion, for instance). You then
-define a server as follows:
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
-@lisp
-;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
-;;
-;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
-;;
-(nntp "snews.bar.com"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
- (nntp-port-number "snews")
- (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
-@end lisp
+@item
+@code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
-@end table
+@item
+@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
-@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
+@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
-function.
+@item
+An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
+than this number.
-@item nntp-address
-@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+@item
+A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
+articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
+regexps in the list.
-@item nntp-port-number
-@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
-connect function.
+@item
+A list where the first element is not a string:
-@item nntp-buggy-select
-@vindex nntp-buggy-select
-Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
+predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
+@code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
-@item 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.
+@lisp
+(or last
+ (typep "text/x-vcard"))
+@end lisp
-@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
+@code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
+non-nil.
-@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.
+@end enumerate
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
+to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
+be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
+considered to contain just a single part.
-@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.
+@vindex gnus-article-treat-types
+Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
+want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
+treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
+type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
+controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
-@item nntp-record-commands
-@vindex nntp-record-commands
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
-@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestep) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
-buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
-that doesn't seem to work.
+The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
+customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
+group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
+possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (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-display-smileys (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
+@item gnus-treat-translate
+@item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
@end table
+@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
+You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
+@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
+part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
+information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
+everything.
-@node News Spool
-@subsection News Spool
-@cindex nnspool
-@cindex news spool
-Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
-and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
-contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
-instance.
+@node Article Keymap
+@section Article Keymap
-Anyways, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
-anything else) as the address.
+Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
+article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
+buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
+buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
+buffer.
-If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
-native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
-than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
-You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
+A few additional keystrokes are available:
-@table @code
+@table @kbd
-@item nnspool-inews-program
-@vindex nnspool-inews-program
-Program used to post an article.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-page
+Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
-@item nnspool-inews-switches
-@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
-Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
+@item DEL
+@kindex DEL (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-page
+Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
-@item nnspool-spool-directory
-@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
+@item C-c ^
+@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-refer-article
+If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
+@kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
+(@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
-@item nnspool-nov-directory
-@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
-@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
+@item C-c C-m
+@kindex C-c C-m (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-mail
+Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
+given a prefix, include the mail.
-@item nnspool-lib-dir
-@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
-Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
+@item s
+@kindex s (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-show-summary
+Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
+(@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
-@item nnspool-active-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The path to the active file.
+@item ?
+@kindex ? (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
+Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
+(@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
-@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The path to the group descriptions file.
+@item TAB
+@kindex TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-next-button
+Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
+only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
-@item nnspool-history-file
-@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The path to the news history file.
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-prev-button
+Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
-@item nnspool-active-times-file
-@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The path to the active date file.
+@end table
-@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
-that it finds.
-@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
-@cindex sed
-If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
-relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
-load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+@node Misc Article
+@section Misc Article
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-single-article-buffer
+@vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
+If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
+(This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
+article buffer.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
+@item gnus-article-decode-hook
+@cindex MIME
+Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
+@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
+
+@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
+@item gnus-article-prepare-hook
+This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
+article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
+depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
+the contents of the article buffer.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
+Hook called in article mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
+Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
+@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
+@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
+This variable is a format string along the same lines as
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
+accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
+extensions:
+@table @samp
+@item w
+The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
+character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
+performed.
+@item m
+The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
@end table
+@vindex gnus-break-pages
-@node Getting Mail
-@section Getting Mail
-@cindex reading mail
+@item gnus-break-pages
+Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
+is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
+page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
+paging will not be done.
+
+@item gnus-page-delimiter
+@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
+This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
+(formfeed).
+@end table
+
+
+@node Composing Messages
+@chapter Composing Messages
+@cindex composing messages
+@cindex messages
@cindex mail
+@cindex sending mail
+@cindex reply
+@cindex followup
+@cindex post
+@cindex using gpg
-Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
-course.
+@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
+All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
+where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
+article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
+Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
+on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
@menu
-* 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.
-* 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:: 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
@end menu
+Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
-@node Getting Started Reading Mail
-@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
-It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
-mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
-and things will happen automatically.
+@node Mail
+@section Mail
-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:
+Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnml "private")))
-@end lisp
+@table @code
+@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
+@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
+List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
-Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
-articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
-directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
-be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
-like any other group.
+@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}.
-You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("other" "")))
-@end lisp
-This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
-@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
-mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
-last group.
+@node Posting Server
+@section Posting Server
-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}.
+When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
+(extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
+Thank you for asking. I hate you.
-@node Splitting Mail
-@subsection Splitting Mail
-@cindex splitting mail
-@cindex mail splitting
+@vindex gnus-post-method
-@vindex nnmail-split-methods
-The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
-to be split into groups.
+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:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
- ("mail.other" "")))
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
@end lisp
-This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
-these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
-something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
-element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
-determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
-contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
-insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
-
-@lisp
-("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
-@end lisp
+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 behavior, for posting.
-The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
-called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
-argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
-mail belongs in that group.
+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.
-The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
-expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
-that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
-processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
-rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
-In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
-
-If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
-function of your choice. This function will be called without any
-arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
-message. The function should return a list of group names that it
-thinks should carry this mail message.
-
-Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
-incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
-some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
-@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
-
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
-the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
-@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
-that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
-
-@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
-@cindex crosspost
-@cindex links
-@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
-the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
-links. If that's the case for you, set
-@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
-variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
+You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
+If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
+for posting.
-@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
-@kindex nnmail-split-history
-If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
-can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command.
+Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
+you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
-Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
-yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
-all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
-unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
-boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
-that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
-come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
-you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
-month's rent money.
+@node Mail and Post
+@section Mail and Post
-@node Mail Sources
-@subsection Mail Sources
+Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
+posting:
-Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
-POP mail server, or from a procmail directory, for instance.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
+@cindex mailing lists
-@menu
-* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
-* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
-* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
-@end menu
+If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
+gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
+problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
+One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
+@code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
+really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
+lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
+still a pain, though.
+@end table
-@node Mail Source Specifiers
-@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
-@cindex POP
-@cindex mail server
-@cindex procmail
-@cindex mail spool
-@cindex mail source
+You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
+you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
+spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
-You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by creating a @dfn{mail source
-specifier}.
+@cindex ispell
+@findex ispell-message
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
+@end lisp
-Here's an example:
+If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
+you're in, you could say something like the following:
@lisp
-(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
+(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (cond
+ ((string-match
+ "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
+ (t
+ (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
@end lisp
-As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
-element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
-@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
-default values.
-
-The following mail source types are available:
+Modify to suit your needs.
-@table @code
-@item file
-Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
-Keywords:
+@node Archived Messages
+@section Archived Messages
+@cindex archived messages
+@cindex sent messages
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
-environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
-@end table
+Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
+send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
+store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
+is the default.
-An example file mail source:
+@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:
@lisp
-(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
+(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
+ (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
@end lisp
-Or using the default path:
+You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
+@code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
+for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
+directory chosen, you could say something like:
@lisp
-(file)
+(setq gnus-message-archive-method
+ '(nnfolder "archive"
+ (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
+ (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
+ (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
@end lisp
-@item directory
-Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
-you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
+@vindex gnus-message-archive-group
+@cindex Gcc
+Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
+to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
+determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
-Keywords:
+This variable can be used to do the following:
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
-value.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item a string
+Messages will be saved in that group.
-@item :suffix
-Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
-@samp{.spool}.
+Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
+message will not be stored in the select method given by
+@code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
+by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
+has the default value shown above. Then setting
+@code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
+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
+Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
+When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+@item @code{nil}
+No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
+@end itemize
-@item :predicate
-Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
-The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
-filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
-predicate are considered.
+Let's illustrate:
-@item :prescript
-@itemx :postscript
-Script run before/after fetching mail.
+Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
+@end lisp
-@end table
+Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
+@end lisp
-An example directory mail source:
+Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
+ ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
+ (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
+@end lisp
+More complex stuff:
@lisp
-(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
- :suffix ".prcml")
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ "misc-mail")))
@end lisp
-@item pop
-Get mail from a POP server.
+How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
+messages in one file per month:
-Keywords:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-message-archive-group
+ '((if (message-news-p)
+ "misc-news"
+ (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item :server
-The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
-@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+(XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
-@item :port
-The port number of the POP server. The default is @samp{pop3}.
+Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
+group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
+you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
+archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
+gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
+enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
+group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
+if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
+nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
+continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
-@item :user
-The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
-name.
+That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
+different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
+case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
+this will disable archiving.
-@item :password
-The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
-prompted.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-outgoing-message-group
+@vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
+All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
+all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
+you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
+group names.
-@item :program
-The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
-a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
+If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
+message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
+current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
+of names).
-@example
-fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
-@end example
+This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
+but the latter is the preferred method.
-The valid format specifier characters are:
+@item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
+@vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
+If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
-@table @samp
-@item t
-The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
-included in this string.
+@end table
-@item s
-The name of the server.
-
-@item P
-The port number of the server.
-
-@item u
-The user name to use.
-@item p
-The password to use.
-@end table
-
-The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
-corresponding keywords.
+@node Posting Styles
+@section Posting Styles
+@cindex posting styles
+@cindex styles
-@item :prescript
-A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
-the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
+All them variables, they make my head swim.
-@item :postscript
-A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
-the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
+So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
+on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
+and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
+on?
-@item :function
-The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
-called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
-be moved to.
+@vindex gnus-posting-styles
+One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
+variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
+came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
+a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
+variable:
-@item :authentication
-This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
-and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
-@code{password}.
+@lisp
+((".*"
+ (signature "Peace and happiness")
+ (organization "What me?"))
+ ("^comp"
+ (signature "Death to everybody"))
+ ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
+ (organization "Emacs is it")))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
+@dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
+``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
+over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
+applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
+the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
+@samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
+signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
-If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
-@code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
+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}.
-Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
-default user name, and default fetcher:
+Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
+attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
+@code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
+attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
+a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
+article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
+If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
+result is thrown away.
-@lisp
-(pop)
-@end lisp
+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.
-Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
+If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
+meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
+of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
-@lisp
-(pop :server "my.pop.server"
- :user "user-name" :password "secret")
-@end lisp
+@findex message-mail-p
+@findex message-news-p
-Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
+So here's a new example:
@lisp
-(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+(setq gnus-posting-styles
+ '((".*"
+ (signature-file "~/.signature")
+ (name "User Name")
+ ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
+ ("^rec.humor"
+ (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+ (signature my-quote-randomizer))
+ ((message-news-p)
+ (signature my-news-signature))
+ (header "to" "larsi.*org"
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p)
+ (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
+ (address "user@@bar.foo")
+ (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
+ (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
+ ("nnml:.*"
+ (From (save-excursion
+ (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
+ (message-fetch-field "to"))))
+ ("^nn.+:"
+ (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
@end lisp
-@item maildir
-Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox currently only
-supported by qmail, where each file in a special directory contains
-exactly one mail.
-
-Keywords:
+The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
+@code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
+if you fill many roles.
-@table @code
-@item :path
-The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
-@samp{~/Maildir/new}.
-If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
-them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
-@code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the following example.
+@node Drafts
+@section Drafts
+@cindex drafts
-@end table
+If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
+you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
+craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
+the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
+other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
-An example maildir mail source:
+Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
+some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
+automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
+If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
+article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
+group.)
-@lisp
-(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/cur")
-@end lisp
+@cindex nndraft
+@vindex nndraft-directory
+The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
+@code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
+@samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
+@code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
+that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
+read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
-@end table
+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.
+@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
+@c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
+@c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
+@c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
+@c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
+@c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
+@c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
+@c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
+@c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
+@c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
+@c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
+@c
+@c @vindex gnus-use-draft
+@c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
+@c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
-@node Mail Source Customization
-@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
+@findex gnus-draft-edit-message
+@kindex D e (Draft)
+When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
+draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
+that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
-The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
-fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
-variables.
+Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
+Articles}).
-@table @code
-@item mail-source-movemail-program
-@vindex mail-source-movemail-program
-A command to be executed to move mail from the inbox. The default is
-@samp{movemail}.
+@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
+doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
+(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
+command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
+in the buffer.
-This can also be a function. In that case, the function will be
-called with two parameters -- the name of the INBOX file, and the file
-to be moved to.
+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.
-@item mail-source-movemail-args
-@vindex mail-source-movemail-args
-Extra arguments to give to the command described above.
-@item mail-source-crash-box
-@vindex mail-source-crash-box
-File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
-@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
+@node Rejected Articles
+@section Rejected Articles
+@cindex rejected articles
-@item mail-source-delete-incoming
-@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
-If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
+Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
+doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
+@emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
+Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
-@item mail-source-directory
-@vindex mail-source-directory
-Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
-@file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
-where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
-@code{nil}.
+These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
+(Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
+fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
+you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
+articles until some later time when the server feels better.
-@item mail-source-default-file-modes
-@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
-All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
+(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
+typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
-@end table
+@node Using GPG
+@section Using GPG
+@cindex using gpg
+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.
-@node Fetching Mail
-@subsubsection Fetching Mail
+To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
+@file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
-@vindex mail-sources
-@vindex nnmail-spool-file
-The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
-@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
-(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
+@lisp
+(require 'gpg)
+(setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
+(setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
+@end lisp
-If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
-@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
-themselves.
+The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
+to 700, for your own safety.
-If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
-mail server, you'd say something like:
+If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
+@file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
-@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((file)
- (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :password "secret")))
-@end lisp
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
+@end example
-Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
+If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
+your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
- (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
- :user "user-name"
- :port "pop3"
- :password "secret")))
+(setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
@end lisp
+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.
-When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
-inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
-mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
-invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
-pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
-shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
+Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
+you've typed it correctly.
+@node Select Methods
+@chapter Select Methods
+@cindex foreign groups
+@cindex select methods
+A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
+default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
+@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+personal mail group.
-@node Mail Backend Variables
-@subsection Mail Backend Variables
-
-These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
-mail backends.
-
-@table @code
-@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
-use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
+A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
+a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
+list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
+@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
+name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
+value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
-@vindex nnmail-split-hook
-@item nnmail-split-hook
-@findex article-decode-encoded-words
-@findex RFC1522 decoding
-@findex RFC2047 decoding
-Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
-just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
-free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
-is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
-in the buffer will show up in any files.
-@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
-to this hook.
+One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
+we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
-@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
-These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
-mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
-starting to handle the new mail) and
-@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
-is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
-default file modes the new mail files get:
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+group as.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
+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}.
-(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
- (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
-@end lisp
+The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
-@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
-@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
-names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
-(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
-@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
-the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
+@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.
+@end menu
-@item nnmail-delete-file-function
-@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
-@findex delete-file
-Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
-@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
-If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
-the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
-discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+@node Server Buffer
+@section Server Buffer
-@end table
+Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
+one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
+connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
+one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
+backend represents a virtual server.
+For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
+different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
+use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
-@node Fancy Mail Splitting
-@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
-@cindex mail splitting
-@cindex fancy mail splitting
+These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
+complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
+@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
+hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
+server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
+select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
-@findex nnmail-split-fancy
-If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
-doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
-@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
-play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
-Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
+@menu
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+@end menu
-@lisp
-;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
-;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
-;; from real errors.
-(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
- "mail.misc"))
- ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
- ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
- ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
- (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
- ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
- ;; Other mailing lists...
- (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
- (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
- ;; People...
- (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
- ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
- "misc.misc")
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
-This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
-recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
-the five possible split syntaxes:
-@enumerate
+@node Server Buffer Format
+@subsection Server Buffer Format
+@cindex server buffer format
-@item
-@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
-name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
-examples.
+@vindex gnus-server-line-format
+You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
+@code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
+variable, with some simple extensions:
-@item
-@var{(FIELD VALUE SPLIT)}: If the split is a list, the first element of
-which is a string, then store the message as specified by SPLIT, if
-header FIELD (a regexp) contains VALUE (also a regexp).
+@table @samp
-@item
-@var{(| SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
-@code{|} (vertical bar), then process each SPLIT until one of them
-matches. A SPLIT is said to match if it will cause the mail message to
-be stored in one or more groups.
+@item h
+How the news is fetched---the backend name.
-@item
-@var{(& SPLIT...)}: If the split is a list, and the first element is
-@code{&}, then process all SPLITs in the list.
+@item n
+The name of this server.
-@item
-@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
-this message. Use with extreme caution.
+@item w
+Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
-@item
-@var{(: function arg1 arg2 ...)}: If the split is a list, and the first
-element is @code{:}, then the second element will be called as a
-function with @var{args} given as arguments. The function should return
-a SPLIT.
+@item s
+The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+@end table
-@item
-@var{(! FUNC 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.
+@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
+The mode line can also be customized by using the
+@code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
+Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
-@item
-@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
+@table @samp
+@item S
+Server name.
-@end enumerate
+@item M
+Server method.
+@end table
-In these splits, @var{FIELD} must match a complete field name.
-@var{VALUE} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
-syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
-field names or words. In other words, all @var{VALUE}'s are wrapped in
-@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
+Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
-@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
-@var{FIELD} and @var{VALUE} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
-are expanded as specified by the variable
-@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
-the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
-value.
-@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
-when all this splitting is performed.
+@node Server Commands
+@subsection Server Commands
+@cindex server commands
-If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
-information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
-substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
+@table @kbd
-@example
-(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
-@end example
+@item a
+@kindex a (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-add-server
+Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
-In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
-will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
+@item e
+@kindex e (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-edit-server
+Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
-If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
-matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
-up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
-groupings 1 through 9.
+@item SPACE
+@kindex SPACE (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-read-server
+Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
+@item q
+@kindex q (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
-@node Incorporating Old Mail
-@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+@item k
+@kindex k (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-kill-server
+Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
-Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
-you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
-backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
-your mail groups.
+@item y
+@kindex y (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-yank-server
+Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
-Doing so can be quite easy.
+@item c
+@kindex c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-copy-server
+Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
-To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
-(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
-satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
-file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
-your @code{nnml} groups.
+@item l
+@kindex l (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-list-servers
+List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
-Here's how:
+@item s
+@kindex s (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-scan-server
+Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
+(@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
+servers.
-@enumerate
-@item
-Go to the group buffer.
+@item g
+@kindex g (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
+Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
+(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
+a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
-@item
-Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
-@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
+@end table
-@item
-Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
-@item
-Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
-(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+@node Example Methods
+@subsection Example Methods
-@item
-Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
-@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
-@end enumerate
+Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
-All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
-all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
-have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
-deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
-sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi")
+@end lisp
-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.
+Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
+@lisp
+(nnspool "")
+@end lisp
-@node Expiring Mail
-@subsection Expiring Mail
-@cindex article expiry
+As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
+backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+will.
-Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
-you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
-different approach to mail reading.
+After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
+@code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
-Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
-a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
-actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
-mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
-fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
-Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
-course.
+To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
+port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
+look like then:
-To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
-articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
-disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
-deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
-more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
-will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
-repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
-NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+@lisp
+(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
+@end lisp
-@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.
+You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
-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:
+@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
+mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
+your private mail:
-@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
@lisp
-(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
- 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
-(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
+(nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
@end lisp
-Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
-articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
-will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
-groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
-mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
+(This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
+that.)
-Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
-articles you have read to disappear after a while:
+Here's the method for a public spool:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
- "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+(nnmh "public"
+ (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
+ (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
@end lisp
-Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
-@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
-
-If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
-auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
-don't really mix very well.
-
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
-expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
-message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
-days.
+@cindex proxy
+@cindex firewall
-Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
-are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
-have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
-expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
-everywhere else:
+If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
+server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
+on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
+Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
+should probably look something like this:
-@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
- (lambda (group)
- (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
- 31)
- ((string= group "mail.junk")
- 1)
- ((string= group "important")
- 'never)
- (t
- 6))))
+(nntp "firewall"
+ (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
-The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
-names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
+If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
+configuration to the example above:
-The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
-necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
-@code{never}.
+@lisp
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+@end lisp
-You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
-change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+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:
-@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
-If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
-expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
-easier for procmail users.
+@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
-@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
-By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
-articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
-parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
-articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
-caution. Even more dangerous is the
-@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
-this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
-which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
-will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
-crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
-wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
-@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
-with! So there!
+This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
+provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
+connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
+@code{ssh} @file{config} file.
-Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
-@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
-If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
-commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
-auto-expire turned on.
+@node Creating a Virtual Server
+@subsection Creating a Virtual Server
+If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
+articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
-@node Washing Mail
-@subsection Washing Mail
-@cindex mail washing
-@cindex list server brain damage
-@cindex incoming mail treatment
+First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
+would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
-Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
-really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC822 doesn't explicitly
-prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
-end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
-Yes, but RFC822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
-considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
+Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
-Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
-} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
-be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
-laugh.
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
+@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
+Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
+will contain the following:
-Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
-displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
-storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
-various functions that can be put in these hooks.
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
-This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
-grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
-the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
+Change that to:
-@table @code
-@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
-Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
-Emacs running on MS machines.
+@lisp
+(nnspool "cache"
+ (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
+@kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
+buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
-cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
-@table @code
-@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
-Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
-headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+@node Server Variables
+@subsection Server Variables
-@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
-Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
-beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
-people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
-strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
-also be a list of regexp.
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
+in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
+variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
+change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the "derived" variables.
-For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
-@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
+This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
+@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
+directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
+@code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
+new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
+@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
+variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
+variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
+manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
- '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
+(nnml "public"
+ (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
+ (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
@end lisp
-@item nnmail-remove-tabs
-@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
-Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
-@item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
-@findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
-@cindex Eudora
-Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
-@code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
-@code{References} headers.
+@node Servers and Methods
+@subsection Servers and Methods
-@end table
+Wherever you would normally use a select method
+(e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
+when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
+instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
+over.
-@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
-This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
-include:
-@table @code
-@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
-@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
-Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
+@node Unavailable Servers
+@subsection Unavailable Servers
-@end table
-@end table
+If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
+@code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
+with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
+will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
+actually the case or not.
+That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
+Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
+@samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
+away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
+to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
+attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
+attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
+it will regard that server as ``down''.
-@node Duplicates
-@subsection Duplicates
+So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
+How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
-@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
-@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
-@cindex duplicate mails
-If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
-receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
-@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
-this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
-@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
-default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
-there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
-variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
-stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
-@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
-default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
-will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
-that this is a duplicate of a different message.
+You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
+with the following commands:
-This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
-will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
-the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
-@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
+@table @kbd
-You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
-@code{nil}.
+@item O
+@kindex O (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-server
+Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
+(@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
-If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
-@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
-methods:
+@item C
+@kindex C (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-server
+Close the connection (if any) to the server
+(@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-fancy
- '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
- ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
- ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
- (any mail "mail.misc")
- ;; Other rules.
- [ ... ] ))
-@end lisp
+@item D
+@kindex D (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-deny-server
+Mark the current server as unreachable
+(@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
-Or something like:
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
- ;; Other rules.
- [...]))
-@end lisp
+@item M-o
+@kindex M-o (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
+Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
-Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
-with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
-@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
-using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
-received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
+@item M-c
+@kindex M-c (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
+Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
+(@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
+@item R
+@kindex R (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-remove-denials
+Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
+(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
-@node Not Reading Mail
-@subsection Not Reading Mail
+@end table
-If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
-habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
-be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
-If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
-@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
-mail, which should help.
+@node Getting News
+@section Getting News
+@cindex reading news
+@cindex news backends
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
-happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
-file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
-variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
-the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
-group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
+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.
-All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
-narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
-incoming mail.
+@menu
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+@end menu
-@node Choosing a Mail Backend
-@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+@node NNTP
+@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@cindex nntp
-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.
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
+server as the, uhm, address.
-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}).
+If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
+to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
+that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-@menu
-* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
-* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
-* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-@end menu
+The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
+fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
+you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
+server:
-@node Unix Mail Box
-@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
-@cindex nnmbox
-@cindex unix mail box
+@table @code
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
-mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
-which group it belongs in.
+@item nntp-server-opened-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
+@cindex @sc{mode reader}
+@cindex authinfo
+@cindex authentification
+@cindex nntp authentification
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
+is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
+commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
+default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
+@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
+present in this hook.
-Virtual server settings:
+@item nntp-authinfo-function
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
+@findex nntp-send-authinfo
+@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
+server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
+through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
+@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
+are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
+format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
+@code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
+manual page, but here are the salient facts:
-@table @code
-@item nnmbox-mbox-file
-@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+@enumerate
+@item
+The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
-@item nnmbox-active-file
-@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box.
+@item
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
-@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
-into groups.
-@end table
+The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
+@samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
+in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
+@samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
+deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
+indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
+@samp{force} is explained below.
+@end enumerate
-@node Rmail Babyl
-@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
-@cindex nnbabyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+Here's an example file:
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
-mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each mail
-article to say which group it belongs in.
+@example
+machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
+machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
+@end example
-Virtual server settings:
+The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
+have to be first, for instance.
-@table @code
-@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the rmail mbox file.
+In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
+former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
+user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
+@samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
+@var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
+@samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
+until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
-@item nnbabyl-active-file
-@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
+that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
-@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
-@end table
+@example
+default force yes
+@end example
+This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
+previously mentioned.
-@node Mail Spool
-@subsubsection Mail Spool
-@cindex nnml
-@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
-The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
-format. It should be used with some caution.
+@item nntp-server-action-alist
+@vindex nntp-server-action-alist
+This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
+taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
+every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
-@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
-one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
-directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
-variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+@lisp
+(setq nntp-server-action-alist
+ '(("innd" (ding))))
+@end lisp
-You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
-care of all that.
+You probably don't want to do that, though.
-If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
-in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
-own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
-weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
-having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
-shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
-know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
-to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+The default value is
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
-splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
-@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
-backend when it comes to reading mail.
+@lisp
+'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
+ 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+@end lisp
-Virtual server settings:
+This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
+nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
-@table @code
-@item nnml-directory
-@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+@item nntp-maximum-request
+@vindex nntp-maximum-request
+If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
+speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
+by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
+your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
-@item nnml-active-file
-@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+@item nntp-connection-timeout
+@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
+If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
+responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
+time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
+somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
+connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
+no timeouts are done.
-@item nnml-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
-The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}.
+@c @item nntp-command-timeout
+@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
+@c @cindex PPP connections
+@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
+@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
+@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
+@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
+@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
+@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
+@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
+@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
+@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
+@c likely number is 30 seconds.
+@c
+@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
+@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
+@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
+@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
+@c described above.
-@item nnml-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+@item nntp-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-server-hook
+This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
+server.
-@item nnml-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+@item nntp-buggy-select
+@vindex nntp-buggy-select
+Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
-@item nnml-nov-file-name
-@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
-The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+@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 nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
-Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+@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")}.
-@end table
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
+lines that you will not need. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
-@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
-If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
-you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
-nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
-entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
-might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
-functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
-Commands}).
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+@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.
-@node MH Spool
-@subsubsection MH Spool
-@cindex nnmh
-@cindex mh-e mail spool
+@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{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.
+@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-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:
-Virtual server settings:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
+ (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item nnmh-directory
-@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+@item nntp-options-subscribe
+@vindex nntp-options-subscribe
+Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
+unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
+It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
+server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
+command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
-@item nnmh-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
+ (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
+@end lisp
-@item nnmh-be-safe
-@vindex nnmh-be-safe
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
-sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
-are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
-setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
-use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
-to set this variable to @code{t}.
+@item nntp-options-not-subscribe
+@vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
+Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
+unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} 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 Mail Folders
-@subsubsection Mail Folders
-@cindex nnfolder
-@cindex mbox folders
-@cindex mail folders
-@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
-file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
-will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
-dates.
+@node Direct Functions
+@subsubsection Direct Functions
+@cindex direct connection functions
-Virtual server settings:
+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
-@item nnfolder-directory
-@vindex nnfolder-directory
-All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+@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.
-@item nnfolder-active-file
-@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+@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
+define a server as follows:
-@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+@lisp
+;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
+;;
+;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number "snews")
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
-@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
-@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
-
-@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
-@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
-@cindex backup files
-Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
-backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
-wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
-your @file{.emacs} file:
+@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
-(defun turn-off-backup ()
- (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-
-(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+(nntp "socksified"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
@end lisp
-@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
-@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
-Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
-This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
-extract some information from it before removing it.
-
+With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
+session, which is not a good idea.
@end table
-@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
-@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
-If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
-@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
-command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
-@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
-though.
-
+@node Indirect Functions
+@subsubsection Indirect Functions
+@cindex indirect connection functions
-@node Other Sources
-@section Other Sources
+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}).
-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.
+@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.
-@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''.
-* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
-* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
-@end menu
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
+@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.
+@end table
-@node Directory Groups
-@subsection Directory Groups
-@cindex nndir
-@cindex directory groups
+@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.
-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.
+@code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-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.
+@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?}.
-@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!
+@end table
-@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+@end table
-@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}.
+Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
+functions:
-@node Anything Groups
-@subsection Anything Groups
-@cindex nneething
+@table @code
-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.
+@item nntp-via-user-name
+@vindex nntp-via-user-name
+User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
-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 nntp-via-address
+@vindex nntp-via-address
+Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
-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.
+@end table
-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.
-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.
+@node Common Variables
+@subsubsection Common Variables
-Some 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 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/}.
-
-@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.
+@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} and
+@code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
+wrapper for instance.
-@item nneething-map-file
-@vindex nneething-map-file
-Name of the map files.
-@end table
+@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}.
-@node Document Groups
-@subsection Document Groups
-@cindex nndoc
-@cindex documentation group
-@cindex help group
+@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.
-@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
-as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+@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}.
-@table @code
-@cindex babyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
+is @samp{("-8")}.
-@item babyl
-The babyl (rmail) mail box.
-@cindex mbox
-@cindex Unix mbox
+@end table
-@item mbox
-The standard Unix mbox file.
-@cindex MMDF mail box
-@item mmdf
-The MMDF mail box format.
+@node News Spool
+@subsection News Spool
+@cindex nnspool
+@cindex news spool
-@item news
-Several news articles appended into a file.
+Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
+and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
+contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
+instance.
-@item rnews
-@cindex rnews batch files
-The rnews batch transport format.
-@cindex forwarded messages
+Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
+anything else) as the address.
-@item forward
-Forwarded articles.
+If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
+native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
+than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
+You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
-@item mime-parts
-MIME multipart messages.
+@table @code
-@item standard-digest
-The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+@item nnspool-inews-program
+@vindex nnspool-inews-program
+Program used to post an article.
-@item slack-digest
-Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@end table
+@item nnspool-inews-switches
+@vindex nnspool-inews-switches
+Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
-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 nnspool-spool-directory
+@vindex nnspool-spool-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/}.
-@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.
+@item nnspool-nov-directory
+@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
+@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
-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!
+@item nnspool-lib-dir
+@vindex nnspool-lib-dir
+Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
-Virtual server variables:
+@item nnspool-active-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-file
+The path to the active file.
-@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} or @code{guess}.
+@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
+The path to the group descriptions file.
-@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 nnspool-history-file
+@vindex nnspool-history-file
+The path to the news history file.
-@menu
-* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@end menu
+@item nnspool-active-times-file
+@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
+The path to the active date file.
+@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
+that it finds.
-@node Document Server Internals
-@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
+@cindex sed
+If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
+relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
+load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
-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}.
+@end table
-First, here's an example document type definition:
-@example
-(mmdf
- (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
- (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
-@end example
-
-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:
+@node Getting Mail
+@section Getting Mail
+@cindex reading mail
+@cindex mail
-@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.
+Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
+course.
-@item article-begin
-This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
-says what the beginning of each article looks like.
+@menu
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+@end menu
-@item head-begin-function
-If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
-the article.
-@item nndoc-head-begin
-If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
-article.
+@node Mail in a Newsreader
+@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
-@item nndoc-head-end
-This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
-@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
+to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
+of a culture shock.
-@item body-begin-function
-If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
-of the article.
+Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
+it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
-@item body-begin
-This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
-to @samp{^\n}.
+Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
+approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
+messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
+you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
-@item body-end-function
-If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
-the article.
+In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
-@item body-end
-If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
+Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
+deleted? How awful!
-@item file-end
-If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
-regexp will be totally ignored.
+But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
+scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
+the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
+you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
+Mail}.
-@end table
+What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
+mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
+they want to treat a message.
-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:
+Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
+via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
+need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
+archived somewhere else.
-@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.
+Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
+These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
+to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
+order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
+to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
-@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.
+The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
+but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
+or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
-@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.
+Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
+like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
+differently.
-@end table
+Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
+that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
+to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
+not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
+instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
-Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
-digests:
+I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
+may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
+you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
+guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
+Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
+Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
+You Do.)
-@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
-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.
+@node Getting Started Reading Mail
+@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
-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.
+It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
+mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+and things will happen automatically.
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
+mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
-@node SOUP
-@subsection SOUP
-@cindex SOUP
-@cindex offline
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnml "private")))
+@end lisp
-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!
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
+directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
+like any other group.
-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.
+You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
-However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something a 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 nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("other" "")))
+@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 result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
+@samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
+mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
+last group.
-First some terminology:
+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}.
-@table @dfn
-@item server
-This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
-get news and/or mail from.
+@node Splitting Mail
+@subsection Splitting Mail
+@cindex splitting mail
+@cindex mail splitting
-@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.
+@vindex nnmail-split-methods
+The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
+to be split into groups.
-@item packet
-Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
-of packets:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
+ ("mail.other" "")))
+@end lisp
-@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.
+This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
+these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
+something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
+element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
+determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
+contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
+insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
-@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.
+@lisp
+("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
+@end lisp
-@end table
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
+argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
+mail belongs in that group.
-@end table
+The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
+that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
+processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
+rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
+In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
+If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
+function of your choice. This function will be called without any
+arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
+message. The function should return a list of group names that it
+thinks should carry this mail message.
-@enumerate
+Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
+some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
+@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
-@item
-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}).
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost
+The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
+@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
-@item
-You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
+@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
+@cindex crosspost
+@cindex links
+@code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
+the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
+links. If that's the case for you, set
+@code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
+variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
-@item
-You put the packet in your home directory.
+@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
+@kindex nnmail-split-history
+If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
+can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. 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}).
-@item
-You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
-the native or secondary server.
+Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
+yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
+all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
+unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
+boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
+that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
+come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
+you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
+month's rent money.
-@item
-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
-You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
-
-@item
-You then repeat until you die.
-
-@end enumerate
+@node Mail Sources
+@subsection Mail Sources
-So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
-reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
+Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
+POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
+instance.
@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.
+* 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
-@node SOUP Commands
-@subsubsection SOUP Commands
+@node Mail Source Specifiers
+@subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
+@cindex POP
+@cindex mail server
+@cindex procmail
+@cindex mail spool
+@cindex mail source
-These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
+You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
-@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.
+Here's an example:
-@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}).
+@lisp
+(pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
+@end lisp
-@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}).
+As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
+element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
+@dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
+default values.
-@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}).
+The following mail source types are available:
-@item G s r
-@kindex G s r (Group)
-@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
-Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
+@table @code
+@item file
+Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
-@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}).
+Keywords:
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
+environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
@end table
+An example file mail source:
-There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
-thingies:
-
-@table @code
+@lisp
+(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
+@end lisp
-@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/}.
+Or using the default path:
-@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.
+@lisp
+(file)
+@end lisp
-@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}.
+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 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 > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
+If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
-@item gnus-soup-unpacker
-@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
-@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
-Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
-@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
-@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+# getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
+# flu@@iki.fi
-@end table
+MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
+TMP=$HOME/Mail/tmp
+rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
+@end example
+Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
-@node SOUP Groups
-@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
-@cindex nnsoup
-@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.
+@item directory
+Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
+you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. 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
+to scan mail groups at a specified level.
-These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
+Keywords:
@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+value.
-@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.)
-
-@item nnsoup-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-directory
-@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
-The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
+@item :suffix
+Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
+@samp{.spool}.
-@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 :predicate
+Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
+The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
+filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
+predicate are considered.
-@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 :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
-@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!
+@end table
-@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}.
+An example directory mail source:
-@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}.
+@lisp
+(directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
+ :suffix ".prcml")
+@end lisp
-@item nnsoup-unpacker
-@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
-default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+@item pop
+Get mail from a POP server.
-@item nnsoup-packet-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
-Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
-@file{~/}.
+Keywords:
-@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
-@samp{Soupout}.
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
-@item nnsoup-always-save
-@vindex nnsoup-always-save
-If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
+@item :port
+The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
+@samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
+string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
+Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
+need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
-@end table
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
+name.
+@item :password
+The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
-@node SOUP Replies
-@subsubsection SOUP Replies
+@item :program
+The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
+a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
-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.
+@example
+fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
+@end example
-@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.
+The valid format specifier characters are:
-In specific, this is what it does:
+@table @samp
+@item t
+The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
+included in this string.
-@lisp
-(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
-(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
-@end lisp
+@item s
+The name of the server.
-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 P
+The port number of the server.
+@item u
+The user name to use.
-@node Web Searches
-@subsection Web Searches
-@cindex nnweb
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
-@cindex Usenet searches
-@cindex searching the Usenet
+@item p
+The password to use.
+@end table
-It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
-string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
-those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
-the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
-searches without having to use a browser.
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
-The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
-engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
-then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
-group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
-Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
+@item :prescript
+A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
-groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
-each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
-pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
-manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
-Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
-@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
-engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
-of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
-header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
-group as read.
+@item :postscript
+A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
+the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
-If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
-won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
-providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
-make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
-community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
-might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
+@item :function
+The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
+called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
+be moved to.
-You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
-to use @code{nnweb}.
+@item :authentication
+This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
+and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
+@code{password}.
-Virtual server variables:
+@end table
-@table @code
-@item nnweb-type
-@vindex nnweb-type
-What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
-are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
-@code{reference}.
+If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
+@code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
-@item nnweb-search
-@vindex nnweb-search
-The search string to feed to the search engine.
+Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
+default user name, and default fetcher:
-@item nnweb-max-hits
-@vindex nnweb-max-hits
-Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
-100.
+@lisp
+(pop)
+@end lisp
-@item nnweb-type-definition
-@vindex nnweb-type-definition
-Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
-with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
-present:
+Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
-@table @code
-@item article
-Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
-understands.
+@lisp
+(pop :server "my.pop.server"
+ :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+@end lisp
-@item map
-Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
+Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
-@item search
-Function to send the search string to the search engine.
+@lisp
+(pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
+@end lisp
-@item address
-The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
-to.
+@item maildir
+Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
+at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
+contains exactly one mail.
-@item id
-Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
-@end table
+Keywords:
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item :path
+The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
+@samp{~/Maildir/}.
+@item :subdirs
+The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
+@samp{("new" "cur")}.
+@c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
+@c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
+@c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
+@c below.
+You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
+from locking problems).
-@node Mail-To-News Gateways
-@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
-@cindex mail-to-news gateways
-@cindex gateways
+@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.
+Two example maildir mail sources:
-Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
-used to post with.
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
+@end lisp
-Server variables:
+@lisp
+(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("new"))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item nngateway-address
-@vindex nngateway-address
-This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+@item imap
+Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
+as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
+some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
+and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
+more information.
-@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.
+Keywords:
-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:
+@table @code
+@item :server
+The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
+@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
-@example
-Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
-@end example
+@item :port
+The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
+@samp{993} for SSL connections.
-will get this @code{From} header inserted:
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
+name.
-@example
-To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
-@end example
+@item :password
+The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
-The following pre-defined functions exist:
+@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}.
-@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-@table @code
+@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}.
-@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+@item :program
+When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
+mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
+@code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
-@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+@example
+ssh %s imapd
+@end example
-@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@code{nngateway-address}.
+The valid format specifier characters are:
-Here's an example:
+@table @samp
+@item s
+The name of the server.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method
- '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
- (nngateway-header-transformation
- nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
-@end lisp
+@item l
+User name from `imap-default-user'.
+@item p
+The port number of the server.
@end table
+The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
+corresponding keywords.
+
+@item :mailbox
+The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
+which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
+
+@item :predicate
+The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
+UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
+sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
+articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
+Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
+complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
+
+@item :fetchflag
+How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
+will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
+would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
+but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
+
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
+after finishing the fetch.
@end table
-So, to use this, simply say something like:
+An example @sc{imap} mail source:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+(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.
-@node Combined Groups
-@section Combined Groups
+NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
+is suggested.
-Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
-groups.
+NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
+required for url "4.0pre.46".
-@menu
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-@end menu
+WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
+Keywords:
-@node Virtual Groups
-@subsection Virtual Groups
-@cindex nnvirtual
-@cindex virtual groups
-@cindex merging groups
+@table @code
+@item :subtype
+The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
+alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
-An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
-other groups.
+@item :user
+The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
+name.
-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!
+@item :password
+The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
+prompted.
-You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
-regexp to match component groups.
+@item :dontexpunge
+If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
+folder after finishing the fetch.
-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.)
+@end table
-Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
-newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+An example webmail source:
@lisp
-(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+(webmail :subtype 'hotmail
+ :user "user-name"
+ :password "secret")
@end lisp
+@end table
-The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
-smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+@table @dfn
+@item Common Keywords
+Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
-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:
+Keywords:
-@example
-"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
-@end example
+@table @code
+@item :plugged
+If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
+directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
-(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.)
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
+ :suffix ""
+ :plugged t)))
+@end lisp
-This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
-end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
-the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
-sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
-(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
+useful when you use local mail and news.
-One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
-group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
-zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+@end table
+@end table
-@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
-If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
-@code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
-entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
-default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
-group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
-will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
-effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
-common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
-Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
-you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
-
-@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
-When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
-has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
-whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
-there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
-and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
-not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-
-@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
-line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+@subsubsection Function Interface
+Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
+For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
+the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
+consider the following mail-source setting:
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
+ :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
+@end lisp
-@node Kibozed Groups
-@subsection Kibozed Groups
-@cindex nnkiboze
-@cindex kibozing
+While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
+is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
+@code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
+@code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
+and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
-@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
-you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
-with useless requests! Oh happiness!
+See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
-@kindex G k (Group)
-To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
-buffer.
-The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
-@code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
-@code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
-and @code{nnvirtual} end.
+@node Mail Source Customization
+@subsubsection Mail Source Customization
-In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
-must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
-the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
+The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
+fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
+variables.
-@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
-@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
-You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
-@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
-time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
-all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
-scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
-that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
+@table @code
+@item mail-source-crash-box
+@vindex mail-source-crash-box
+File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
+@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
-Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
-regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
-@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
-Stranger things have happened.
+@item mail-source-delete-incoming
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
-@code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
-and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
+@item mail-source-directory
+@vindex mail-source-directory
+Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
+where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
+@code{nil}.
-@vindex nnkiboze-directory
-The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
-@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
-contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
-and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
-on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
+@item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
+@vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
+Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
+@file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
+@file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
+relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
-Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
-their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
+@item mail-source-default-file-modes
+@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
+All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+@end table
-@node Gnus Unplugged
-@section Gnus Unplugged
-@cindex offline
-@cindex unplugged
-@cindex Agent
-@cindex Gnus Agent
-@cindex Gnus Unplugged
-In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
-on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
-was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
-read news. Believe it or not.
+@node Fetching Mail
+@subsubsection Fetching Mail
-Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
-modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
-would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
-the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
-have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
+@vindex mail-sources
+@vindex nnmail-spool-file
+The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
+@code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
-Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
-@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
-for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
-functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
-reading news on a machine.
+If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
+@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+themselves.
-Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
+If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
+mail server, you'd say something like:
-@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.
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file)
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+@end lisp
-@item
-Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
+Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
@lisp
-(gnus-agentize)
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
+ (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :user "user-name"
+ :port "pop3"
+ :password "secret")))
@end lisp
-@end itemize
-That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
-Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
+When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
+mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
+invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
+pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
+shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
-@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.
-* 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
-@node Agent Basics
-@subsection Agent Basics
+@node Mail Backend Variables
+@subsection Mail Backend Variables
-First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
+These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
+mail backends.
-The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
-connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
-When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
-Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
+@table @code
+@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
+The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
-The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
-connected to the net continuously.
+@vindex nnmail-split-hook
+@item nnmail-split-hook
+@findex article-decode-encoded-words
+@findex RFC 1522 decoding
+@findex RFC 2047 decoding
+Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
+just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
+free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
+is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
+in the buffer will show up in any files.
+@code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
+to this hook.
-@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
-machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
+@vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+@item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+@itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
+These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
+mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
+starting to handle the new mail) and
+@code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
+is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
+default file modes the new mail files get:
-Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
-@itemize @bullet
+(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+ (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
+@end lisp
-@item
-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 nnmail-use-long-file-names
+@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
+names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
+the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
-@item
-You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
-your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
-to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged}.
+@item nnmail-delete-file-function
+@vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
+@findex delete-file
+Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
-@item
-You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
-onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{J
-s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
-know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
+@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
+If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
+the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
+discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
-@item
-After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
-unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
-then you read the news offline.
+@end table
-@item
-And then you go to step 2.
-@end itemize
-Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
-the Agent.
+@node Fancy Mail Splitting
+@subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex fancy mail splitting
-@itemize @bullet
-
-@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
-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.
-
-@item
-Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
-
-@item
-Uhm... that's it.
-@end itemize
-
-
-@node Agent Categories
-@subsection Agent Categories
-
-One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
-newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
-There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
-find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
-to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
-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.
-
-@menu
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
-@end menu
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy
+If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
+doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
+play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
+Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
-@node Category Syntax
-@subsubsection Category Syntax
+@lisp
+;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
+;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
+;; from real errors.
+(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
+ "mail.misc"))
+ ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
+ ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
+ ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
+ (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
+ ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
+ ;; Other mailing lists...
+ (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
+ (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
+ ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
+ ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
+ ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
+ ;; message was really cross-posted.
+ (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
+ (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
+ ;; People...
+ (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
+ "misc.misc")
+@end lisp
-A category consists of two things.
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
+recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
+the five possible split syntaxes:
@enumerate
-@item
-A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
-are eligible for downloading; and
@item
-a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
-deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
-score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
-@end enumerate
-
-A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
-@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
-article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
-predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
-
-Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
-their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
-@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as descibed below.
+@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
+name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
+examples.
-To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
-download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
-operators sprinkled in between.
+@item
+@code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
+@code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
+first element of which is a string, then store the message as
+specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
+@var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
+matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
+matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
+@var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
-Perhaps some examples are in order.
+@item
+@code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
+one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
+the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
-Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
-for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
+@item
+@code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
+element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
-@lisp
-short
-@end lisp
+@item
+@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
+this message. Use with extreme caution.
-Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
-short (for some value of ``short'').
+@item
+@code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
+a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
+be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
+function should return a @var{split}.
-Here's a more complex predicate:
+@cindex body split
+For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
+body of the messages:
@lisp
-(or high
- (and
- (not low)
- (not long)))
+(defun split-on-body ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
+ "string.group")))
@end lisp
-This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
-or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
-drift.
-
-The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
-@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
-@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
+The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
+when the @code{:} function is run.
-The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
-you want to do, you can write your own.
+@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.
-@table @code
-@item short
-True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
-lines; default 100.
+@item
+@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
-@item long
-True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
-lines; default 200.
+@end enumerate
-@item low
-True iff the article has a download score less than
-@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
+In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
+@var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
+syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
+field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
+@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
-@item high
-True iff the article has a download score greater than
-@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
+@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
+@var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
+are expanded as specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
+the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
+value.
-@item spam
-True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
-heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
-checksum and sees whether articles match.
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
+when all this splitting is performed.
-@item true
-Always true.
+If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
+information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
+substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
-@item false
-Always false.
-@end table
+@example
+(any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
+@end example
-If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
-to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
-@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
-useful values.
+In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
+will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
-For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
-that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
-more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
-something along the lines of the following:
+If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
+matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
+up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
+groupings 1 through 9.
+@findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
+split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
+you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
+boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
+working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
+string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
+messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
+it once per thread.
+
+To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
+non-nil value. And then you can include
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
@lisp
-(defun my-article-old-p ()
- "Say whether an article is old."
- (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
- (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
+ ;; other splits go here
+ ))
@end lisp
-with the predicate then defined as:
+This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
+non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
+file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
+together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
+messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
+@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.)
+@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.
-@lisp
-(not my-article-old-p)
-@end lisp
-or you could append your predicate to the predefined
-@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
-wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
-@code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
+@node Group Mail Splitting
+@subsection Group Mail Splitting
+@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex group mail splitting
+
+@findex gnus-group-split
+If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
+maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
+You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
+parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
+@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
+for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
+from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
+@var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
+
+Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
+splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
+parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
+rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
+
+All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
+the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
+@var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
+matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
+group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
+@var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
+
+If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
+parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
+parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
+this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
+@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
+@code{gnus-group-split}.
+
+@vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
+@code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
+by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
+group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
+group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
+some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
+that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
+often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
+complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
+may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
+personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
+element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
+with the rules extracted from group parameters.
+
+It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
+been defined:
-@lisp
-(defvar gnus-category-predicate-alist
- (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
- '((old . my-article-old-p))))
-@end lisp
+@example
+nnml:mail.bar:
+((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
+ (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
+nnml:mail.foo:
+((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
+ (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
+ (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
+ (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
+nnml:mail.others:
+((split-spec . catch-all))
+@end example
-and simply specify your predicate as:
+Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
+behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
@lisp
-(not old)
+(| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
+ (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
+ - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
+ "mail.others")
@end lisp
-If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
-misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
-always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
-just don't give a damm.
-
-
-The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
-category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
-individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
-new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
-parameters like so:
+@findex gnus-group-split-fancy
+If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
+may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+splits like this:
@lisp
-(agent-predicate . short)
+(: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
@end lisp
-This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category
-default. Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this,
-the @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair
-notation.
-
-The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
+@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
+parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
+@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
+single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
+fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
+If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
+empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
+Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
+this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-setup
+Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
+slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
+But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
+used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
+sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
+@code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
+scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
+
+@findex gnus-group-split-update
+However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
+@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
+automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
+you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
@lisp
-(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
+(gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
@end lisp
-The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
-entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
-predicate is assumed to be a list.
+If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
+will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
+have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
+don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
+@code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
+value.
+@vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
+Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
+by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
+@code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
-Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
-normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
-seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
-following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
-@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
-@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
+@node Incorporating Old Mail
+@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+@cindex incorporating old mail
+@cindex import old mail
-As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
-to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
-it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
-if it's to be specific to that group.
+Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
+you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
+backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+your mail groups.
-In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
-three forms:
+Doing so can be quite easy.
-@enumerate
-@item
-Score rule
+To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
+(@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
+satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
+file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
+your @code{nnml} groups.
-This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
-subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
+Here's how:
-example:
+@enumerate
+@item
+Go to the group buffer.
-@itemize @bullet
@item
-Category specification
+Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-@lisp
-(("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
-("lines"
- (500 -100 nil <)))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
@item
-Group Parameter specification
+Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
-@lisp
-(agent-score ("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
- ("lines"
- (500 -100 nil <)))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+@end enumerate
-Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
-@end itemize
+All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
+all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
+have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
+deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
+sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
-@item
-Agent score file
+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.
-These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
-stated above.
-example:
+@node Expiring Mail
+@subsection Expiring Mail
+@cindex article expiry
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Category specification
+Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
+you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
+different approach to mail reading.
-@lisp
-("~/News/agent.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
+a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
+actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
+mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
+fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
+Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
+course.
-or perhaps
+To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
+disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
+more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
+will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
+repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
+NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
-@lisp
-("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
+match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
+have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
+articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
+column in the summary buffer.
-@item
-Group Parameter specification
+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:
+@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
@lisp
-(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
+(remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
+ 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
+(add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
@end lisp
-Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
-about parenthesis.
-@end itemize
+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
+articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
+mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
-@item
-Use @code{normal} score files
+Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
+articles you have read to disappear after a while:
-If you dont want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
-your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
-@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
-@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
+ "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
+@end lisp
-These directives in either the category definition or a group's
-parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
-files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
-relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
+Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
+@code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Category Specification
+If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
+auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
+don't really mix very well.
-@lisp
-file
-@end lisp
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
+expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
+message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
+days.
-@item
-Group Parameter specification
+Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
+are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
+have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
+expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
+everywhere else:
+@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
@lisp
-(agent-score . file)
+(setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
+ (lambda (group)
+ (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
+ 31)
+ ((string= group "mail.junk")
+ 1)
+ ((string= group "important")
+ 'never)
+ (t
+ 6))))
@end lisp
-@end itemize
-@end enumerate
-@node The Category Buffer
-@subsubsection The Category Buffer
+The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
+names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
-You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
-When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
-the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
+The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
+necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
+@code{never}.
-The following commands are available in this buffer:
+You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
+change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-@table @kbd
-@item q
-@kindex q (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-exit
-Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
+@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}.
+
+Here's an example for specifying a group name:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
+@end lisp
-@item k
-@kindex k (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-kill
-Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
-@item c
-@kindex c (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-copy
-Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
+@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
+If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
+expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
+easier for procmail users.
-@item a
-@kindex a (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-add
-Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
+@vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
+By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
+articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
+parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
+articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
+caution. Even more dangerous is the
+@code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
+this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
+which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
+will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
+crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
+wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
+@emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
+with! So there!
-@item p
-@kindex p (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
-Edit the predicate of the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
+Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
-@item g
-@kindex g (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-groups
-Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
+If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
+commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
+auto-expire turned on.
-@item s
-@kindex s (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-edit-score
-Edit the download score rule of the current category
-(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
-@item l
-@kindex l (Category)
-@findex gnus-category-list
-List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
-@end table
+@node Washing Mail
+@subsection Washing Mail
+@cindex mail washing
+@cindex list server brain damage
+@cindex incoming mail treatment
+Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
+really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
+prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
+end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
+Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
+considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
-@node Category Variables
-@subsubsection Category Variables
+Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
+} to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
+be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
+laugh.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-category-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
-Hook run in category buffers.
+Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
+displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
+storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
+various functions that can be put in these hooks.
-@item gnus-category-line-format
-@vindex gnus-category-line-format
-Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
-Variables}). Valid elements are:
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
+This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
+grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
+the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
-@table @samp
-@item c
-The name of the category.
+@table @code
+@item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+@findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
+Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
+Emacs running on MS machines.
-@item g
-The number of groups in the category.
@end table
-@item gnus-category-mode-line-format
-@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
-Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
+cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
-@item gnus-agent-short-article
-@vindex gnus-agent-short-article
-Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
+@table @code
+@item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+@findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
+Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
+headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
-@item gnus-agent-long-article
-@vindex gnus-agent-long-article
-Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
+@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
+Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
+beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
+people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
+strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
+also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
+@code{\\(..\\)}.
-@item gnus-agent-low-score
-@vindex gnus-agent-low-score
-Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
-0.
+For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
+@samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
-@item gnus-agent-high-score
-@vindex gnus-agent-high-score
-Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
-0.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-list-identifiers
+ '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
+@end lisp
-@end table
+This can also be done non-destructively with
+@code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
+@item nnmail-remove-tabs
+@findex nnmail-remove-tabs
+Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
-@node Agent Commands
-@subsection Agent Commands
+@item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
+@cindex Eudora
+Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
+@code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
+@code{References} headers.
-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
-toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
+@end table
+@item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+@vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
+This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
+include:
-@menu
-* Group Agent Commands::
-* Summary Agent Commands::
-* Server Agent Commands::
-@end menu
+@table @code
+@item article-de-quoted-unreadable
+@findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
+Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
-You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
-following incantation:
+@end table
+@end table
-@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@end example
+@node Duplicates
+@subsection Duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
+@vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
+@cindex duplicate mails
+If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
+receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
+@code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
+this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
+default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
+there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
+variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
+stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
+@code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
+default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
+will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
+that this is a duplicate of a different message.
-@node Group Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Group Agent Commands
+This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
+will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
+the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
+@code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
-@table @kbd
-@item J u
-@kindex J u (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
-Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
+You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
+@code{nil}.
-@item J c
-@kindex J c (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
-Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
+If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
+@dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
+methods:
-@item J s
-@kindex J s (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
-Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [ ... ] ))
+@end lisp
-@item J S
-@kindex J S (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-group-send-drafts
-Send all sendable messages in the draft group
-(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}). @xref{Drafts}.
+Or something like:
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
+ ;; Other rules.
+ [...]))
+@end lisp
-@item J a
-@kindex J a (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-add-group
-Add the current group to an Agent category
-(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
+with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
+@code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
+using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
+received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
-@item J r
-@kindex J r (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
-Remove the current group from its category, if any
-(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-@end table
+@node Not Reading Mail
+@subsection Not Reading Mail
+If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
+be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
-@node Summary Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
+If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
+@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
+mail, which should help.
-@table @kbd
-@item J #
-@kindex J # (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-mark-article
-Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
+@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
+variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
+group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
-@item J M-#
-@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
-Remove the downloading mark from the article
-(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
+All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
+incoming mail.
-@item @@
-@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
-Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
-@item J c
-@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
-@findex gnus-agent-catchup
-Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
+@node Choosing a Mail Backend
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
-@end table
+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}).
-@node Server Agent Commands
-@subsubsection Server Agent Commands
+@menu
+* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
+* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+@end menu
-@table @kbd
-@item J a
-@kindex J a (Agent Server)
-@findex gnus-agent-add-server
-Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
-(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
-@item J r
-@kindex J r (Agent Server)
-@findex gnus-agent-remove-server
-Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
-Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
+@node Unix Mail Box
+@subsubsection Unix Mail Box
+@cindex nnmbox
+@cindex unix mail box
-@end table
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
+which group it belongs in.
+Virtual server settings:
-@node Agent Expiry
-@subsection Agent Expiry
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox-mbox-file
+@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
+@file{~/mbox}.
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
-@findex gnus-agent-expire
-@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
-@cindex Agent expiry
-@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
-@cindex expiry
+@item nnmbox-active-file
+@vindex nnmbox-active-file
+The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
+@file{~/.mbox-active}.
-@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.
+@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. Default is @code{t}.
+@end table
-@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.
+@node Rmail Babyl
+@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
+@cindex nnbabyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
-@node Outgoing Messages
-@subsection Outgoing Messages
+@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
+mail article to say which group it belongs in.
-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.
+Virtual server settings:
-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
-the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
-messages in the draft group.
+@table @code
+@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
+@vindex nnbabyl-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 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. Default is
+@code{t}
+@end table
-@node Agent Variables
-@subsection Agent Variables
+@node Mail Spool
+@subsubsection Mail Spool
+@cindex nnml
+@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+
+The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
+format. It should be used with some caution.
+
+@vindex nnml-directory
+If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
+directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
+variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
+
+You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
+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
+own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
+weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
+having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
+shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
+know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
+to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
+
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
+@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
+backend when it comes to reading mail.
+
+Virtual server settings:
@table @code
-@item gnus-agent-directory
-@vindex gnus-agent-directory
-Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
-@file{~/News/agent/}.
+@item nnml-directory
+@vindex nnml-directory
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
+@file{~/Mail})
-@item gnus-agent-handle-level
-@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
-Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
-be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
-which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
-by default.
+@item nnml-active-file
+@vindex nnml-active-file
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/active"}.
-@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
-@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
-Hook run when connecting to the network.
+@item nnml-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
+The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
-@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
-@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
-Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
+@item nnml-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}
-@end table
+@item nnml-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
+default is @code{nil}
+@item nnml-nov-file-name
+@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
+The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
-@node Example Setup
-@subsection Example Setup
+@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
+Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
-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.
+@end table
-@lisp
-;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over NNTP
-;;; from your ISP's server.
-(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
+@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
+you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
+entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
+might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
+functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
+Commands}).
-;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
-;;; your ISP's POP server.
-(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
-;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
+@node MH Spool
+@subsubsection MH Spool
+@cindex nnmh
+@cindex mh-e mail spool
-;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
-(gnus-agentize)
-@end lisp
+@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.
-That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
-edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
-gnus}.
+Virtual server settings:
-If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
-automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
-subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
-@sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
-command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
-once.
+@table @code
+@item nnmh-directory
+@vindex nnmh-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})
-After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
-groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
-command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
-subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
-back all the killed groups.)
+@item nnmh-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
-You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
-with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
-find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
+@item nnmh-be-safe
+@vindex nnmh-be-safe
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
+are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
+to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
-@node Batching Agents
-@subsection Batching Agents
+@node Mail Folders
+@subsubsection Mail Folders
+@cindex nnfolder
+@cindex mbox folders
+@cindex mail folders
-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:
+@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
+file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
+will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
+dates.
-@example
-#!/bin/sh
-emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
-@end example
+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})
-@node Agent Caveats
-@subsection Agent Caveats
+@item nnfolder-active-file
+@vindex nnfolder-active-file
+The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
-The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
-newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
-may ask:
+@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
-@table @dfn
-@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
-Agent?
+@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
+@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
+is @code{t}
-@strong{No.}
+@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
+@cindex backup files
+Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
+backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
+wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
+your @file{.emacs} file:
-@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
-in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+@lisp
+(defun turn-off-backup ()
+ (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
-@strong{Yes.}
+(add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+@vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
+Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
+This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
+extract some information from it before removing it.
+
+@item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
+default 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.
+@findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
+@kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
+If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
+@code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
+command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
+@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
+though.
+
+@node Comparing Mail Backends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
+
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
+low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
+is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
+and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
+mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
+
+The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
+typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
+in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
+articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
+access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
+area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
+@code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
+actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
+via NFS).
+
+The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
+simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
+format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
+future. Here are some high and low points on each:
-@node Scoring
-@chapter Scoring
-@cindex scoring
+@table @code
+@item nnmbox
+
+UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
+defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
+they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
+@samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
+to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
+@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
+historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
+mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
+this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
+area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
+(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
+to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
+fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
+what's where.
+
+@item nnbabyl
+
+Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
+systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
+reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
+was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
+format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
+spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
+headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
+RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
+and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
+to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
+VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
+perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
+headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
+course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
+
+Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
+filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
+look at your mail.
+
+@item nnml
+
+@code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
+actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
+fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
+lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
+and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
+Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
+CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
+or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
+@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
+@sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
+due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
+file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
+extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
+provided by the active file and overviews.
+
+@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
+resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
+files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
+tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
+wins big.
+
+It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
+FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
+tiny files.
+
+@item nnmh
+
+The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
+long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
+individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
+is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
+active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
+one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
+slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
+
+@item nnfolder
+
+Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
+method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
+itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
+little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
+a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
+can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
+format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
+it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
+out how many messages there are in each separate group.
+
+If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
+messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
+only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
+friendly mail backend all over.
-Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
-scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
-something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
-attention!
+@end table
-@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
-All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
-which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
-interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
-@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
-Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
-before generating the summary buffer.
+@node Browsing the Web
+@section Browsing the Web
+@cindex web
+@cindex browsing the web
+@cindex www
+@cindex http
-There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
-entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
-lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
+Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
+subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
+eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
+is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
+and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
+go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
+even know what a news group is.
-There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
-Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
-temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
-silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
+The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
+being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
+they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
+not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
+you mad in the end.
+
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
+to do it instead?
+
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
+interfaces to these sources.
@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.
+* 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.
-@node Summary Score Commands
-@section Summary Score Commands
-@cindex score commands
+The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
+work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
+is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
+though, you should be ok.
-The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
-score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
-previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
-@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
-entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
+One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
+are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
+cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
+Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
+leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
-The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
-if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
-some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
-score file the current one.
-General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
+@node Web Searches
+@subsection Web Searches
+@cindex nnweb
+@cindex DejaNews
+@cindex Alta Vista
+@cindex InReference
+@cindex Usenet searches
+@cindex searching the Usenet
-@table @kbd
+It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
+string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
+those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
+the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
+searches without having to use a browser.
-@item V s
-@kindex V s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-set-score
-Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
+The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
+then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
+group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
+Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
-@item V S
-@kindex V S (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-current-score
-Display the score of the current article
-(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
+@code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
+groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
+each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
+pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
+manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
+Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
+@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
+engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
+header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
+group as read.
-@item V t
-@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}).
+If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
+won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
+make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
+community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
+might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
-@item V R
-@kindex V R (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-rescore
-Run the current summary through the scoring process
-(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
-around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
-effect you're having.
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
+to use @code{nnweb}.
-@item V c
-@kindex V c (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
-Make a different score file the current
-(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
+Virtual server variables:
-@item V e
-@kindex V e (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
-Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
-You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
-File Editing}).
+@table @code
+@item nnweb-type
+@vindex nnweb-type
+What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
+are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
+@code{reference}.
-@item V f
-@kindex V f (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-file
-Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
+@item nnweb-search
+@vindex nnweb-search
+The search string to feed to the search engine.
-@item V F
-@kindex V F (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
-Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
-after editing score files.
+@item nnweb-max-hits
+@vindex nnweb-max-hits
+Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
+100.
-@item V C
-@kindex V C (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-customize
-Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
-(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
+@item nnweb-type-definition
+@vindex nnweb-type-definition
+Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
+with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
+present:
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item article
+Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
+understands.
-The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
+@item map
+Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
-@table @kbd
+@item search
+Function to send the search string to the search engine.
-@item V m
-@kindex V m (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
-Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
-read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
+@item address
+The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
+to.
-@item V x
-@kindex V x (Summary)
-@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
-Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
-expunge all articles below this score
-(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
+@item id
+Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
@end table
-The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
-pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
-them.)
+@end table
-@findex gnus-summary-increase-score
-@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
-@enumerate
-@item
-The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
-or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
-@item
-The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
-keys are available:
-@table @kbd
+@node Slashdot
+@subsection Slashdot
+@cindex Slashdot
+@cindex nnslashdot
-@item a
-Score on the author name.
+Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
+lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
+let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
-@item s
-Score on the subject line.
+The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
+following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
-@item x
-Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnslashdot "")))
+@end lisp
-@item r
-Score on the @code{References} line.
+This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
+and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
+a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
+groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
+groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
+Methods}).
-@item d
-Score on the date.
+If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
+command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
-@item l
-Score on the number of lines.
+When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
+comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
+particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
+@code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
+the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
+directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
+@sc{html} forms.
-@item i
-Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
+The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
-@item f
-Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
-the followups to this author.
+@table @code
+@item nnslashdot-threaded
+Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
+default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
+has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
+threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
+the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
+but much, much slower than untreaded.
+
+@item nnslashdot-login-name
+@vindex nnslashdot-login-name
+The login name to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-password
+@vindex nnslashdot-password
+The password to use when posting.
+
+@item nnslashdot-directory
+@vindex nnslashdot-directory
+Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-active-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-active-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
+news articles and comments. The default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-comments-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-article-url
+@vindex nnslashdot-article-url
+The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
+default is
+@samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
+
+@item nnslashdot-threshold
+@vindex nnslashdot-threshold
+The score threshold. The default is -1.
+
+@item nnslashdot-group-number
+@vindex nnslashdot-group-number
+The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
+updated. The default is 0.
-@item b
-Score on the body.
+@end table
-@item h
-Score on the head.
-@item t
-Score on thread.
-@end table
+@node Ultimate
+@subsection Ultimate
+@cindex nnultimate
+@cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
-@item
-The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
-what headers you are scoring on.
+The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
+probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
+quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
+information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
+
+The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
+something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
+http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
+(not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
+you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
+site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
+server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
+
+The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
@table @code
+@item nnultimate-directory
+@vindex nnultimate-directory
+The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
+@end table
-@item strings
-@table @kbd
+@node Web Archive
+@subsection Web Archive
+@cindex nnwarchive
+@cindex Web Archive
-@item e
-Exact matching.
+Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
+@uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
+@uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
+interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
+groups updated.
-@item s
-Substring matching.
+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}.
-@item f
-Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
+The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
-@item r
-Regexp matching
+@table @code
+@item nnwarchive-directory
+@vindex nnwarchive-directory
+The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/warchive/}.
+
+@item nnwarchive-login
+@vindex nnwarchive-login
+The account name on the web server.
+
+@item nnwarchive-passwd
+@vindex nnwarchive-passwd
+The password for your account on the web server.
@end table
-@item date
-@table @kbd
+@node RSS
+@subsection RSS
+@cindex nnrss
+@cindex RSS
-@item b
-Before date.
+Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
+@uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
+interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
+groups updated.
-@item a
-After date.
+The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
+like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
+subscribe groups.
-@item n
-This date.
-@end table
+The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
-@item number
-@table @kbd
+@table @code
+@item nnrss-directory
+@vindex nnrss-directory
+The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
+@samp{~/News/rss/}.
-@item <
-Less than number.
+@end table
-@item =
-Equal to number.
+The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
+the summary buffer.
-@item >
-Greater than number.
-@end table
-@end table
+@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")
-@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.
-@table @kbd
+(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
-@item t
-Temporary score entry.
+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
+ (browse-url (cdr url))
+ (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
-@item p
-Permanent score entry.
+@node Customizing w3
+@subsection Customizing w3
+@cindex w3
+@cindex html
+@cindex url
+@cindex Netscape
-@item i
-Immediately scoring.
-@end table
+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.
-@end enumerate
+For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
+using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
+browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
-So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
-exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
-score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
-temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
+@lisp
+(eval-after-load "w3"
+ '(progn
+ (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
+ (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
+ (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
+ (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
+ (browse-url url)
+ (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
+@end lisp
-To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
-a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
-defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
-``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
-t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
+@sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
+follow the link.
-These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
-(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
-(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
-says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
-current score file.
-@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
-The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
-pretend they are keymaps or not.
+@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 Group Score Commands
-@section Group Score Commands
-@cindex group score commands
+@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
-There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
-@table @kbd
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Group)
-@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
-Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
-all the time. This command will flush the cache
-(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
+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.
-@end table
+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.
-You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
+@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!
-@findex gnus-batch-score
-@cindex batch scoring
-@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
-@end example
+@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+@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}.
-@node Score Variables
-@section Score Variables
-@cindex score variables
-@table @code
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
-@item gnus-use-scoring
-@vindex gnus-use-scoring
-If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
-general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
+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.
-@item gnus-kill-killed
-@vindex gnus-kill-killed
-If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
-articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
-may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
-to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
-group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
-variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
+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 gnus-kill-files-directory
-@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
-All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
-initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
-This is @file{~/News/} by default.
+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.
-@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.)
+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.
-@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 you Emacs grow big and
-bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
-@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
-@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
-variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
-be cached.
+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 gnus-save-score
-@vindex gnus-save-score
-If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
-scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
-Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
+Some variables:
-If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
-with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
-across group visits.
+@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/}.
-@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
-Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
-score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
-ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
-We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
-manually entered data.
+@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 gnus-summary-default-score
-@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
-Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
+@item nneething-include-files
+@vindex nneething-include-files
+Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
+non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
-@item gnus-summary-expunge-below
-@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
-Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
-this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
-articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
-and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
-@item gnus-score-over-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
-default. Default is @samp{+}.
-@item gnus-score-below-mark
-@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
-Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
-default. Default is @samp{-}.
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
-@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
-Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
-is called with the name of the group as the argument.
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
-Predefined functions available are:
@table @code
+@cindex babyl
+@cindex rmail mbox
-@item gnus-score-find-single
-@findex gnus-score-find-single
-Only apply the group's own score file.
+@item babyl
+The babyl (rmail) mail box.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
-@item gnus-score-find-bnews
-@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
-Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
-default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
-@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
-@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
-@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
-then a regexp match is done.
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
-This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
-all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
-The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
-try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
-files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
-file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
-@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
-Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
-can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
-@file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE}.
+@item rnews
+@cindex rnews batch files
+The rnews batch transport format.
+@cindex forwarded messages
-@end table
-This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
-functions will be called, 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.
+@item forward
+Forwarded articles.
-@item gnus-score-expiry-days
-@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
-This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
-entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
-are expired. It's 7 by default.
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
-@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.
+@item mime-parts
+MIME multipart messages.
-@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
-@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
-Function called with the name of the score file just written.
-
-@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
-@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
-for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
-threading---according to the current value of
-gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
-@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
-simplified in this manner.
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
@end table
+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.
-@node Score File Format
-@section Score File Format
-@cindex score file format
+@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.
-A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
-single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
-everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
+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!
-Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
+Virtual server variables:
-@lisp
-(("from"
- ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
- ("Per Abrahamsen")
- ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
- ("subject"
- ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
- ("xref"
- ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
- ("lines"
- (2 -100 nil <))
- (mark 0)
- (expunge -1000)
- (mark-and-expunge -10)
- (read-only nil)
- (orphan -10)
- (adapt t)
- (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
- (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
- (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
- (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
- (eval (ding)))
-@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} or @code{guess}.
-This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
-approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
+@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
-Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
-@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
-has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
-Six keys are supported by this alist:
-@table @code
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
-@item STRING
-If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
-match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
-@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
-@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
-these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
-article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
-will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
-perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
-perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
-last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
-final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
-entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
-to articles that matches these score entries.
+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}.
-Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
-score entry has one to four elements.
-@enumerate
+First, here's an example document type definition:
-@item
-The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
-be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
-integer.
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
-@item
-If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
-element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
-interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
-is successful. If this element is not present, the
-@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
-instead. This is 1000 by default.
+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
-If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
-element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
-which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
-element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
-represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
+@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.
-@item
-If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
-element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
-whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
-be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
-@table @dfn
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like.
-@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
-For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
-well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
-@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
-element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
-be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
-that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
-one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
-@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
-instead, if you feel like.
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article.
-@item Lines, Chars
-These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
-@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
+@item nndoc-head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article.
-These predicates are true if
+@item nndoc-head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{^$}---the empty line.
-@example
-(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
-@end example
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article.
-evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
-@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
-following form:
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}.
-@lisp
-(< header-value 4)
-@end lisp
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article.
-Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
-the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
-(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
-it's not. I think.)
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
-When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (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 file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
-@item Date
-For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
-@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
-ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
-this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
-Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
-sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
-quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
+@end table
-@cindex ISO8601
-@cindex date
-A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
-date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
-ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
-you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
-every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
-for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
-this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
-the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
-whole family, eh?)
+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:
-@item Head, Body, All
-These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
-header uses.
+@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 Followup
-This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
-@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
-articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
-you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
-decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
-trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
-uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
-files.)
+@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 Thread
-This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
-key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{X}, then you add a
-@samp{thread} match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each
-article that has @var{X} in its @code{References} header. (These new
-@samp{thread} matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching
-articles.) This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an
-entire thread, even though some articles in the thread may not have
-complete @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
-undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
-key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
@end table
-@end enumerate
-@cindex Score File Atoms
-@item mark
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read.
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
-@item expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
+@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 mark-and-expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
-lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
-summary buffer.
+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.
-@item thread-mark-and-expunge
-The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
-a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
-and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
-says how to compute the total score for a thread.
+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.
-@item files
-The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
-are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
-this one was.
-@item exclude-files
-The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
-not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
-other.
+@node SOUP
+@subsection SOUP
+@cindex SOUP
+@cindex offline
-@item eval
-The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
-ignored when handling global score files.
+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!
-@item read-only
-Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
-should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
-@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
-apply-to-all-groups score files.)
+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 orphan
-The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
-parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
-some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
-will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
+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.
-You can do this with the following two score file entries:
+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.
-@example
- (orphan -500)
- (mark-and-expunge -100)
-@end example
+First some terminology:
-When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
-threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
-interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
-rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
-interesting threads, plus any new threads.
+@table @dfn
-I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
-exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
-ordinary scoring rules.
+@item server
+This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
+get news and/or mail from.
-@item adapt
-This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
-default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
-adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
-list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
-or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
-adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
-scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
-not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
-groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
-insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
-it.
+@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 adapt-file
-All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
-will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
-if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
-file for a number of groups.
+@item packet
+Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
+of packets:
-@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.
-@end table
+@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.
+@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.
-@node Score File Editing
-@section Score File Editing
+@end table
-You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
-might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
-with a mode for that.
+@end table
-It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
-additional commands:
-@table @kbd
+@enumerate
-@item C-c C-c
-@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-done
-Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
+@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}).
-@item C-c C-d
-@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
-Insert the current date in numerical format
-(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
-you were wondering.
+@item
+You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
-@item C-c C-p
-@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
-@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
-The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
-intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
-first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
-you.
+@item
+You put the packet in your home directory.
-@end table
+@item
+You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
+the native or secondary server.
-Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
+@item
+You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
+want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
-@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
+@item
+You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
+packet.
-In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
-e} to begin editing score files.
+@item
+You transfer this packet to the server.
+@item
+You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
-@node Adaptive Scoring
-@section Adaptive Scoring
-@cindex adaptive scoring
+@item
+You then repeat until you die.
-If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
-happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
-stupidity, to be precise.
+@end enumerate
-@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
-When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
-article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
-these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
-You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
-@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
-words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
-@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
-variable to @code{(word line)}.
+So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
+reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
-@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
-To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
-the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
-might look something like this:
+@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
-@lisp
-(defvar gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
- '((gnus-unread-mark)
- (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
- (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
- (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
- (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
- (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
- (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
- (gnus-kill-file-mark)
- (gnus-ancient-mark)
- (gnus-low-score-mark)
- (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
-@end lisp
-As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
-variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
-a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
-pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
-that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
-@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
-entries.
+@node SOUP Commands
+@subsubsection SOUP Commands
-Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
-will be applied to each article.
+These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
-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
-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.
+@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.
-If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
-@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
-That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
-should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
+@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}).
-If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
-the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
-probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
-adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
+@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}).
-The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
-@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
-@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
-@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
-on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
-current article, thereby matching the following thread.
+@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}).
-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.)
+@item G s r
+@kindex G s r (Group)
+@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
+Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
-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.
+@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}).
-After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
-become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
-the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
+@end table
-You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
-by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
-let you use different rules in different groups.
-@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}.
+There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
+thingies:
-@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
-When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
-give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
-matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
-the length of the match is less than
-@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
-this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
-this problem.
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
-As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
-headers. If you adapt on words, the
-@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
-each instance of a word should add given a mark.
+@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/}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
- `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
- (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
- (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
- (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
-@end lisp
+@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.
-This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
-word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
-@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
-score with 30 points.
+@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}.
-@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
-@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
-Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
-will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
-@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
+@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}.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
-When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
-syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
-it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
+@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 -}.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
-If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
-word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
-below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
+@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
+Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
-@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
-If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
-won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
-for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
-lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
+@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
+@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
-After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
-@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
-what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
+@end table
-Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
-likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
-that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
-rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
+@node SOUP Groups
+@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
+@cindex nnsoup
-@node Home Score File
-@section Home Score File
+@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.
-The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
-@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
-for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
+These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
-However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
-a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
-could perhaps use the same home score file.
+@table @code
-@vindex gnus-home-score-file
-The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
-be:
+@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.)
-@enumerate
-@item
-A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
-groups.
+@item nnsoup-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-directory
+@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
+The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
-@item
-A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
-file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
-parameter.
+@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
-A list. The elements in this list can be:
+@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!
-@enumerate
-@item
-@var{(regexp file-name)}. If the @var{regexp} matches the group name,
-the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
+@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
-A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
-the home score file.
+@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}.
-@item
-A string. Use the string as the home score file.
-@end enumerate
+@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}.
-The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
-for matches.
+@item nnsoup-unpacker
+@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
+default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
-@end enumerate
+@item nnsoup-packet-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
+Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
+@file{~/}.
-So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
+@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
+@samp{Soupout}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
-@end lisp
+@item nnsoup-always-save
+@vindex nnsoup-always-save
+If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
-If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
-@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
+@end table
-@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
-@end lisp
-This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
-Other functions include
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
-@table @code
-@item gnus-current-home-score-file
-@findex gnus-current-home-score-file
-Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
-commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
+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.
-@end table
+@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.
-If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
-another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
-their own home score files:
+In specific, this is what it does:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-home-score-file
- ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
- '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
- ;; All the comp groups in one score file
- ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
@end lisp
-@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
-@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
-@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
-is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
-specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
+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.
-In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
-@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
-(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
-precedence over this variable.
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
-@node Followups To Yourself
-@section Followups To Yourself
+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.
-Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
-the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
-this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
-articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
-respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
-to easily note when people answer what you've said.
+Note that you can't read anything from this backend---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 gnus-score-followup-article
-@findex gnus-score-followup-article
-This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
-article.
+@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 gnus-score-followup-thread
-@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
-This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
-your own article.
-@end table
+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:
-@vindex message-sent-hook
-These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
-@code{message-sent-hook}.
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
-If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
-the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
-mine:
+will get this @code{From} header inserted:
@example
-<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
-<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
@end example
-So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
-exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
-myself:
+The following pre-defined functions exist:
-@lisp
-("references"
- ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore.no>"
- 1000 nil r))
-@end lisp
+@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+@table @code
-Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
-is system-dependent.
+@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-@node Scoring Tips
-@section Scoring Tips
-@cindex scoring tips
+@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@code{nngateway-address}.
-@table @dfn
+Here's an example:
-@item Crossposts
-@cindex crossposts
-@cindex scoring crossposts
-If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
-the @code{Xref} header.
@lisp
-("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+(setq gnus-post-method
+ '(nngateway
+ "mail2news@@replay.com"
+ (nngateway-header-transformation
+ nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
@end lisp
-@item Multiple crossposts
-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))
-@end lisp
+@end table
-@item Matching on the body
-This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
-Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
-you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
-keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
-and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
-will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
-@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
-the matches.
-@item Marking as read
-You will probably want to mark articles that has a score below a certain
-number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
-in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+@end table
+
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
+
@lisp
-((mark -100))
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
@end lisp
-You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
-@item Negated character classes
-If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
-That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
-@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
-@end table
-@node Reverse Scoring
-@section Reverse Scoring
-@cindex reverse scoring
+@node IMAP
+@subsection @sc{imap}
+@cindex nnimap
+@cindex @sc{imap}
-If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
-subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
-like this in your score file:
+@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.
+
+@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.)
+
+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}.
+
+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.
+
+A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
+might look something like this:
@lisp
-(("subject"
- ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
- (mark 1)
- (expunge 1))
+(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
-So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
-rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
+server:
+@table @code
-@node Global Score Files
-@section Global Score Files
-@cindex global score files
+@item nnimap-address
+@vindex nnimap-address
-Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
-nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
-in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
+The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
+server name if not specified.
-What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
-all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
-big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
+@item nnimap-server-port
+@vindex nnimap-server-port
+Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
-@vindex gnus-global-score-files
-All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
-@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
-or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
-files are applicable to which group.
+Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
-Say you want 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:
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-server-port 4711))
+@end lisp
+
+@item nnimap-list-pattern
+@vindex nnimap-list-pattern
+String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
+This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
+interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
+@sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
+@file{~/Mail/*} then.
+
+The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
+REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
+Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
+mailbox.
+
+Example server specification:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-global-score-files
- '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
- "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
+ ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
@end lisp
-@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
-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
-use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
+@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).
-Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
-somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
+Example server specification:
-If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
-just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
-world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
-wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
-sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
-premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))
+@end lisp
-Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
-head:
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
@itemize @bullet
-
@item
-Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
+@dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Requires the
+@samp{imtest} program.
@item
-To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
@item
-Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
+@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
+SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
+@samp{starttls}.
@item
-Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
-lowered out of existence.
+@dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the
+program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
@item
-Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
-articles completely.
+@dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
+@item
+@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
+@end itemize
+
+@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 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.
+
+@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.
+
+@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 nnimap-authenticator
+@vindex nnimap-authenticator
+
+The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
+will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
+
+Example server specification:
+
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
+@end lisp
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
+
+@itemize @bullet
@item
-Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
-should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
-old articles for a long time.
+@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
-... 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?
+@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).
+
+Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
+@code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
+running in circles yet?
+
+Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
+when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
+variable.
+The possible options are:
-@node Kill Files
-@section Kill Files
-@cindex kill files
+@table @code
-Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
-entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
-Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
+@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 short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
-than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
-files into score files.
+@end table
-Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
-forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
-sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
-that isn't a very good idea.
+@item nnimap-importantize-dormant
+@vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
-Normal kill files look like this:
+If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
+clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
+marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
+like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
+two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
+
+Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
+enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
@lisp
-(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
-(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
-(gnus-expunge "X")
+(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
-This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
-marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
+In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
+as ticked for other users.
-Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
-encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
-interpreting it.
+@item nnimap-expunge-search-string
+@cindex Expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
-Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
+This variable contain the 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.
-@table @kbd
+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 M-k
-@kindex M-k (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
-Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
+@item nnimap-authinfo-file
+@vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
-@item M-K
-@kindex M-K (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
-Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
-@end table
-
-Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
+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}.
-@table @kbd
+@end table
-@item M-k
-@kindex M-k (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
-Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
+@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 M-K
-@kindex M-K (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
-Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
-@end table
-Kill file variables:
-@table @code
-@item gnus-kill-file-name
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
-A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
-@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
-this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
-The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
-course) is just called @file{KILL}.
+@node Splitting in IMAP
+@subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
+@cindex splitting imap mail
-@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
-@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
-kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
-kills.
+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 gnus-apply-kill-hook
-@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
-@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
-@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
-A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
-@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
-kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
-hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
-kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
+And it does.
-@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
-A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
+Here are the variables of interest:
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item nnimap-split-crosspost
+@cindex splitting, crosspost
+@cindex crosspost
+@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
-@node Converting Kill Files
-@section Converting Kill Files
-@cindex kill files
-@cindex converting kill files
+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.
-If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
-score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
-the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
-by hand.
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
-The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
-You can fetch it from
-@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-other/gnus-kill-to-score}.
+@item nnimap-split-inbox
+@cindex splitting, inbox
+@cindex inbox
+@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
-If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
-non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
-hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
-before.
+A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
+mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
+disabled!
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-inbox
+ '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
+@end lisp
-@node GroupLens
-@section GroupLens
-@cindex GroupLens
+No nnmail equivalent.
-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.
+@item nnimap-split-rule
+@cindex Splitting, rules
+@vindex nnimap-split-rule
-To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
-articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
-likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
-article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
-rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
-Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
-of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
-prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
-article.
+New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
+this variable.
-@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.
-@end menu
+This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
+sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
+matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
+Neither did I, we need examples.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("INBOX.nnimap"
+ "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
+ ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
+ ("INBOX.private" "")))
+@end lisp
-@node Using GroupLens
-@subsection Using GroupLens
+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.
-To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
-Bit Bureau (BBB).
-@samp{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
-better bit in town at the moment.
+The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
+replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
+instance:
-Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
+@lisp
+("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+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 gnus-use-grouplens
-@vindex gnus-use-grouplens
-Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
-all the relevant GroupLens functions.
+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.)
-@item grouplens-pseudonym
-@vindex grouplens-pseudonym
-This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
-with the Better Bit Bureau.
+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 grouplens-newsgroups
-@vindex grouplens-newsgroups
-A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
+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 need too.
-That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
-Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
-articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
-the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
-yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
-you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
+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
-@node Rating Articles
-@subsection Rating Articles
+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.
-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?"
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
-There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
+@item nnimap-split-predicate
+@cindex splitting
+@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
-@table @kbd
+Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
+split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
-@item r
-@kindex r (GroupLens)
-@findex bbb-summary-rate-article
-This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
+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 k
-@kindex k (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-score-thread
-This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
-the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
-threads in rec.humor.
+@item nnimap-split-fancy
+@cindex splitting, fancy
+@findex nnimap-split-fancy
+@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
-@end table
+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}.
-The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
-the score of the article you're reading.
+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}.
-@table @kbd
+Example:
-@item 1-5 n
-@kindex n (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-next-unread-article
-Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ nnimap-split-fancy ...)
+@end lisp
-@item 1-5 ,
-@kindex , (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-best-unread-article
-Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
@end table
-If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
-next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
-
+@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
-@node Displaying Predictions
-@subsection Displaying Predictions
+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.
-GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
-news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
-5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
-from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
+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.
-@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
-There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
-choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
-regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
-people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
-the separate scoring behavior you need to set
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
-GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
-@code{'override} and to combine the scores set
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
-the combine option you will also want to set the values for
-@code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
-@code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
+Some possible uses:
-@vindex grouplens-prediction-display
-In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
-to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
-controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
+@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
-The following are valid values for that variable.
+@node Expunging mailboxes
+@subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
+@cindex expunging
-@table @code
-@item prediction-spot
-The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
-displayed.
+@cindex Expunge
+@cindex Manual expunging
+@kindex G x
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
-@item confidence-interval
-A numeric confidence interval.
+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 prediction-bar
-The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
+Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
+delete them.
-@item confidence-bar
-Numerical confidence.
-@item confidence-spot
-The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
-@item prediction-num
-Plain-old numeric value.
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
-@item confidence-plus-minus
-Prediction +/- confidence.
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
-@end table
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+@end menu
-@node GroupLens Variables
-@subsection GroupLens Variables
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+@cindex merging groups
-@table @code
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
-@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%]%)
-%s\n}.
+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!
-@item grouplens-bbb-host
-Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
-default.
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
-@item grouplens-bbb-port
-Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
+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.)
-@item grouplens-score-offset
-Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
-prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
-default is 0.
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
-@item grouplens-score-scale-factor
-This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
-The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
-@end table
+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:
-@node Advanced Scoring
-@section Advanced Scoring
+@example
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+@end example
-Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
-really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
-about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
-read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
-want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
+(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.)
-By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
-scoring patterns.
+This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
+end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
+the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
+sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
+(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
-@menu
-* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
-* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
-* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
-@end menu
+One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
+group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
+zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
+If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
+@code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
+entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
+group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
+will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
+effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
+common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
+Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
+you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
-@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
+When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
+has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
+and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
+not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
-Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
-element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
-non-@code{nil} value.
+@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+line from the article you respond to in these cases.
-These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
-operator, and various match operators.
-Logical operators:
-@table @code
-@item &
-@itemx and
-This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
-one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
-evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
-@code{true}.
+@node Kibozed Groups
+@subsection Kibozed Groups
+@cindex nnkiboze
+@cindex kibozing
-@item |
-@itemx or
-This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
-one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
-then this operator will return @code{false}.
+@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
+you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
+with useless requests! Oh happiness!
-@item !
-@itemx not
-@itemx ¬
-This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
-logical negation of the value of its argument.
+@kindex G k (Group)
+To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
+buffer.
-@end table
+The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
+@code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
+@code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
+and @code{nnvirtual} end.
-There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
-apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
-instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
-current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
-grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
-@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
-the ancestry you want to go.
+In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
+must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
+the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
-Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
-real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
-and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
-"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
-simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
+@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
+@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
+You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
+@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
+time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
+all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
+scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
+that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
+Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
+regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
+@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
+Stranger things have happened.
-@node Advanced Scoring Examples
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+@code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
+and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
-Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
-when he's talking about Gnus:
+@vindex nnkiboze-directory
+The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
+@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
+contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
+and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
+on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
-@example
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- ("subject" "Gnus"))
- 1000)
-@end example
+Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
+their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
-Quite simple, huh?
-When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
+@node Gnus Unplugged
+@section Gnus Unplugged
+@cindex offline
+@cindex unplugged
+@cindex Agent
+@cindex Gnus Agent
+@cindex Gnus Unplugged
-@example
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- (|
- ("subject" "Gnus")
- ("lines" 100 >)))
- 1000)
-@end example
+In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
+on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
+was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
+read news. Believe it or not.
-However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
-really don't want to read what he's written:
+Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
+modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
+would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
+the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
+have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
-@example
-((&
- ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
- (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
- -100000)
-@end example
+Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
+@code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
+for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
+functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
+reading news on a machine.
-Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
-socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
-white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
-very interesting:
+Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
-@example
-((&
- (1-
- (&
- ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
- ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
- (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
- ("body" "white.*socks"))
- 1000)
-@end example
+@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.
-The possibilities are endless.
+@item
+Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
+@file{.gnus.el} file:
+@lisp
+(gnus-agentize)
+@end lisp
+@end itemize
-@node Advanced Scoring Tips
-@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
+That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
-The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
-That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
-result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
-of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
-the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
-(@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
-@samp{subject}) first.
+Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
-The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
-arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
-something like:
+@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.
+@end menu
-@example
-...
-(1-
- (1-
- ("from" "lars")))
-...
-@end example
-Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
-current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+@node Agent Basics
+@subsection Agent Basics
-@example
-(1-
- (&
- ("from" "Lars")
- ("subject" "Gnus")))
-@end example
+First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
-than it is to say:
+The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
+connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
+When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
+Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
-@example
-(&
- (1- ("from" "Lars"))
- (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
-@end example
+The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
+connected to the net continuously.
+@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
+machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
-@node Score Decays
-@section Score Decays
-@cindex score decays
-@cindex decays
+Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
-You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
-bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
-big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
-use them in any sensible way.
+@itemize @bullet
-@vindex gnus-decay-scores
-@findex gnus-decay-score
-@vindex gnus-decay-score-function
-Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
-When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
-non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
-mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
-The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
-function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
-definition of that function:
+@item
+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.
-@lisp
-(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
- "Decay SCORE.
-This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
-and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
- (floor
- (- score
- (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
- (min (abs score)
- (max gnus-score-decay-constant
- (* (abs score)
- gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
+your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
+to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
+as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
+Source Specifiers}).
-@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
-@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
-@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
-@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
+@item
+You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
+onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
+to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
+s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
+know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
-@enumerate
@item
-Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
+After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
+unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
+then you read the news offline.
@item
-Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
+And then you go to step 2.
+@end itemize
+
+Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
+the Agent.
+
+@itemize @bullet
@item
-Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
-score.
-@end enumerate
+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
+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.
-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.
+@item
+Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
-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.
+@item
+Uhm... that's it.
+@end itemize
-@node Various
-@chapter Various
+@node Agent Categories
+@subsection Agent Categories
+
+One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
+newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
+There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
+find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
+to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
+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.
@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 tendonitis in ten easy steps!
-* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
-* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
-* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
-* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
-* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
-* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
-* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
-* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
@end menu
-@node Process/Prefix
-@section Process/Prefix
-@cindex process/prefix convention
+@node Category Syntax
+@subsubsection Category Syntax
-Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
-articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
+A category consists of two things.
-This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
-command to be performed on.
+@enumerate
+@item
+A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
+are eligible for downloading; and
-It goes like this:
+@item
+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
-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.
+A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
+@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
+article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
+predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
-@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.
+Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
+their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
-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.
+To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
+download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
+operators sprinkled in between.
-If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
-process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
+Perhaps some examples are in order.
-Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
-are avoided.
+Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
+for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
-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}).
+@lisp
+short
+@end lisp
-@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.
+Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
+short (for some value of ``short'').
+Here's a more complex predicate:
-@node Interactive
-@section Interactive
-@cindex interaction
+@lisp
+(or high
+ (and
+ (not low)
+ (not long)))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
+or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
+drift.
-@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.
+The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
+@code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
+@samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
-@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.
+The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
+you want to do, you can write your own.
-@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.
+@table @code
+@item short
+True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
+lines; default 100.
-@item gnus-interactive-exit
-@vindex gnus-interactive-exit
-Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
-default.
-@end table
+@item long
+True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
+lines; default 200.
+@item low
+True iff the article has a download score less than
+@code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
-@node Symbolic Prefixes
-@section Symbolic Prefixes
-@cindex symbolic prefixes
+@item high
+True iff the article has a download score greater than
+@code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
-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.
+@item spam
+True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
+heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
+checksum and sees whether articles match.
-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.
+@item true
+Always true.
-@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.
-
-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.
+@item false
+Always false.
+@end table
-If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
-Interactive}.
+If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
+to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
+@code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
+useful values.
+For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
+that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
+more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
+something along the lines of the following:
-@node Formatting Variables
-@section Formatting Variables
-@cindex formatting variables
+@lisp
+(defun my-article-old-p ()
+ "Say whether an article is old."
+ (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
+ (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
+@end lisp
-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.
+with the predicate then defined as:
-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.
+@lisp
+(not my-article-old-p)
+@end lisp
-@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
+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)})
-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}.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+@end lisp
-All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
-case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
+and simply specify your predicate as:
-@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.
+@lisp
+(not old)
+@end lisp
+If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
+misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
+always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
+just don't give a damn.
+The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
+category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
+individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
+new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
+parameters like so:
-@node Formatting Basics
-@subsection Formatting Basics
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate . short)
+@end lisp
-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''.
+This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
+Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
+@code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
-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.
+The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
-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.
+@lisp
+(agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
+@end lisp
+The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
+entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
+predicate is assumed to be a list.
-@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:
+Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
+normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
+seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
+following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
+@code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
+@code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
-@enumerate
+As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
+to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
+it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
+if it's to be specific to that group.
-@item
-There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
+In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
+three forms:
+@enumerate
@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.
+Score rule
-@end enumerate
+This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
+subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
+example:
-@node Advanced Formatting
-@subsection Advanced Formatting
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
-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}.
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
-These are the valid modifiers:
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
-@table @code
-@item pad
-@itemx pad-left
-Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
-length.
+@lisp
+(agent-score ("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
+ ("lines"
+ (500 -100 nil <)))
+@end lisp
-@item pad-right
-Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
-length.
+Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
+@end itemize
-@item max
-@itemx max-left
-Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
+@item
+Agent score file
-@item max-right
-Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
-length.
+These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
+stated above.
-@item cut
-@itemx cut-left
-Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
+example:
-@item cut-right
-Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category specification
-@item ignore
-Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-@item form
-Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
-used.
-@end table
+or perhaps
-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.)
+@lisp
+("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
+@end lisp
-Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
-last operation, padding.
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
-If you use 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}.
+@lisp
+(agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
+@end lisp
+Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
+about parenthesis?
+@end itemize
-@node User-Defined Specs
-@subsection User-Defined Specs
+@item
+Use @code{normal} score files
-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.
+If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
+your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
+@code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
+@code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
-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.
+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
+relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Category Specification
-@node Formatting Fonts
-@subsection Formatting Fonts
+@lisp
+file
+@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.
+@item
+Group Parameter specification
-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
+(agent-score . file)
+@end lisp
+@end itemize
+@end enumerate
-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.
+@node Category Buffer
+@subsubsection Category Buffer
-Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
+You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
+When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
+the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
-@lisp
-;; Create three face types.
-(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
-(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
+The following commands are available in this buffer:
-;; 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)
+@table @kbd
+@item q
+@kindex q (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-exit
+Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
-;; Set the new & fancy format.
-(setq gnus-group-line-format
- "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
-@end lisp
+@item k
+@kindex k (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-kill
+Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
-I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
-and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
+@item c
+@kindex c (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-copy
+Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
-Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
-mode-line variables.
+@item a
+@kindex a (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-add
+Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
+@item p
+@kindex p (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
+Edit the predicate of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
-@node Windows Configuration
-@section Windows Configuration
-@cindex windows configuration
+@item g
+@kindex g (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-groups
+Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
-No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
+@item s
+@kindex s (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-edit-score
+Edit the download score rule of the current category
+(@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
-@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 l
+@kindex l (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-list
+List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
+@end table
-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:
+@node Category Variables
+@subsubsection Category Variables
-@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
+@table @code
+@item gnus-category-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
+Hook run in category buffers.
-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.
+@item gnus-category-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-line-format
+Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
+Variables}). Valid elements are:
-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 -
+@table @samp
+@item c
+The name of the category.
-@lisp
-(article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
- (article 1.0)))
-@end lisp
+@item g
+The number of groups in the category.
+@end table
-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.
+@item gnus-category-mode-line-format
+@vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
+Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
-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.
+@item gnus-agent-short-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-short-article
+Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
-Here's a more complicated example:
+@item gnus-agent-long-article
+@vindex gnus-agent-long-article
+Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
-@lisp
-(article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
- (summary 0.25 point)
- (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
- (article 1.0)))
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-agent-low-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-low-score
+Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
+0.
-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.
+@item gnus-agent-high-score
+@vindex gnus-agent-high-score
+Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
+0.
-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}.
+@end table
-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
+@node Agent Commands
+@subsection Agent Commands
-Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
-@code{horizontal} thingie?
+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
+toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
-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.
+@menu
+* Group Agent Commands::
+* Summary Agent Commands::
+* Server Agent Commands::
+@end menu
-To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
-may look like:
+You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
+following incantation:
+@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
@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 ...
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
@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.
+@node Group Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Group Agent Commands
-@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.
+@table @kbd
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
+Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
-@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
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
+Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
-You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
-@code{frame} split:
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
+Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
-@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))))
+@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}.
-@end lisp
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-group
+Add the current group to an Agent category
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-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 J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-group
+Remove the current group from its category, if any
+(@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-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 J Y
+@kindex J Y (Agent Group)
+@findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
-@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:
+@end table
-@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:
+@node Summary Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
-@lisp
-(gnus-add-configuration
- '(article (vertical 1.0
- (group 4)
- (summary .25 point)
- (article 1.0))))
-@end lisp
+@table @kbd
+@item J #
+@kindex J # (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-mark-article
+Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
-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.
+@item J M-#
+@kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
+Remove the downloading mark from the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
-@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}.
+@item @@
+@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
+Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
-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.
+@item J c
+@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-catchup
+Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
+@end table
-@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 Server Agent Commands
+@subsubsection Server Agent Commands
+@table @kbd
+@item J a
+@kindex J a (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-add-server
+Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
+(@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
-@node Compilation
-@section Compilation
-@cindex compilation
-@cindex byte-compilation
+@item J r
+@kindex J r (Agent Server)
+@findex gnus-agent-remove-server
+Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
+Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
-@findex gnus-compile
+@end table
-Remember all those line format specification variables?
-@code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
-on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
-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. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
-@file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
-this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
-them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
+@node Agent Expiry
+@subsection Agent Expiry
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+@findex gnus-agent-expire
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
+@cindex Agent expiry
+@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
+@cindex expiry
-@node Mode Lines
-@section Mode Lines
-@cindex mode lines
+@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.
-@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.
+@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.
-@cindex display-time
-@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:
+@node Agent and IMAP
+@subsection Agent and IMAP
-@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
+The Agent work with any Gnus backend, 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.
-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.
+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
+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}.
-@node Highlighting and Menus
-@section Highlighting and Menus
-@cindex visual
-@cindex highlighting
-@cindex menus
+@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.
-@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.
+If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
+re-connect, this can be done manually with the
+@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
+in the group buffer by default.
-This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
-following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
+Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
+expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
-@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
+@itemize @bullet
-So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
-buffers, you could say something like:
+@item
+Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
-If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
+@end itemize
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
-@end lisp
+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
+operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
+directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
-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 Outgoing Messages
+@subsection Outgoing Messages
-@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}.
+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.
-@end table
+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
+the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
+messages in the draft group.
-There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
+
+
+@node Agent Variables
+@subsection Agent Variables
@table @code
+@item gnus-agent-directory
+@vindex gnus-agent-directory
+Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/agent/}.
-@item gnus-article-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
+@item gnus-agent-handle-level
+@vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
+Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
+be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
+which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
+by default.
-@item gnus-group-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
+@item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
+Hook run when connecting to the network.
-@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
+@item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
+Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
-@item gnus-server-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
+@end table
-@item gnus-browse-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
-@item gnus-score-menu-hook
-@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
-Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
+@node Example Setup
+@subsection Example Setup
-@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.
+@lisp
+;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
+;;; from your ISP's server.
+(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
-@node Buttons
-@section Buttons
-@cindex buttons
-@cindex mouse
-@cindex click
+;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
+;;; your ISP's POP server.
+(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
-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!
+;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
-Right.
+;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
+(gnus-agentize)
+@end lisp
-@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.
+That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
+edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
+gnus}.
+If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
+automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
+subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
+@sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
+command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
+once.
-@table @code
+After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
+groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
+command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
+subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
+back all the killed groups.)
-@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
-Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
+You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
+with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
+find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
-@item gnus-carpal-button-face
-@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
-Face used on buttons.
-@item gnus-carpal-header-face
-@vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
-Face used on carpal buffer headers.
+@node Batching Agents
+@subsection Batching Agents
-@item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the group buffer.
+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:
-@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
-Buttons in the summary buffer.
+@example
+#!/bin/sh
+emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
+@end example
-@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
+@node Agent Caveats
+@subsection Agent Caveats
-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.
+The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
+newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
+may ask:
+@table @dfn
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
+Agent?
-@node Daemons
-@section Daemons
-@cindex demons
-@cindex daemons
+@strong{No.}
-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.
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
+in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
-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.
+@strong{Yes.}
-Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
-been idle for thirty minutes:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
-@end lisp
+In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
+articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
-Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
-idle:
-@lisp
-(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
-@end lisp
+@node Scoring
+@chapter Scoring
+@cindex scoring
-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.
+Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
+scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
+something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
+attention!
-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.
+@vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
+All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
+which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
+interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
-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.
+Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
+before generating the summary buffer.
-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.
+There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
+entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
+lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
-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.
+There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
+Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
+temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
+silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
-@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.)
+@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.
+@end menu
-So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
-your @file{.gnus} file:
-@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
-@lisp
-(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
-@end lisp
+@node Summary Score Commands
+@section Summary Score Commands
+@cindex score commands
-@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.
+The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
+score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
+previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
+@dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
+entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
-@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.
+The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
+if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
+some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
+score file the current one.
-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.
+General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
+@table @kbd
-@node NoCeM
-@section NoCeM
-@cindex nocem
-@cindex spam
+@item V s
+@kindex V s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-set-score
+Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
-@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
-Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
+@item V S
+@kindex V S (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-current-score
+Display the score of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
-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.
+@item V t
+@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}).
-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.
+@item V R
+@kindex V R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-rescore
+Run the current summary through the scoring process
+(@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
+around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
+effect you're having.
-Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
-this will make spam disappear.
+@item V c
+@kindex V c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-change-score-file
+Make a different score file the current
+(@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
-There are some variables to customize, of course:
+@item V e
+@kindex V e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
+Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
+You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
+File Editing}).
-@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 V f
+@kindex V f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-file
+Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
-@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")}.
+@item V F
+@kindex V F (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
+after editing score files.
-@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"
-"rbraver@@ohww.norman.ok.us" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
-"jem@@xpat.com" "snowhare@@xmission.com" "red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us
-(Richard E. Depew)")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
+@item V C
+@kindex V C (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-customize
+Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
+(@code{gnus-score-customize}).
+
+@end table
-Known despammers that you can put in this list include:
+The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
-@table @samp
-@item clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca;
-@cindex Chris Lewis
-Chris Lewis---Major Canadian despammer who has probably canceled more
-usenet abuse than anybody else.
-
-@item Automoose-1
-@cindex CancelMoose[tm]
-The CancelMoose[tm] on autopilot. The CancelMoose[tm] is reputed to be
-Norwegian, and was the person(s) who invented NoCeM.
-
-@item jem@@xpat.com;
-@cindex Jem
-John Milburn---despammer located in Korea who is getting very busy these
-days.
+@table @kbd
+
+@item V m
+@kindex V m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
+Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
+read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
-@item red@@redpoll.mrfs.oh.us (Richard E. Depew)
-Richard E. Depew---lone American despammer. He mostly cancels binary
-postings to non-binary groups and removes spews (regurgitated articles).
+@item V x
+@kindex V x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
+Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
+expunge all articles below this score
+(@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
@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
-@var{(issuer conditions ...)} elements in the list. Each condition is
-either a string (which is a regexp that matches types you want to use)
-or a list on the form @code{(not STRING)}, where @var{string} is a
-regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
+The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
+pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
+them.)
-For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
-@samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
+@findex gnus-summary-increase-score
+@findex gnus-summary-lower-score
-@lisp
-("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
-@end lisp
+@enumerate
+@item
+The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
+or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
+@item
+The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
+keys are available:
+@table @kbd
-On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
-@samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
+@item a
+Score on the author name.
-@lisp
-("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
-@end lisp
+@item s
+Score on the subject line.
-The specs are applied left-to-right.
+@item x
+Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
+@item r
+Score on the @code{References} line.
-@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}.
+@item d
+Score on the date.
-If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
-not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
+@item l
+Score on the number of lines.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
+@item i
+Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
-(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
- (not (eq 'forged
- (ignore-errors
- (if (mc-verify)
- t
- 'forged)))))
-@end lisp
+@item f
+Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
+the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
+@file{ADAPT} files.)
-This might be dangerous, though.
+@item b
+Score on the body.
-@item gnus-nocem-directory
-@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
-This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
-@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
+@item h
+Score on the head.
-@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.
+@item t
+Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
@end table
-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}).
+@item
+The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
+what headers you are scoring on.
+@table @code
-@node Undo
-@section Undo
-@cindex undo
+@item strings
-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.
+@table @kbd
-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.
+@item e
+Exact matching.
-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.
+@item s
+Substring matching.
-@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
-command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
-command.
+@item f
+Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
+@item r
+Regexp matching
+@end table
-@node Moderation
-@section Moderation
-@cindex moderation
+@item date
+@table @kbd
-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.
+@item b
+Before date.
-The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
-buffers. Put
+@item a
+After date.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
-@end lisp
+@item n
+This date.
+@end table
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
+@item number
+@table @kbd
-If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
-supposed to work:
+@item <
+Less than number.
-@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}.
+@item =
+Equal to number.
-@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.
+@item >
+Greater than number.
+@end table
+@end table
@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
+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.
+@table @kbd
-To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
+@item t
+Temporary score entry.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-moderated-list
- "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
-@end lisp
+@item p
+Permanent score entry.
+@item i
+Immediately scoring.
+@end table
-@node XEmacs Enhancements
-@section XEmacs Enhancements
-@cindex XEmacs
+@end enumerate
-XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
-advantage of that.
+So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
+exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
+score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
+temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
-@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
+To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
+a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
+defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
+``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
+t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
+These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
+(@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
+(or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
+says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
+current score file.
-@node Picons
-@subsection Picons
+@vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
+The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
+pretend they are keymaps or not.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{picons}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
-So... 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.
+@node Group Score Commands
+@section Group Score Commands
+@cindex group score commands
-@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
+There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
+@table @kbd
-@node Picon Basics
-@subsubsection Picon Basics
+@item W f
+@kindex W f (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
+Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
+all the time. This command will flush the cache
+(@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
-What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
+@end table
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
-@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
+@findex gnus-batch-score
+@cindex batch scoring
+@example
+$ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
+@end example
-@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 @*
-@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
-@vindex gnus-picons-database
-Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
-obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
-@file{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
-picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
-@code{gnus-picons-database}.
+@node Score Variables
+@section Score Variables
+@cindex score variables
+@table @code
-@node Picon Requirements
-@subsubsection Picon Requirements
+@item gnus-use-scoring
+@vindex gnus-use-scoring
+If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
+general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
-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.
+@item gnus-kill-killed
+@vindex gnus-kill-killed
+If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
+articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
+may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
+to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
+group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
+variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
-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.
+@item gnus-kill-files-directory
+@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
+All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
+initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
+This is @file{~/News/} by default.
-@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.
+@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.)
+@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
+@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
+be cached.
-@node Easy Picons
-@subsubsection Easy Picons
+@item gnus-save-score
+@vindex gnus-save-score
+If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
+scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
+Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
-To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
-@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
+If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
+with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
+across group visits.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-picons t)
-(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+@vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
+Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
+score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
+ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
+We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
+manually entered data.
-and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
-containing the Picons databases.
+@item gnus-summary-default-score
+@vindex gnus-summary-default-score
+Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
-Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
+@item gnus-summary-expunge-below
+@vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
+Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
+this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
+articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
+and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
- "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-score-over-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-over-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
+default. Default is @samp{+}.
+@item gnus-score-below-mark
+@vindex gnus-score-below-mark
+Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
+default. Default is @samp{-}.
-@node Hard Picons
-@subsubsection Hard Picons
+@item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+@vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
+Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
+is called with the name of the group as the argument.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+Predefined functions available are:
+@table @code
-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.
-
-@table @code
+@item gnus-score-find-single
+@findex gnus-score-find-single
+Only apply the group's own score file.
-@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-score-find-bnews
+@findex gnus-score-find-bnews
+Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
+default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
+@file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
+@file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
+@samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
+then a regexp match is done.
-@item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
-engine is @file{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}.
+This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
+all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
-@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}.
+The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
+try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
+files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
+file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
-@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.
+@item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+@findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
+Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
+can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
+@file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
+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.
+
+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)
+@end example
-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.
+@item gnus-score-expiry-days
+@vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
+This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
+entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
+are expired. It's 7 by default.
-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.
+@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.
-@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.
+@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
+Function called with the name of the score file just written.
-@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-picons
-Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
+@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
+@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
+for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
+threading---according to the current value of
+gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
+@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
+simplified in this manner.
@end table
+@node Score File Format
+@section Score File Format
+@cindex score file format
-@node Picon Useless Configuration
-@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
+A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
+single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
+everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
-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.
+@lisp
+(("from"
+ ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
+ ("Per Abrahamsen")
+ ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
+ ("subject"
+ ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
+ ("xref"
+ ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
+ ("lines"
+ (2 -100 nil <))
+ (mark 0)
+ (expunge -1000)
+ (mark-and-expunge -10)
+ (read-only nil)
+ (orphan -10)
+ (adapt t)
+ (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
+ (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
+ (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
+ (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
+ (eval (ding)))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
+approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
-@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.
+Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
+@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
+has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
-@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.
+Six keys are supported by this alist:
-@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.
+@table @code
-@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 STRING
+If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
+match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
+@code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
+@code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
+these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
+article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
+will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
+perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
+perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
+last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
+final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
+entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
+to articles that matches these score entries.
-@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))}.
+Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
+score entry has one to four elements.
+@enumerate
-@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
+The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
+be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
+integer.
-@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
+If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
+element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
+interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
+is successful. If this element is not present, the
+@code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
+instead. This is 1000 by default.
-@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
+If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
+element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
+which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
+element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
+represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
-@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.
+@item
+If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
+element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
+whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
+be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
+@table @dfn
-@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
-@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
-Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+@item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
+For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
+well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
+@code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
+element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
+be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
+that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
+one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
+@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
+instead, if you feel like.
-@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'.
+@item Lines, Chars
+These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
+@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
-If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
-@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the defailt.
+These predicates are true if
-@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}.
+@example
+(PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
+@end example
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
+@code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
+following form:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(< header-value 4)
+@end lisp
-@node Smileys
-@subsection Smileys
-@cindex smileys
+Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
+the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
+(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
+it's not. I think.)
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
-\input{smiley}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (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.
-@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
-currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
+@item Date
+For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
+@code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
+ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
+this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
+Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
+sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
+quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
-In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
+@cindex ISO8601
+@cindex date
+A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
+date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
+ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
+you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
+every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
+for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
+this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
+the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
+whole family, eh?)
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-treat-display-smiley t)
-@end lisp
+@item Head, Body, All
+These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
+header uses.
-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.
+@item Followup
+This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
+@code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
+articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
+you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
+decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
+trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
+uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
-@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).
+@item Thread
+This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
+key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
+article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
+match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
+has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
+matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
+This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
+even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
+@code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
+undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
+key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
+@end table
+@end enumerate
-The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
-which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
+@cindex Score File Atoms
+@item mark
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read.
-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.
+@item expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
-The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
-files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
+@item mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
+lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
+summary buffer.
-@table @code
+@item thread-mark-and-expunge
+The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
+a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
+and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
+says how to compute the total score for a thread.
-@item smiley-data-directory
-@vindex smiley-data-directory
-Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
+@item files
+The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
+are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
+this one was.
-@item smiley-flesh-color
-@vindex smiley-flesh-color
-Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
+@item exclude-files
+The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
+not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
+other.
-@item smiley-features-color
-@vindex smiley-features-color
-Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@item eval
+The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
+ignored when handling global score files.
-@item smiley-tongue-color
-@vindex smiley-tongue-color
-Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
+@item read-only
+Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
+should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
+@dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
+apply-to-all-groups score files.)
-@item smiley-circle-color
-@vindex smiley-circle-color
-Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@item orphan
+The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
+parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
+some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
+will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
-@item smiley-mouse-face
-@vindex smiley-mouse-face
-Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
+You can do this with the following two score file entries:
+
+@example
+ (orphan -500)
+ (mark-and-expunge -100)
+@end example
+
+When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
+threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
+interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
+rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
+interesting threads, plus any new threads.
+
+I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
+interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
+scoring rules exist.
+
+@item adapt
+This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
+default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
+adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
+list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
+or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
+adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
+scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
+not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
+groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
+insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
+it.
+@item adapt-file
+All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
+will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
+if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
+file for a number of groups.
+
+@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.
@end table
-@node Toolbar
-@subsection Toolbar
+@node Score File Editing
+@section Score File Editing
-@table @code
+You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
+might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
+with a mode for that.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
+additional commands:
-@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}.
+@table @kbd
-@item gnus-group-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
-The toolbar in the group buffer.
+@item C-c C-c
+@kindex C-c C-c (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-done
+Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
-@item gnus-summary-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
-The toolbar in the summary buffer.
+@item C-c C-d
+@kindex C-c C-d (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
+Insert the current date in numerical format
+(@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
+you were wondering.
-@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
-@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
-The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
+@item C-c C-p
+@kindex C-c C-p (Score)
+@findex gnus-score-pretty-print
+The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
+intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
+first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
+you.
@end table
+Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
-@node XVarious
-@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
+@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
-@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.
+In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
+e} to begin editing score files.
-@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.
-@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}.
+@node Adaptive Scoring
+@section Adaptive Scoring
+@cindex adaptive scoring
-@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.
+If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
+happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
+stupidity, to be precise.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
+When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
+article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
+these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
+You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
+@code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
+words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
+@code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
+variable to @code{(word line)}.
-@end table
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
+the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
+might look something like this:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
+ '((gnus-unread-mark)
+ (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
+ (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
+ (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
+ (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
+ (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
+ (gnus-kill-file-mark)
+ (gnus-ancient-mark)
+ (gnus-low-score-mark)
+ (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
+@end lisp
+As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
+variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
+a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
+pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
+that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
+@code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
+entries.
+Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
+will be applied to each article.
-@node Fuzzy Matching
-@section Fuzzy Matching
-@cindex fuzzy matching
+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
+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.
-Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
-things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
+If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
+@code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
+That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
+should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
-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.
+If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
+the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
+probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
+adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
-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.
+The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
+@code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
+@code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
+@code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
+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.)
-@node Thwarting Email Spam
-@section Thwarting Email Spam
-@cindex email spam
-@cindex spam
-@cindex UCE
-@cindex unsolicited commercial email
+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.
-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.
+After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
+become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
+the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
-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.
+You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
+by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
+let you use different rules in different groups.
-This is annoying.
+@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}.
-The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
-@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
+@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
+When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
+give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
+matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
+the length of the match is less than
+@code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
+this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
+this problem.
-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
-sysadm whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
-part of the mail address.)
+@vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
+headers. If you adapt on words, the
+@code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
+each instance of a word should add given a mark.
@lisp
-(setq message-default-news-headers
- "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
+(setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
+ `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
+ (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
+ (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
+ (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
@end lisp
-Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
-(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
-
-@lisp
-(
- ...
- (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
- (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
- ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
- "spam"))
- ...
-)
-@end lisp
+This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
+word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
+@code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
+score with 30 points.
-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.)
+@vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
+@vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
+Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
+will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
+@code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
-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:
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
+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}.
-@lisp
-(
- ...
- (to "larsi" "misc")
- "spam")
-@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
+When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
+syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
+it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
-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.
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
+word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
+below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
-If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
-automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
-at @* @file{<URL:http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html>}.
-Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
-cosmic balance somewhat.
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
+If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
+won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
+for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
+lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
-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.
+After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
+@code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
+what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
+Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
+likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
+that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
+rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
-@node Various Various
-@section Various Various
-@cindex mode lines
-@cindex highlights
-@table @code
+@node Home Score File
+@section Home Score File
-@item gnus-home-directory
-All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
-defaults to @file{~/}.
+The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
+@dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
+for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
-@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.
+However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
+a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
+could perhaps use the same home score file.
-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
-variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
-@file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
+@vindex gnus-home-score-file
+The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
+be:
-@item gnus-default-directory
-@vindex gnus-default-directory
-Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
-default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
-like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
-default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
-default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
-buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
+@enumerate
+@item
+A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
+groups.
-@item gnus-verbose
-@vindex gnus-verbose
-This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
-the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
-will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
-most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
-shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
+@item
+A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
+file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
+parameter.
-@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.
+@item
+A list. The elements in this list can be:
-@item nnheader-max-head-length
-@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
-When the backends 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
-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,
-but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
-@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
+@enumerate
+@item
+@code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
+group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
-@item nnheader-head-chop-length
-@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
-This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
-read when doing the operation described above.
+@item
+A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
+the home score file.
-@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
-@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
-@cindex file names
-@cindex invalid characters in file names
-@cindex characters in file names
-This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
-For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
-on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
+@item
+A string. Use the string as the home score file.
+@end enumerate
+
+The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
+for matches.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
@lisp
-(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
- '((?: . ?_)))
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
@end lisp
-In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
-Windows (phooey) systems.
-
-@item gnus-hidden-properties
-@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
-This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
-@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
-makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
+If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
+@file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
-@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
-@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
-A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
-gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
-some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
+@findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-shell-command-separator
-@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
-String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
+This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
+Other functions include
+@table @code
+@item gnus-current-home-score-file
+@findex gnus-current-home-score-file
+Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
+commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
@end table
+If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
+another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
+their own home score files:
-@node The End
-@chapter The End
-
-Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
-touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-home-score-file
+ ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
+ '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
+ ;; All the comp groups in one score file
+ ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
+@end lisp
-My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+@vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
+@code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
+is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
+specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
-Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
+@code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
+precedence over this variable.
-@quotation
-@strong{Te Deum}
-@sp 1
-Not because of victories @*
-I sing,@*
-having none,@*
-but for the common sunshine,@*
-the breeze,@*
-the largess of the spring.
+@node Followups To Yourself
+@section Followups To Yourself
-@sp 1
-Not for victory@*
-but for the day's work done@*
-as well as I was able;@*
-not for a seat upon the dais@*
-but at the common table.@*
-@end quotation
+Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
+the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
+this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
+articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
+respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
+to easily note when people answer what you've said.
+@table @code
-@node Appendices
-@chapter Appendices
+@item gnus-score-followup-article
+@findex gnus-score-followup-article
+This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
+article.
-@menu
-* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
-* 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.
-@end menu
+@item gnus-score-followup-thread
+@findex gnus-score-followup-thread
+This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
+your own article.
+@end table
+@vindex message-sent-hook
+These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
+@code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
+@end lisp
-@node History
-@section History
-@cindex history
-@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
-'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
+the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
+mine:
-If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage, you
-can point your (feh!) web browser to
-@file{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/}. This is also the primary
-distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is known
-as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+@example
+<x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+<x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
+@end example
-During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
-called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
-@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
-(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
-pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
-appropriate name, don't you think?)
+So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
+exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
+myself:
-In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
-spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
-renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
-``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+@lisp
+("references"
+ ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
+ 1000 nil r))
+@end lisp
-The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
-was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
-plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
+Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
+is system-dependent.
-In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
-releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
-On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
-January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
+@node Scoring Tips
+@section Scoring Tips
+@cindex scoring tips
-On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37
-releases. If was released as ``Gnus 5.6 on March 8th 1998.
+@table @dfn
-If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
-``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
-don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
-Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
-out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
-to that instead.
+@item Crossposts
+@cindex crossposts
+@cindex scoring crossposts
+If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
+the @code{Xref} header.
+@lisp
+("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
+@end lisp
-@menu
-* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
-* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
-* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
-* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
-* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
-* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
-* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
-* Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
-@end menu
+@item Multiple crossposts
+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))
+@end lisp
+@item Matching on the body
+This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
+Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
+you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
+keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
+and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
+will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
+@code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
+the matches.
-@node Why?
-@subsection Why?
+@item Marking as read
+You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
+number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
+in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
+@lisp
+((mark -100))
+@end lisp
+You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
-What's the point of Gnus?
-
-I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
-newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
-original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
-me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
-Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
-volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
-newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
-newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
-keep track of millions of people who post?
-
-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
-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.
+@item Negated character classes
+If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
+That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
+@code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
+@end table
-May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
-@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
+@node Reverse Scoring
+@section Reverse Scoring
+@cindex reverse scoring
-@node Compatibility
-@subsection Compatibility
+If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
+subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
+like this in your score file:
-@cindex compatibility
-Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
-bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
-but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
+@lisp
+(("subject"
+ ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
+ (mark 1)
+ (expunge 1))
+@end lisp
-Our motto is:
-@quotation
-@cartouche
-@center In a cloud bones of steel.
-@end cartouche
-@end quotation
+So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
+rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
-All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
-their names.
-The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
-Articles}.
+@node Global Score Files
+@section Global Score Files
+@cindex global score files
-One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
-buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
-buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
-important variables have their values copied into their global
-counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
-change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
+Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
+nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
+in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
-All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
-fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
-changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
-maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
-speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
-peculiar results.
+What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
+all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
+big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
-@cindex hilit19
-@cindex highlighting
-Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
-remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
-(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
-Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
-faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
-by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
-Away!
+@vindex gnus-global-score-files
+All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
+@code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
+or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
+files are applicable to which group.
-Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
-fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
-code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
-does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
+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,
+say this:
-Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
-new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
-doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
-to stop doing it the old way.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-global-score-files
+ '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
+ "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
+@end lisp
-Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+@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
+use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
-@kindex M-x gnus-bug
-@findex gnus-bug
-@cindex reporting bugs
-@cindex bugs
-Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
-@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
-please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
+Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
+somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
-@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
-If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
-may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
-@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
-up at you.
+If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
+just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
+world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
+wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
+sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
+premises! Yay! The net is saved!
+Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
+head:
-@node Conformity
-@subsection Conformity
+@itemize @bullet
-No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
-to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
-with, of course.
+@item
+Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
+@item
+To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
+@item
+Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
+@item
+Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
+lowered out of existence.
+@item
+Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
+articles completely.
-@table @strong
+@item
+Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
+should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
+old articles for a long time.
+@end itemize
-@item RFC 822
-@cindex RFC 822
-There are no known breaches of this standard.
+... 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?
-@item RFC 1036
-@cindex RFC 1036
-There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
-@item Son-of-RFC 1036
-@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
-We do have some breaches to this one.
+@node Kill Files
+@section Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
-@table @emph
+Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
+entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
+Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
-@item X-Newsreader
-@itemx User-Agent
-These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
-to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
-articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
-either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
-it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
-@end table
+In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
+than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
+files into score files.
-@item USEFOR
-@cindex USEFOR
-USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
-on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
-various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
-look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
+Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
+forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
+sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
+that isn't a very good idea.
-@end table
+Normal kill files look like this:
-If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
-mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
-know.
+@lisp
+(gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+(gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
+(gnus-expunge "X")
+@end lisp
+This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
+marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
-@node Emacsen
-@subsection Emacsen
-@cindex Emacsen
-@cindex XEmacs
-@cindex Mule
-@cindex Emacs
+Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
+encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
+interpreting it.
-Gnus should work on :
+Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
-@itemize @bullet
+@table @kbd
-@item
-Emacs 20.3 and up.
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
-@item
-XEmacs 20.4 and up.
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
-@end itemize
+Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
-This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
-that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
-Emacs versions.
+@table @kbd
-There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
-platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
-other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
-Emacsen.
+@item M-k
+@kindex M-k (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
+Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
+@item M-K
+@kindex M-K (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
+Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
+@end table
-@node Gnus Development
-@subsection Gnus Development
+Kill file variables:
-Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
-discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
-propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
-phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
-phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
-circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
-unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
-have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-kill-file-name
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-name
+A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
+@file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
+this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
+The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
+course) is just called @file{KILL}.
-After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
-@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
-and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
-supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+@vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+@item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
+kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
+kills.
-@cindex Incoming*
-@vindex nnmail-delete-incoming
-Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
-In particular, @code{nnmail-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
-alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
-lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+@item gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
+@findex gnus-apply-kill-file
+A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
+@code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
+kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
+hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
+kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
-The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
-newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
-having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
-can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
-importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
-introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
-introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
-either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
-usually keep up with these rapid changes, whille people on the newsgroup
-can't be assumed to do so.
+@item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
+A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
+@end table
-@node Contributors
-@subsection Contributors
-@cindex contributors
+@node Converting Kill Files
+@section Converting Kill Files
+@cindex kill files
+@cindex converting kill files
-The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
-people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
-gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
-every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
-tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
-type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
-work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
-off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
-Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
-``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
+If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
+score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
+the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
+by hand.
-I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
-wrong show.
+The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
+You can fetch it from
+@uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
-@itemize @bullet
+If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
+non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
+hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
+before.
-@item
-Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
-@item
-Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
-well as numerous other things).
+@node GroupLens
+@section GroupLens
+@cindex GroupLens
-@item
-Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
+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.
-@item
-Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
+To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
+articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
+likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
+article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
+rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
+Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
+of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
+prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
+article.
-@item
-Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el and many other things
-connected with @sc{mime} and other types of en/decoding.
+@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.
+@end menu
-@item
-Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
-@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
-@item
-Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
+@node Using GroupLens
+@subsection Using GroupLens
-@item
-Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
-(@pxref{GroupLens}).
+To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
+Bit Bureau (BBB).
+@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
+better bit in town at the moment.
-@item
-Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
+Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
-@item
-Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
+@table @code
-@item
-Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+@item gnus-use-grouplens
+@vindex gnus-use-grouplens
+Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
+all the relevant GroupLens functions.
-@item
-Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
+@item grouplens-pseudonym
+@vindex grouplens-pseudonym
+This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
+with the Better Bit Bureau.
-@item
-Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
-distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
+@item grouplens-newsgroups
+@vindex grouplens-newsgroups
+A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
-@item
-Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
+@end table
-@item
-Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
+That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
+Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
+articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
+the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
+yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
+you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
-@item
-Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
-@item
-Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
-.newsrc files.
+@node Rating Articles
+@subsection Rating Articles
-@item
-Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
+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?"
-@item
-David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
+There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
-@item
-Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
+@table @kbd
-@item
-François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
-well as autoconf support.
+@item r
+@kindex r (GroupLens)
+@findex bbb-summary-rate-article
+This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
-@end itemize
+@item k
+@kindex k (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-score-thread
+This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
+the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
+threads in rec.humor.
-This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
-Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
+@end table
-The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
+The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
+the score of the article you're reading.
-Christopher Davis,
-Andrew Eskilsson,
-Kai Grossjohann,
-David Kågedal,
-Richard Pieri,
-Fabrice Popineau,
-Daniel Quinlan,
-Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
-and
-Jack Vinson.
+@table @kbd
-Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
+@item 1-5 n
+@kindex n (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-next-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
-Jari Aalto,
-Adrian Aichner,
-Vladimir Alexiev,
-Russ Allbery,
-Peter Arius,
-Matt Armstrong,
-Marc Auslander,
-Miles Bader,
-Frank Bennett,
-Robert Bihlmeyer,
-Chris Bone,
-Mark Borges,
-Mark Boyns,
-Lance A. Brown,
-Kees de Bruin,
-Martin Buchholz,
-Joe Buehler,
-Kevin Buhr,
-Alastair Burt,
-Joao Cachopo,
-Zlatko Calusic,
-Massimo Campostrini,
-Castor,
-David Charlap,
-Dan Christensen,
-Kevin Christian,
-Michael R. Cook,
-Glenn Coombs,
-Frank D. Cringle,
-Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
-Andre Deparade,
-Ulrik Dickow,
-Dave Disser,
-Rui-Tao Dong, @c ?
-Joev Dubach,
-Michael Welsh Duggan,
-Dave Edmondson,
-Paul Eggert,
-Karl Eichwalder,
-Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
-Michael Ernst,
-Luc Van Eycken,
-Sam Falkner,
-Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
-Sigbjorn Finne,
-Paul Fisher,
-Decklin Foster,
-Gary D. Foster,
-Paul Franklin,
-Guy Geens,
-Arne Georg Gleditsch,
-David S. Goldberg,
-Michelangelo Grigni,
-Dale Hagglund,
-D. Hall,
-Magnus Hammerin,
-Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
-Raja R. Harinath,
-Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
-P. E. Jareth Hein,
-Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
-Marc Horowitz,
-Gunnar Horrigmo,
-Richard Hoskins,
-Brad Howes,
-François Felix Ingrand,
-Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
-Lee Iverson,
-Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
-Rajappa Iyer,
-Andreas Jaeger,
-Randell Jesup,
-Fred Johansen,
-Gareth Jones,
-Simon Josefsson,
-Greg Klanderman,
-Karl Kleinpaste,
-Peter Skov Knudsen,
-Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
-Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
-Thor Kristoffersen,
-Jens Lautenbacher,
-Martin Larose,
-Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
-Joerg Lenneis,
-Carsten Leonhardt,
-James LewisMoss,
-Christian Limpach,
-Markus Linnala,
-Dave Love,
-Mike McEwan,
-Tonny Madsen,
-Shlomo Mahlab,
-Nat Makarevitch,
-Istvan Marko,
-David Martin,
-Jason R. Mastaler,
-Gordon Matzigkeit,
-Timo Metzemakers,
-Richard Mlynarik,
-Lantz Moore,
-Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
-Erik Toubro Nielsen,
-Hrvoje Niksic,
-Andy Norman,
-Fred Oberhauser,
-C. R. Oldham,
-Alexandre Oliva,
-Ken Olstad,
-Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
-Hideki Ono, @c Ono
-William Perry,
-Stephen Peters,
-Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
-Ulrich Pfeifer,
-Matt Pharr,
-Andy Piper,
-John McClary Prevost,
-Bill Pringlemeir,
-Mike Pullen,
-Jim Radford,
-Colin Rafferty,
-Lasse Rasinen,
-Lars Balker Rasmussen,
-Joe Reiss,
-Renaud Rioboo,
-Roland B. Roberts,
-Bart Robinson,
-Christian von Roques,
-Markus Rost,
-Jason Rumney,
-Wolfgang Rupprecht,
-Jay Sachs,
-Dewey M. Sasser,
-Conrad Sauerwald,
-Loren Schall,
-Dan Schmidt,
-Ralph Schleicher,
-Philippe Schnoebelen,
-Andreas Schwab,
-Randal L. Schwartz,
-Justin Sheehy,
-Danny Siu,
-Matt Simmons,
-Paul D. Smith,
-Jeff Sparkes,
-Toby Speight,
-Michael Sperber,
-Darren Stalder,
-Richard Stallman,
-Greg Stark,
-Sam Steingold,
-Jonas Steverud,
-Paul Stodghill,
-Kurt Swanson,
-Samuel Tardieu,
-Teddy,
-Chuck Thompson,
-Philippe Troin,
-James Troup,
-Trung Tran-Duc,
-Aaron M. Ucko,
-Aki Vehtari,
-Didier Verna,
-Jan Vroonhof,
-Stefan Waldherr,
-Pete Ware,
-Barry A. Warsaw,
-Christoph Wedler,
-Joe Wells,
-Lee Willis,
-Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
-and
-Lloyd Zusman.
+@item 1-5 ,
+@kindex , (GroupLens)
+@findex grouplens-best-unread-article
+Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
+
+@end table
+
+If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
+next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
+
+
+@node Displaying Predictions
+@subsection Displaying Predictions
+
+GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
+news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
+5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
+from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
+
+@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
+There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
+choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
+regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
+people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
+the separate scoring behavior you need to set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
+GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
+@code{'override} and to combine the scores set
+@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
+the combine option you will also want to set the values for
+@code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
+@code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
+
+@vindex grouplens-prediction-display
+In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
+to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
+controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
+
+The following are valid values for that variable.
+
+@table @code
+@item prediction-spot
+The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
+displayed.
+
+@item confidence-interval
+A numeric confidence interval.
+
+@item prediction-bar
+The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
+
+@item confidence-bar
+Numerical confidence.
+
+@item confidence-spot
+The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
+
+@item prediction-num
+Plain-old numeric value.
+
+@item confidence-plus-minus
+Prediction +/- confidence.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node GroupLens Variables
+@subsection GroupLens Variables
+
+@table @code
+
+@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%]%)
+%s\n}.
+
+@item grouplens-bbb-host
+Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
+default.
+
+@item grouplens-bbb-port
+Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
+
+@item grouplens-score-offset
+Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
+prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
+default is 0.
+
+@item grouplens-score-scale-factor
+This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
+The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring
+@section Advanced Scoring
+
+Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
+really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
+about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
+read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
+want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
+
+By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
+scoring patterns.
+
+@menu
+* Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
+* Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
+* Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Syntax
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
+
+Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
+Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
+element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
+non-@code{nil} value.
+
+These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
+operator, and various match operators.
+
+Logical operators:
+
+@table @code
+@item &
+@itemx and
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
+evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
+@code{true}.
+
+@item |
+@itemx or
+This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
+one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
+then this operator will return @code{false}.
+
+@item !
+@itemx not
+@itemx ¬
+This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
+logical negation of the value of its argument.
+
+@end table
+
+There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
+apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
+instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
+current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
+grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
+@code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
+the ancestry you want to go.
+
+Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
+real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
+and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
+"Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
+simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Examples
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+
+Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
+when he's talking about Gnus:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ ("subject" "Gnus"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+Quite simple, huh?
+
+When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (|
+ ("subject" "Gnus")
+ ("lines" 100 >)))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
+really don't want to read what he's written:
+
+@example
+((&
+ ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
+ (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
+ -100000)
+@end example
+
+Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
+socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
+white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
+very interesting:
+
+@example
+((&
+ (1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
+ ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
+ (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
+ ("body" "white.*socks"))
+ 1000)
+@end example
+
+The possibilities are endless.
+
+
+@node Advanced Scoring Tips
+@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
+
+The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
+That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
+result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
+of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
+the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
+(@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
+@samp{subject}) first.
+
+The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
+arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
+something like:
+
+@example
+...
+(1-
+ (1-
+ ("from" "lars")))
+...
+@end example
+
+Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
+current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+
+@example
+(1-
+ (&
+ ("from" "Lars")
+ ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+than it is to say:
+
+@example
+(&
+ (1- ("from" "Lars"))
+ (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
+@end example
+
+
+@node Score Decays
+@section Score Decays
+@cindex score decays
+@cindex decays
+
+You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
+bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
+big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
+use them in any sensible way.
+
+@vindex gnus-decay-scores
+@findex gnus-decay-score
+@vindex gnus-decay-score-function
+Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
+When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
+mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
+The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
+function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
+definition of that function:
+
+@lisp
+(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
+ "Decay SCORE.
+This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
+and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
+ (floor
+ (- score
+ (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
+ (min (abs score)
+ (max gnus-score-decay-constant
+ (* (abs score)
+ gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
+@vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
+@code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
+@code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
+
+@item
+Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
+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.
+
+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.
+
+
+@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.
+* 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
+
+
+@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 `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 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.
+
+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.
+@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.
+
+
+@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.
+@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.
+
+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. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
+when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
+will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
+@code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
+
+Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
+
+@lisp
+;; 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 Windows Configuration
+@section Windows Configuration
+@cindex windows configuration
+
+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
+
+@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
+
+@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:
+
+@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 Highlighting and Menus
+@section Highlighting and Menus
+@cindex visual
+@cindex highlighting
+@cindex menus
+
+@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.
+
+This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
+following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
+
+@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:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
+@end lisp
+
+If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
+@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:
+
+@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
+
+There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-article-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-group-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
+
+@item gnus-summary-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
+
+@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.
+
+@item gnus-score-menu-hook
+@vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
+Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
+
+@end table
+
+
+@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!
+
+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.
+
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+@vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
+Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-button-face
+@vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
+Face used on buttons.
+
+@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.
+
+@item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+@vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
+Buttons in the summary buffer.
+
+@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 Daemons
+@section Daemons
+@cindex demons
+@cindex daemons
+
+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.
+
+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:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
+@end lisp
+
+Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
+idle:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+@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.)
+
+So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
+your @file{.gnus} file:
+
+@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
+@lisp
+(gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
+@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.
+
+@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.
+
+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.
+
+
+@node NoCeM
+@section NoCeM
+@cindex nocem
+@cindex spam
+
+@dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
+Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
+this will make spam disappear.
+
+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")}.
+
+@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.
+
+Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
+@uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
+
+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:
+
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
+@end lisp
+
+On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
+@samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
+
+@lisp
+("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
+@end lisp
+
+The specs are applied left-to-right.
+
+
+@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}.
+
+If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
+not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
+
+(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
+ (not (eq 'forged
+ (ignore-errors
+ (if (mc-verify)
+ t
+ 'forged)))))
+@end lisp
+
+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/}.
+
+@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.
+
+@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.
+
+@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.
+
+@end table
+
+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}).
+
+
+@node Undo
+@section Undo
+@cindex undo
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+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.
+
+@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.
+
+
+@node Moderation
+@section Moderation
+@cindex moderation
+
+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.
+
+The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
+buffers. Put
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
+@end lisp
+
+in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
+
+If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
+supposed to work:
+
+@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}.
+
+@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.
+
+@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
+(setq gnus-moderated-list
+ "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node XEmacs Enhancements
+@section XEmacs Enhancements
+@cindex XEmacs
+
+XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
+advantage of that.
+
+@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
+
+
+@node Picons
+@subsection Picons
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\include{picons}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+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.
+
+@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
+
+
+@node Picon Basics
+@subsubsection Picon Basics
+
+What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+@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
+
+@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}.
+@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}.
-For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
-included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
-(550kB and counting).
-Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
-sure.
+@node Picon Requirements
+@subsubsection Picon Requirements
-Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
-actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
+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.
+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.
-@node New Features
-@subsection New Features
-@cindex new features
+@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.
-@menu
-* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
-* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
-* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
-@end menu
-These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
-@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
-Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
+@node Easy Picons
+@subsubsection Easy Picons
+To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
+@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
-@node ding Gnus
-@subsubsection (ding) Gnus
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-picons t)
+(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
+@end lisp
-New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
+and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
+containing the Picons databases.
-@itemize @bullet
+Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
-@item
-The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
-(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
+ "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
+@end lisp
-@item
-Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
-(@pxref{Select Methods}).
-@item
-You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
+@node Hard Picons
+@subsubsection Hard Picons
-@item
-You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
-All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
-(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item
-Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
-their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
-can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
-(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+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.
-@item
-Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
-them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+@table @code
-@item
-Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
-entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
-(@pxref{The Active File}).
+@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 implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
-(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+@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
-You can score articles according to any number of criteria
-(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
-articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+@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 maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
-manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
-read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+@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.
-@item
-Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
-the @file{.emacs} file.
+@end table
-@item
-You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
-operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+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.
-@item
-You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
-results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
+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.
-@item
-You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
-(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+@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.
-@item
-You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
-servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-picons
+Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
-@item
-Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
-server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+@end table
-@item
-You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
-@item
-The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
-@item
-You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
-of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+@node Picon Useless Configuration
+@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
-@item
-Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
-glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item
-Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+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.
-@item
-Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
-(@pxref{Document Groups}).
+@table @code
-@item
-Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
-Articles}).
+@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.
-@item
-URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
-Buttons}).
+@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.
-@item
-You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
-configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+@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.
-@item
-You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
-(@pxref{Buttons}).
+@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)}
-@end itemize
+@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.
+
+@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
+@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
+Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+
+@item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
+@vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
+Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
+has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
+If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
+@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
-@node September Gnus
-@subsubsection September Gnus
+@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}.
@iftex
@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
+\margindex{}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
+@end table
-@itemize @bullet
+@node Smileys
+@subsection Smileys
+@cindex smileys
-@item
-A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
-for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
-now obsolete.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
+\input{smiley}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item
-Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
-missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
-Threading}).
+@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
+currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
+
+In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
+@file{.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
+(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
@end lisp
-@item
-Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
-(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
-
-@item
-Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
-referred.
-
-@item
-Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
-
-@item
-Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
+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.
-@item
-A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
+@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).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-trees t)
-@end lisp
+The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
+which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
-@item
-An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
-buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
+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.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
-@end lisp
+The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
+files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
-@item
-In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
-Groups}).
+@table @code
-@item
-Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
-Topics}).
+@item smiley-data-directory
+@vindex smiley-data-directory
+Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
-@end lisp
+@item smiley-flesh-color
+@vindex smiley-flesh-color
+Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
-@item
-Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+@item smiley-features-color
+@vindex smiley-features-color
+Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
-@item
-Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
-is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
+@item smiley-tongue-color
+@vindex smiley-tongue-color
+Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
-@end lisp
+@item smiley-circle-color
+@vindex smiley-circle-color
+Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
-@item
-Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
-groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
+@item smiley-mouse-face
+@vindex smiley-mouse-face
+Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
-@item
-Caching is possible in virtual groups.
+@end table
-@item
-@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
-news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
-else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
-@item
-Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
-(@pxref{SOUP}).
+@node Toolbar
+@subsection Toolbar
-@item
-The Gnus cache is much faster.
+@table @code
-@item
-Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
-Groups}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\margindex{}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item
-New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
-expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+@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
-All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
-(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
+@item gnus-group-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
+The toolbar in the group buffer.
-@item
-There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
-marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+@item gnus-summary-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer.
-@item
-The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
-articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
-bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
+@item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+@vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
+The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
-@item
-Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
-(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
+@end table
-@item
-All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
-@item
-Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
+@node XVarious
+@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
-@item
-All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+@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.
-@item
-Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
+@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.
-@item
-All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
-buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
+@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}.
-@item
-Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
-Configuration}).
+@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
-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}}
+\margindex{}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@item
-Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-nocem t)
-@end lisp
-@item
-Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
-@end lisp
-@item
-Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
+@node Fuzzy Matching
+@section Fuzzy Matching
+@cindex fuzzy matching
-@item
-Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
+Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
+things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
-@item
-Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
-(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+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
-(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
- 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
-@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.
+
+
+@node Thwarting Email Spam
+@section Thwarting Email Spam
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
-@item
-Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
-refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
+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 gnus-keep-backlog 50)
-@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.
-@item
-A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
-buffer to allow easier treatment.
+This is annoying.
-@item
-Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
+The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
+@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
-@item
-Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
-Articles}).
+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.)
@lisp
-(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
+(setq message-default-news-headers
+ "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
@end lisp
-@item
-@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
-articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
+Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
@lisp
-(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
+ (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
+ ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
+ "spam"))
+ ...
+)
@end lisp
-@item
-Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
-(@pxref{Article Washing}).
+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.)
-@item
-Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
-cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+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:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
+(
+ ...
+ (to "larsi" "misc")
+ "spam")
@end lisp
-@item
-Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+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.
-@item
-Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
+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.
-@item
-Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
+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.
-@end itemize
+@node Various Various
+@section Various Various
+@cindex mode lines
+@cindex highlights
-@node Red Gnus
-@subsubsection Red Gnus
+@table @code
-New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
+@item gnus-home-directory
+All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
+defaults to @file{~/}.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@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.
-@itemize @bullet
+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
+variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
+@file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
-@item
-@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
+@item gnus-default-directory
+@vindex gnus-default-directory
+Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
+default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
+like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
+default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
+buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
-@item
-Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
-Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+@item gnus-verbose
+@vindex gnus-verbose
+This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
+the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
+will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
+most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
+shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
-@item
-Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
-@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
-Scoring}).
+@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.
-@item
-Article washing status can be displayed in the
-article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
+@item nnheader-max-head-length
+@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
+When the backends 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
+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,
+but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
-@item
-@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
+@item nnheader-head-chop-length
+@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
+This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
+read when doing the operation described above.
-@item
-Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
-(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
+@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@cindex file names
+@cindex invalid characters in file names
+@cindex characters in file names
+This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
+For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
+on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
+(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+ '((?: . ?_)))
@end lisp
-@item
-New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
-considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
-been added.
-
-@item
-@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
-Server Internals}).
-
-@item
-Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}).
+In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
+Windows (phooey) systems.
-@item
-Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
+@item gnus-hidden-properties
+@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
+This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
+@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
+makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
-@item
-Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
-(@pxref{Article Signature}).
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
+gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
+some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
-@item
-Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
-numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
-articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
+@item gnus-shell-command-separator
+@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
+String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
-@item
-Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
-another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+@item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
+@vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
-@item
-There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
-when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
+Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
+name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
+names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
+@samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
+group).
-@item
-Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
-(@pxref{Undo}).
+@sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
-@item
-Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
-(@pxref{Score File Format}).
-@item
-Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
-(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+@end table
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
-@end lisp
-@item
-Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
+@node The End
+@chapter The End
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-decay-scores t)
-@end lisp
+Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
+touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
-@item
-Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
-normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
+My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
-@item
-A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
-the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
-@item
-A new command for reading collections of documents
-(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
-(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
+@quotation
+@strong{Te Deum}
-@item
-Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
-Marks}).
+@sp 1
+Not because of victories @*
+I sing,@*
+having none,@*
+but for the common sunshine,@*
+the breeze,@*
+the largess of the spring.
-@item
-A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the NNTP
-server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
+@sp 1
+Not for victory@*
+but for the day's work done@*
+as well as I was able;@*
+not for a seat upon the dais@*
+but at the common table.@*
+@end quotation
-@item
-A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
-(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
-(@pxref{Web Searches}).
-@item
-Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
-functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
-Sorting}).
+@node Appendices
+@chapter Appendices
-@item
-Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
-Groups}).
+@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.
+@end menu
-@item
-Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
-Commands}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
-@item
-Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
-Variables}).
+@node History
+@section History
-@item
-Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
-Mail}).
+@cindex history
+@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
+'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
-@item
-More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
-mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
+If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
+you can point your (feh!) web browser to
+@uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
+distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
+known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
-@item
-Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
+During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
+called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
+@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
+(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
+pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
+appropriate name, don't you think?)
-@end itemize
+In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
+spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
+renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
+``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+@menu
+* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
+* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+@end menu
-@node Quassia Gnus
-@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
-New features in Gnus 5.6:
+@node Gnus Versions
+@subsection Gnus Versions
+@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
+@cindex ding Gnus
+@cindex September Gnus
+@cindex Quassia Gnus
-@itemize @bullet
+The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
+was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
+plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
-@item
-New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
-added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
-@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
+In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
+releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
-@item
- The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
-before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
-group, which is created automatically.
+On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
+January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
-@item
-@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
-values.
+On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
+If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
-@item
- @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
+Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
+``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
+1999.
-@item
- A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
-outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
+On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
-@item
- You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
-@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}.
+If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
+``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
+``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
+that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
+run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
+released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
-@item
- @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
-@item
- @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
-re-highlighting of the article buffer.
+@node Other Gnus Versions
+@subsection Other Gnus Versions
+@cindex Semi-gnus
-@item
- New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
+In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
+coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
+Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
+@sc{mime} capabilities.
-@item
- @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
-Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
+These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
+Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
+called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
+@sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
+Japanese users.
-@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.
-@item
- @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
-control over simplification.
+@node Why?
+@subsection Why?
-@item
- @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
+What's the point of Gnus?
-@item
- @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
-limit.
+I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
+newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
+original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
+me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
+Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
+volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
+newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
+newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
+keep track of millions of people who post?
-@item
- @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
+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
+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.
-@item
- @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
+@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
-@item
- The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
-If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
-rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
-@item
- Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
-@kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
+@node Compatibility
+@subsection Compatibility
-@item
- New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
-text---@kbd{W d}.
+@cindex compatibility
+Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
+bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
+but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
-@item
- For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
-@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
+Our motto is:
+@quotation
+@cartouche
+@center In a cloud bones of steel.
+@end cartouche
+@end quotation
-@item
- @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
-controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
+All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
+their names.
-@item
- A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
-has been added.
+The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
+Articles}.
-@item
- A history of where mails have been split is available.
+One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
+buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
+buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
+important variables have their values copied into their global
+counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
+change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
-@item
- A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
+All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
+fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
+changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
+maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
+speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
+peculiar results.
-@item
- Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
-@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
+@cindex hilit19
+@cindex highlighting
+Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
+remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
+(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
+Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
+faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
+by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
+Away!
-@item
- A new function for citing in Message has been
-added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
+Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
+fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
+code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
+does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
-@item
- @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
+Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
+new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
+doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
+to stop doing it the old way.
-@item
- A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
-been added.
+Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-bug
+@findex gnus-bug
+@cindex reporting bugs
+@cindex bugs
+Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
+@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
+please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
-@item
- A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
-@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
+@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
+If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
+may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
+@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
+up at you.
-@item
- 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.
+@node Conformity
+@subsection Conformity
-@item
- Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
+No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
+to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
+with, of course.
-@end itemize
+@table @strong
+@item RFC 822
+@cindex RFC 822
+There are no known breaches of this standard.
-@node Newest Features
-@subsection Newest Features
-@cindex todo
+@item RFC 1036
+@cindex RFC 1036
+There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
-Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
-next millennium.
+@item Son-of-RFC 1036
+@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
+We do have some breaches to this one.
-Be afraid. Be very afraid.
+@table @emph
-(That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
-decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
-interesting.)
+@item X-Newsreader
+@itemx User-Agent
+These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
+to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
+articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
+either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
+it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
+@end table
-(Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
+@item USEFOR
+@cindex USEFOR
+USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
+on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
+various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
+look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
-@itemize @bullet
+@end table
-@item
- I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
-latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
+If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
+mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
+know.
-@item
- A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
-@item
- http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/
+@node Emacsen
+@subsection Emacsen
+@cindex Emacsen
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Mule
+@cindex Emacs
-@item
- facep is not declared.
+Gnus should work on :
-@item
- Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
-isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
+@itemize @bullet
@item
- Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
+Emacs 20.3 and up.
@item
-@example
- Hypermail:
-<URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
-<URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
-<URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
-<URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
-http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
-<URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
-http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
+XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
-@end example
+@end itemize
-@item
-@samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
+This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
+that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
+Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
+19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
+See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
-@item
- gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
+There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
+platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
+other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
+Emacsen.
-@item
- when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
-@item
- starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
-NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
-@item
- nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
-@item
- FAQ doesn't have an up node?
-@item
- when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
-the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
-@item
- `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
-@item
- nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
-be marked as unread.
-@item
- Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
-@item
- when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
-@item
- rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
-to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
-@item
- expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
-@item
- implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
-@item
- ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
-stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
-@item
- topics that contain just groups with ticked
-articles aren't displayed.
-@item
- nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
-@item
- If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
-make the mail groups killed.
-@item
- no "no news is good news" when using topics.
-@item
- when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
-and articles have to be removed.
-@item
- nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
-parts.
-@item
- scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
-@item
- finding short score file names takes forever.
-@item
- canceling articles in foreign groups.
-@item
- nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
-@item
- C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
-@item
- move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
-@item
- nnweb doesn't work properly.
-@item
- using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
-@item
- when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
-master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
-Perhaps.
-@item
- warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
-@item
- take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
-bar and the Gnus bar.
-@item
-@example
- push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
-`(canonize-message-id id)'
-`(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
-`(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
-`(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
-`(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
+@node Gnus Development
+@subsection Gnus Development
-@end example
+Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
+discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
+propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
+phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
+phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
+circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
+unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
+have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+
+After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
+@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
+and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
+supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+
+@cindex Incoming*
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
+In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
+alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
+lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+
+The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
+newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
+having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
+can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
+importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
+introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
+introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
+either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
+usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
+can't be assumed to do so.
+
+
+
+@node Contributors
+@subsection Contributors
+@cindex contributors
+
+The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
+people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
+gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
+every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
+tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
+type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
+work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
+off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
+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,
+wrong show.
+
+@itemize @bullet
@item
- nnml .overview directory with splits.
-@item
- asynchronous cache
-@item
- postponed commands.
-@item
- the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
-@item
- when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
-the server?
-@item
- sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
-headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
-@item
- nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
-inherit copy prompts and save files.
-@item
- command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
-@item
- allow editing the group description from the group buffer
-for backends that support that.
-@item
-gnus-hide,show-all-topics
-@item
- groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
-and not just list all subtopics at the end.
-@item
- a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
-threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
-@item
- a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
-@item
- a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
-@item
- add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
-@item
- server mode command: close/open all connections
-@item
- put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
-has been changed before using it.
-@item
- on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
-@item
- hide (sub)threads with low score.
-@item
- when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
-@item
- gnus-summary-limit-to-body
-@item
- a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
-on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
-@item
- easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
-contain groups that match a regexp.
-@item
- allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
-the URL.
-@item
- If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
-"From " line.
-@item
- fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
-from subject lines.
-@item
- gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
-@item
- nntp-ping-before-connect
-@item
- command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
-@item
- when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
-files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
-@item
- message annotations.
-@item
- topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
-@item
- (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
-to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
-@item
- allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
-are in the cache.
-@item
- AUTHINFO GENERIC
-@item
- support qmail maildir spools
-@item
- `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
-@item
- stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
-@item
- C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
-@item
- go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
-next group instead of going to the group buffer.
-@item
- gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
-@item
- record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
-@item
- `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
-finds and generate proper active ranges.
-@item
- nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
-whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
-@item
- gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
-@item
- gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
-@item
- when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
-articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
-@item
- nneething should allow deletion/moving.
-@item
- TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
-@item
- if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
-and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
-save mail in.
-@item
- command for listing all score files that have been applied.
-@item
- a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
-@item
- `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
-`C-c C-c' when posting.
-@item
- nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
-as a spool file.
-@item
- when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
-should be marker as expirable.
-@item
- article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
-@item
- on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
-on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
-@item
- when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
-Also consult Date headers.
-@item
- a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
-@item
- `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
-@item
- duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
-Message-ID, delete the "original".
-@item
- when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
-into a See-Also header.
-@item
- support setext: URL:http://www.bsdi.com/setext/
-@item
- support ProleText: <URL:http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html>
-@item
- when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
-should be listed as such and not as "K".
-@item
- generate font names dynamically.
-@item
- score file mode auto-alist.
-@item
- allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
-methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
-@item
- `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
-absolutely all headers there is.
-@item
- function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
-and pipe them to the process.
-@item
- cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
-the file whenever we read the active file or the list
-of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
-@item
- function for starting to edit a file to put into
-the current mail group.
-@item
- score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
-@item
- "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
-to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
-@item
- look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
-the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
-@item
- function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
-@item
- when replying to several process-marked articles,
-have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
-@item
- command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
-groups it has been mailed to.
-@item
- `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
-@item
- hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
-@item
- Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
-@item
- `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
-pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
-@item
- When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
-newlines) should be ignored.
-@item
- Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
-groups in subtopics as well.
-@item
- Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
-@item
- nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
-variable settings.
-@item
- add edit and forward secondary marks.
-@item
- nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
-@item
- allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
-@item
- `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
-@item
- nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
-@item
- allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
-@item
- Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
-or the formatted article.
-@item
- a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
-@item
- I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
-should be a feature in Red Gnus.
-@item
- The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
-@item
- more limiting functions -- date, etc.
-@item
- be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
-@item
- a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
-even unread articles.
-@item
- a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
-@item
- variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
-@item
- manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
-@item
- checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
-@item
- canceling articles in foreign groups.
-@item
- article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
-Xref handling.
-@item
- Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
-next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
-@item
- Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
-in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
-@item
- Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
-@item
- a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
-@item
- a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
-from a particular server? Hm.
-@item
- `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
-the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
-@item
- `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
-@item
- a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
-and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
-@item
- a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
-all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
-@item
- It should also probably be possible to delimit what
-`gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
-some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
-a certain number.
-@item
- nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
-the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
-@item
- allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
-@item
- a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
-@item
- a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
-@item
- server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
-from a server.
-@item
- when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
-from all articles.
-@item
- a command for deciding what the total score of the current
-thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
-@item
- command to show and edit group scores
-@item
- a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
-horizontally.
-@item
- command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
-@item
- `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
-@item
- keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
-Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
-buffer.
-@item
- gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
-that are of that length.
-@item
- have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
-@item
- cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
-@item
- asynchronous posting under nntp.
-@item
- be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
-@item
- a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
-@item
- `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
-@item
- if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
-a score lower than this number.
+Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
+
@item
- split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
+Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
+nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
+other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
+functionality and stuff.
+
@item
- buttonize ange-ftp file names.
+Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
+well as numerous other things).
+
@item
- a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
-so that each copy can be edited separately.
+Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
+
@item
- nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
+Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
+
@item
- record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
-it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
+Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
+
@item
- nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
-all nnml servers.
+Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
+@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
+
@item
- when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
-the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
-ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
-to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
+Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
+
@item
- M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
-the topic.
+Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
+(@pxref{GroupLens}).
+
@item
- command to remove all topic stuff.
+Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
+
@item
- allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
-and splitting the resulting digests.
+Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
+
@item
- nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
+Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+
@item
- command to nix out all nnoo state information.
+Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
+
@item
- nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
-matches an alist -- before saving.
+Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
+distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
+
@item
- use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
+Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
+
@item
- variable to activate each group before entering them
-to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
+Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
+
@item
- command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
-starting Gnus first if necessary.
+Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
+
@item
- when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
-ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
+Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
+.newsrc files.
+
@item
- buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
+Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
+
@item
- `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
-of several groups at once.
+David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
+
@item
- command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
-matches some regexp(s).
+Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
+
@item
- nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
+François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
+well as autoconf support.
+
+@end itemize
+
+This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
+Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
+
+The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
+
+Christopher Davis,
+Andrew Eskilsson,
+Kai Grossjohann,
+David Kågedal,
+Richard Pieri,
+Fabrice Popineau,
+Daniel Quinlan,
+Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
+and
+Jack Vinson.
+
+Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
+
+Jari Aalto,
+Adrian Aichner,
+Vladimir Alexiev,
+Russ Allbery,
+Peter Arius,
+Matt Armstrong,
+Marc Auslander,
+Miles Bader,
+Alexei V. Barantsev,
+Frank Bennett,
+Robert Bihlmeyer,
+Chris Bone,
+Mark Borges,
+Mark Boyns,
+Lance A. Brown,
+Rob Browning,
+Kees de Bruin,
+Martin Buchholz,
+Joe Buehler,
+Kevin Buhr,
+Alastair Burt,
+Joao Cachopo,
+Zlatko Calusic,
+Massimo Campostrini,
+Castor,
+David Charlap,
+Dan Christensen,
+Kevin Christian,
+Jae-you Chung, @c ?
+James H. Cloos, Jr.,
+Laura Conrad,
+Michael R. Cook,
+Glenn Coombs,
+Andrew J. Cosgriff,
+Neil Crellin,
+Frank D. Cringle,
+Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
+Andre Deparade,
+Ulrik Dickow,
+Dave Disser,
+Rui-Tao Dong, @c ?
+Joev Dubach,
+Michael Welsh Duggan,
+Dave Edmondson,
+Paul Eggert,
+Mark W. Eichin,
+Karl Eichwalder,
+Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
+Michael Ernst,
+Luc Van Eycken,
+Sam Falkner,
+Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
+Sigbjorn Finne,
+Sven Fischer,
+Paul Fisher,
+Decklin Foster,
+Gary D. Foster,
+Paul Franklin,
+Guy Geens,
+Arne Georg Gleditsch,
+David S. Goldberg,
+Michelangelo Grigni,
+Dale Hagglund,
+D. Hall,
+Magnus Hammerin,
+Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
+Raja R. Harinath,
+Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
+P. E. Jareth Hein,
+Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
+Scott Hofmann,
+Marc Horowitz,
+Gunnar Horrigmo,
+Richard Hoskins,
+Brad Howes,
+Miguel de Icaza,
+François Felix Ingrand,
+Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
+Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
+Lee Iverson,
+Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
+Rajappa Iyer,
+Andreas Jaeger,
+Adam P. Jenkins,
+Randell Jesup,
+Fred Johansen,
+Gareth Jones,
+Simon Josefsson,
+Greg Klanderman,
+Karl Kleinpaste,
+Michael Klingbeil,
+Peter Skov Knudsen,
+Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
+Petr Konecny,
+Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
+Thor Kristoffersen,
+Jens Lautenbacher,
+Martin Larose,
+Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
+Joerg Lenneis,
+Carsten Leonhardt,
+James LewisMoss,
+Christian Limpach,
+Markus Linnala,
+Dave Love,
+Mike McEwan,
+Tonny Madsen,
+Shlomo Mahlab,
+Nat Makarevitch,
+Istvan Marko,
+David Martin,
+Jason R. Mastaler,
+Gordon Matzigkeit,
+Timo Metzemakers,
+Richard Mlynarik,
+Lantz Moore,
+Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
+Erik Toubro Nielsen,
+Hrvoje Niksic,
+Andy Norman,
+Fred Oberhauser,
+C. R. Oldham,
+Alexandre Oliva,
+Ken Olstad,
+Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
+Hideki Ono, @c Ono
+Ettore Perazzoli,
+William Perry,
+Stephen Peters,
+Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
+Ulrich Pfeifer,
+Matt Pharr,
+Andy Piper,
+John McClary Prevost,
+Bill Pringlemeir,
+Mike Pullen,
+Jim Radford,
+Colin Rafferty,
+Lasse Rasinen,
+Lars Balker Rasmussen,
+Joe Reiss,
+Renaud Rioboo,
+Roland B. Roberts,
+Bart Robinson,
+Christian von Roques,
+Markus Rost,
+Jason Rumney,
+Wolfgang Rupprecht,
+Jay Sachs,
+Dewey M. Sasser,
+Conrad Sauerwald,
+Loren Schall,
+Dan Schmidt,
+Ralph Schleicher,
+Philippe Schnoebelen,
+Andreas Schwab,
+Randal L. Schwartz,
+Danny Siu,
+Matt Simmons,
+Paul D. Smith,
+Jeff Sparkes,
+Toby Speight,
+Michael Sperber,
+Darren Stalder,
+Richard Stallman,
+Greg Stark,
+Sam Steingold,
+Paul Stevenson,
+Jonas Steverud,
+Paul Stodghill,
+Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
+Kurt Swanson,
+Samuel Tardieu,
+Teddy,
+Chuck Thompson,
+Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
+Philippe Troin,
+James Troup,
+Trung Tran-Duc,
+Jack Twilley,
+Aaron M. Ucko,
+Aki Vehtari,
+Didier Verna,
+Vladimir Volovich,
+Jan Vroonhof,
+Stefan Waldherr,
+Pete Ware,
+Barry A. Warsaw,
+Christoph Wedler,
+Joe Wells,
+Lee Willis,
+Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
+and
+Lloyd Zusman.
+
+
+For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
+included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
+(550kB and counting).
+
+Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
+sure.
+
+Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
+actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
+
+
+@node New Features
+@subsection New Features
+@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.
+@end menu
+
+These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
+@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
+Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
+
+@node ding Gnus
+@subsubsection (ding) Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
@item
- it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
+The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
+(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+
@item
- hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
+Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
+(@pxref{Select Methods}).
+
@item
- `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
+You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
+
@item
- remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
+You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
+All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+
@item
- `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
+Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
+their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
+can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
@item
- when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
+Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
+them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
@item
- killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
-of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
-be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
-should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
+Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
+entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
+(@pxref{The Active File}).
+
@item
- command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
-"ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
+Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
+(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+
@item
- `X u' should decode base64 articles.
+You can score articles according to any number of criteria
+(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
+articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+
@item
- a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
-recently cited text.
+Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
+manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
+read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+
@item
- nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
+Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
+the @file{.emacs} file.
+
@item
- after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
-be invalidated.
+You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
+operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
@item
- there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
-server and just read the articles in the server
+You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
+results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
+
@item
- allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
-value of nnoo variables.
+You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
@item
- a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
+You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
+servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+
@item
- groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
-listed in each group info.
+Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
+server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+
@item
- a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
-buffer.
+You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
+
@item
- a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
-should only be applied to some groups.
+The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+
@item
- Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
-mail-copies-to: never.
+You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
+of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+
@item
- new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
-using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
+Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
+glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+
@item
- the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
+Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+
@item
- a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
-on article marks.
+Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
+(@pxref{Document Groups}).
+
@item
- a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
-of normal logo?)
+Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
+Articles}).
+
@item
- Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
+URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
+Buttons}).
+
@item
- Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
-clear up info.
+You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
+configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+
@item
- group user-defined meta-parameters.
+You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
+(@pxref{Buttons}).
+@end itemize
-From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
-@item
- I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
-thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
-you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
-problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
-What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
+@node September Gnus
+@subsubsection September Gnus
-In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
-ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
+for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
+now obsolete.
@item
-@example
-From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
-(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
- (lambda ()
- (gnus-group-add-parameter group
- (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
-
-(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
- "Return the date the group was last read."
- (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
- (t "")))
-@end example
+Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
+missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
+Threading}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
+@end lisp
@item
- tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
-opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
-liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
-hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
+Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+@item
+Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
+referred.
@item
-LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
-LMI> answered and read, I guess.
+Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
-It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
-unix mbox files).
+@item
+Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
-They could be used like this:
+@item
+A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t)
+@end lisp
-@example
-`M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
-`M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
-`/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
+@item
+An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
+buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
-<expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
-`/ l bug & !fixed RET'
-@end example
+@item
+In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
+Groups}).
-would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
-`fixed'.
+@item
+Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
+Topics}).
-One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
-affect the summary line format.
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
+@item
+Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
@item
-Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
+Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
+is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
-I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
-would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
+@end lisp
-- If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
-summary buffer.
+@item
+Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
+groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
+
+@item
+Caching is possible in virtual groups.
-- For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
+@item
+@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
+news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
+else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
-- For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
+@item
+Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
+(@pxref{SOUP}).
-- For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
+@item
+The Gnus cache is much faster.
-- For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
+@item
+Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
+Groups}).
-- For other files, just find them normally.
+@item
+New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
+expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
-I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
-directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
+@item
+All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
+(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
@item
-Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
-tell him what you are doing.
+There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
+marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
@item
-Currently, I get prompted:
+The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
+articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
+bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
-decend into sci?
-- type y
-decend into sci.something ?
-- type n
-decend into ucd?
+@item
+Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
+(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
-The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
-science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
-there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
-for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
+@item
+All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
@item
-Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
-`gnus-use-few-score-files'? Så kunne score-regler legges til den
-"mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
-"no.all.SCORE", osv.
+Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
@item
-What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
-as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
-button:
+All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+@item
+Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
-^L's
+@item
+All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
+buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
-more than n blank lines
+@item
+Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
+Configuration}).
-more than m identical lines
-(which should be replaced with button to show them)
+@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}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-any whitespace surrounding any of the above
+@item
+Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-nocem t)
+@end lisp
@item
-Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
-`spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
-subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
-"same" subject for threading purposes.
+Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
-@item
-Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
-"(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
-form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
-those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
+@end lisp
@item
- Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
-tick - thumb tack
-killed - skull
-soup - bowl of soup
-score below - dim light bulb
-score over - bright light bulb
+Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
@item
-Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
-
-@example
-Group-mode
-
- show-list-of-articles-in-group
- if (key-pressed == SPACE)
- if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
- if (articles-selected)
- start-reading-selected-articles;
- junk-unread-articles;
- next-group;
- else
- show-next-page;
-
- else if (key-pressed = '.')
- if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
- select-thread-under-cursor;
- else
- select-article-under-cursor;
-
-
-Article-mode
- if (key-pressed == SPACE)
- if (more-pages-in-article)
- next-page;
- else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
- next-article;
- else
- next-group;
-@end example
+Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
@item
-My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
-One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
-it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
-nneething groups.
+Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
-A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
-allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
-the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
-the wildcard expression).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
@item
-It would be nice if it also handled
-
- <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
-
-which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
+Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
+refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
+@end lisp
@item
+A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
+buffer to allow easier treatment.
- Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
-really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
-gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
-article versions) variable.
-
- So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
-
- A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
-the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
-
-
-@item
- nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
-articles.
@item
- gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
-active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
-(message-sent-hook).
-@item
- rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
+Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
@item
- * Enhancements to Gnus:
+Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
+Articles}).
- Add two commands:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
+@end lisp
- * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
- straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
- servers first.
+@item
+@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
+articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
- * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
- the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
- quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
+@end lisp
@item
- add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
-go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
-and stuff.
+Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
+(@pxref{Article Washing}).
@item
- `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
+Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
+cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
-@item
- a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
-secondary marks.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
+@end lisp
@item
- when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
-the nnmail duplicate checking.
+Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
@item
- allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
-value of the signature file.
+Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
@item
- In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
-could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
-interface like
+Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
-(setq message-tab-alist
- '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
- ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
+@end itemize
-then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
-the header
-@item
- cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
+@node Red Gnus
+@subsubsection Red Gnus
-@item
- a command to import a buffer into a group.
+New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
-@item
- nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
-@item
- point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
-beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
+@itemize @bullet
@item
- a command to process mark all unread articles.
+@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
@item
- `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
-do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
-do more gathering by subject.
+Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
+Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
@item
- gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
-article numerical order.
+Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
+@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
+Scoring}).
@item
- (gnus-thread-total-score
- (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
-bind to a key.
+Article washing status can be displayed in the
+article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
@item
- sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
+@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
@item
- a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
-in the summary buffer.
+Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
+(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
-@item
- a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
-version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
+@end lisp
@item
- http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html ?
-This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
-database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
-and/or newsgroup name.
+New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
+considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
+been added.
@item
- new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
+@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
+Server Internals}).
@item
- use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
+Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}).
@item
- a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
+Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
@item
- in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
-group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
-will automatically get the process mark.
+Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
+(@pxref{Article Signature}).
@item
- Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
-default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
-user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
+Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
+numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
+articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
@item
- make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
-current group.
+Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
+another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
@item
- `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
-to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
+There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
+when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
@item
- a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
-`first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
-candidates.
+Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
+(@pxref{Undo}).
@item
- be able to select groups that have no articles in them
-to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
+Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
+(@pxref{Score File Format}).
@item
- be able to post via DejaNews.
+Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
+(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
-@item
- `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
+@end lisp
@item
- allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
-allow them to be displayed separately.
+Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
-@item
- gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
-the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-decay-scores t)
+@end lisp
@item
- a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
-articles that match a certain From header.
+Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
+normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
@item
- a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
-saving living summary buffers.
+A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
+the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
@item
- a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
-the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
+A new command for reading collections of documents
+(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
+(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
@item
- a battery of character translation functions to translate common
-Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
-
-@example
-(defun article-fix-m$word ()
- "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
- (interactive)
- (save-excursion
- (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
- (replace-match "`" t t))
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
- (replace-match "'" t t))
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
- (replace-match "\"" t t))
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
- (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
-@end example
+Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
+Marks}).
@item
-@example
- (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
-'(lambda ()
- (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
- (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
- (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
- (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
-@end example
+A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
+server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
@item
- allow message-default-headers to be a function.
+A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
+(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
+(@pxref{Web Searches}).
@item
- new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
-numbers and match on the age of the article.
+Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
+functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
+Sorting}).
@item
-@example
-> > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
-> > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
-> > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
->
-> > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
-> > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
->
-> I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
-> least that's the way I've caught it doing the
-> deed before.
-@end example
+Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
+Groups}).
@item
- all commands that react to the process mark should push
-the current process mark set onto the stack.
+Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
+Commands}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
@item
- gnus-article-hide-pgp
-Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
-@example
-"\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
-@end example
-og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
-er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
+Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
+Variables}).
@item
- `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
-sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
+Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
+Mail}).
@item
- gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
-on the lines.
+More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
+mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
@item
- use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
-home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
+Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
-@item
- add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
+@end itemize
-@item
- nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
-@item
- implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
+@node Quassia Gnus
+@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
-@item
- gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
-articles.
+New features in Gnus 5.6:
-@item
- (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
+@itemize @bullet
@item
- nn*-spool-methods
+New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
+added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
+@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
@item
- interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
+ The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
+before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
+group, which is created automatically.
@item
- command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
-current group.
+@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
+values.
@item
- a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
-X characters in the body.
+ @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
@item
- handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
+ A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
+outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
@item
- include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
+ You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
+@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}.
@item
- format spec to "tab" to a position.
+ @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
@item
- Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
+ @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
+re-highlighting of the article buffer.
@item
- command to display all dormant articles.
+ New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
@item
- gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
+ @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
+Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
@item
- a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
-to something someone else has said.
+ @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.
@item
- Read Netscape discussion groups:
-snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
+ @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
+control over simplification.
@item
-One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
-the displayed version.
+ @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
@item
-@kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
-current article.
+ @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
+limit.
@item
-Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
+ @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
@item
-How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
-possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
-expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
-& age > 14 days)?
+ @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
@item
-New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
-in the head or body.
+ The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
+If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
+rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
@item
-Allow breaking lengthy NNTP commands.
+ Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
+@kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
@item
-gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
+ New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
+text---@kbd{W d}.
@item
-Editing an article should put the article to be edited
-in a special, unique buffer.
+ For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
+@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
@item
-A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
+ @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
+controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
@item
-A Date scoring type that will match if the article
-is less than a certain number of days old.
+ A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
+has been added.
@item
-New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
+ A history of where mails have been split is available.
@item
-Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
+ A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
@item
-Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
-file, for instance.
+ Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
+@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
@item
-With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
-in any other dummy thread will make gnus highlight the
-dummy root instead of the first article.
+ A new function for citing in Message has been
+added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
@item
-Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
-topics for displaying.
+ @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
@item
-`n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
-with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
+ A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
+been added.
@item
-gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
+ A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
+@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
@item
-gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
-many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
-summary buffer for each article.
+ The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
+updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
@item
-Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
+ Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
@item
-Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
-lists.
+ Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
-@item
-Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
+@end itemize
-@item
-gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
-exits the group.
+@node Pterodactyl Gnus
+@subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
-@item
-The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
+New features in Gnus 5.8:
-@item
-Bouncing articles should do MIME.
+@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
-groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
+@item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
+many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
-@item
-`S D r' should allow expansion of aliases.
+If you used procmail like in
-@item
-If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
-you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
+(setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
+(setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
+(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
+@end lisp
-@item
-Fetch by Message-ID from dejanews.
+this now has changed to
-<URL:http://search.dejanews.com/msgid.xp?MID=%3C62h9l9$hm4@@basement.replay.com%3E&fmt=raw>
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
+ :suffix ".in")))
+@end lisp
-@item
-A spec for the group line format to display the number of
-agent-downloaded articles in the group.
+More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
+Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
-@item
-Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
-timeout for all commands.
+@item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
+Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
-@item
-When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
-It should go somewhere else.
+@item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
+many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
-@item
-I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
-Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
-"microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
-access as
-"nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
-but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
+@item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
+called to position point.
-Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
-Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
+@item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
+summary buffers and NOV files.
+@item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
+of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
-@item
-Solve the halting problem.
+@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},
+@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}.
-@c TODO
@end itemize
@iftex
@end iftex
+@node On Writing Manuals
+@section On Writing Manuals
+
+I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
+that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
+implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
+straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
+functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
+implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
+hand in hand.
+
+This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
+documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
+looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
+started with Gnus.
+
+That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
+reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
+
+
@page
@node Terminology
@section Terminology
@item digest
@cindex digest
A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
-specified by RFC1153.
+specified by RFC 1153.
@end table
@item
Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
-like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
-on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
-flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
+like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
+1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
+something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
+@file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
@item
Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
@kindex M-x gnus-bug
@findex gnus-bug
If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
-command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
+command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
making @var{group} the current group.
-If @var{FAST}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
+If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
the current group.
Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
@item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
-Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
+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 IMAP) however carry all
-information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to propagate
-the mark information to the server.
+@code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
+all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
+propagate the mark information to the server.
ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
(RANGE ACTION MARK)
@end example
-Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
+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},
+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 theese.
+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
+effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
@code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
"*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)))
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
just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
@dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
-RFC1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
+RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
@code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
@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
@end iftex
@c End:
+% LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
+% LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
+% LocalWords: nnmbox backend 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