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4 @settitle T-gnus 6.15 Manual
10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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268 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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277 Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
278 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
281 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
282 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
283 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
284 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
285 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
286 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
287 License'' in the Emacs manual.
289 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
290 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
291 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
293 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
294 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
295 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
296 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
304 This file documents gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
306 Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
308 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
309 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
310 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
311 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
312 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
313 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
314 License'' in the Emacs manual.
316 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
317 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
318 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
320 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
321 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
322 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
323 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
329 @title T-gnus 6.15 Manual
331 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
334 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
335 Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
337 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
338 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
339 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
340 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
341 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
342 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
343 License'' in the Emacs manual.
345 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
346 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
347 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
349 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
350 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
351 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
352 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
361 @top The gnus Newsreader
365 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using gnus. The news
366 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
367 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
370 T-gnus provides MIME features based on SEMI API. So T-gnus supports
371 your right to read strange messages including big images or other
372 various kinds of formats. T-gnus also supports
373 internationalization/localization and multiscript features based on MULE
374 API. So T-gnus does not discriminate various language communities.
375 Oh, if you are a Klingon, please wait Unicode Next Generation.
377 This manual corresponds to T-gnus 6.15.
388 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
389 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
391 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
392 being accused of plagiarism:
394 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
395 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
396 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
397 can even read news with it!
399 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
400 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
401 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend gnus to make it behave
402 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
403 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
409 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
410 * Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
411 * Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
412 * Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
413 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
414 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
415 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
416 * Various:: General purpose settings.
417 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
418 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
419 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
420 * Key Index:: Key Index.
423 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
427 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
428 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
429 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
430 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
431 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
432 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
433 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
434 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
435 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
436 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
437 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
441 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
442 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
443 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
447 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
448 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
449 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
450 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
451 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
452 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
453 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
454 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
455 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
456 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
457 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
458 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
459 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
460 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
461 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
462 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
463 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
467 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
468 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
469 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
473 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
474 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
475 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
476 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
477 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
481 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
482 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
483 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
484 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
488 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
489 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
490 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
491 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
492 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
493 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
494 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
495 * Threading:: How threads are made.
496 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
497 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
498 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
499 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
500 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
501 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
502 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
503 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
504 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
505 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
506 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
507 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
508 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
509 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
510 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
511 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
512 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
513 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
514 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
515 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
516 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
518 Summary Buffer Format
520 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
521 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
522 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
523 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
527 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
528 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
530 Reply, Followup and Post
532 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
533 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
534 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
535 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
539 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
540 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
541 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
542 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
543 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
544 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
548 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
549 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
551 Customizing Threading
553 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
554 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
555 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
556 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
560 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
561 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
562 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
563 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
564 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
565 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
569 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
570 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
571 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
575 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
576 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
577 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
578 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
579 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
580 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
581 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
582 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
584 Alternative Approaches
586 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
587 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
589 Various Summary Stuff
591 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
592 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
593 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
594 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
598 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
599 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
600 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
601 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
602 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
606 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
607 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
608 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
609 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
610 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
611 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
612 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
613 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
617 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
618 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
619 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
620 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
621 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
622 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
623 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
627 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
628 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
629 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
630 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
631 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
632 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
633 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
637 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
638 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
642 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
643 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
644 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
645 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
646 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
647 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
648 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
649 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
650 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
651 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
652 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
653 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
654 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
658 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
659 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
660 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
662 Choosing a Mail Backend
664 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
665 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
666 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
667 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
668 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
669 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
673 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
674 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
675 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
676 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
677 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
678 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
682 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
683 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
684 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
685 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
686 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
687 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
691 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
695 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
696 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
697 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
701 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
702 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
703 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
707 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
708 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
712 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
713 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
714 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
715 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
716 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
717 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
718 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
719 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
720 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
721 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
725 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
726 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
727 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
731 * Group Agent Commands::
732 * Summary Agent Commands::
733 * Server Agent Commands::
737 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
738 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
739 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
740 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
741 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
742 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
743 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
744 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
745 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
746 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
747 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
748 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
749 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
750 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
751 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
752 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
756 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
757 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
758 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
759 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
763 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
764 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
765 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
769 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
770 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
771 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
772 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
773 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
774 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
775 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
776 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
777 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
778 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
779 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
780 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
781 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
782 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
783 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
784 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
785 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
786 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
790 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
791 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
792 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
793 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
794 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
798 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
799 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
800 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
801 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
805 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
806 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
807 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
808 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
809 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
813 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
814 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
815 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
816 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
817 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
818 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
819 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
820 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
824 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
825 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
826 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
827 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
828 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
829 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
830 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
831 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
832 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
836 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
837 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
838 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
839 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
840 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
844 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
845 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
846 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
847 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
851 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
852 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
853 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
854 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
855 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
856 * Group Info:: The group info format.
857 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
858 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
859 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
863 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
864 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
865 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
866 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
867 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
868 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
872 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
873 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
877 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
878 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
884 @chapter Starting gnus
889 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting gnus
890 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
893 @findex gnus-other-frame
894 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
895 If you want to start gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
896 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
898 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
899 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
900 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
902 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
903 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
906 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
907 * The First Time:: What does gnus do the first time you start it?
908 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
909 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one gnus active at a time.
910 * Fetching a Group:: Starting gnus just to read a group.
911 * New Groups:: What is gnus supposed to do with new groups?
912 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
913 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
914 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
915 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
916 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
920 @node Finding the News
921 @section Finding the News
924 @vindex gnus-select-method
926 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where gnus should look for
927 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
928 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
929 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
932 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
933 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
936 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
939 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
942 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
945 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
946 certainly be much faster.
948 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
950 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
951 If this variable is not set, gnus will take a look at the
952 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
953 gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
954 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
955 that fails as well, gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
957 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
958 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
959 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
960 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
962 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
963 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
964 You can also make gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
965 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
966 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), gnus will let you choose between the servers
967 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
968 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
969 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
970 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
973 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
975 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
976 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
977 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
978 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
979 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
980 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
982 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
984 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
985 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
986 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
987 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
988 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
989 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
992 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
993 would typically set this variable to
996 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
1000 @node The First Time
1001 @section The First Time
1002 @cindex first time usage
1004 If no startup files exist, gnus will try to determine what groups should
1005 be subscribed by default.
1007 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
1008 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, gnus
1009 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
1010 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
1013 Since she hasn't, gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1014 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1015 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1017 You'll also be subscribed to the gnus documentation group, which should
1018 help you with most common problems.
1020 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, gnus will just
1021 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1025 @node The Server is Down
1026 @section The Server is Down
1027 @cindex server errors
1029 If the default server is down, gnus will understandably have some
1030 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1031 the news groups, you may want to start gnus anyway.
1033 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1034 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1035 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1036 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1037 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1038 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1039 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1041 @findex gnus-no-server
1042 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1044 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1045 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1046 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start gnus. That might come in handy
1047 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1048 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1049 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1050 levels.) Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
1054 @section Slave Gnusae
1057 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one gnus at the
1058 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1059 are using the two different gnusae to read from two different servers),
1060 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1062 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1063 @code{.newsrc} file.
1065 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the gnus
1066 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1067 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1068 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1069 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1070 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1071 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1073 Anyway, you start one gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1074 however you do it). Each subsequent slave gnusae should be started with
1075 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1076 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1077 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master gnus
1078 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1079 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1080 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1082 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1083 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1086 @node Fetching a Group
1087 @section Fetching a Group
1088 @cindex fetching a group
1090 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1091 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1092 group and I don't care whether gnus has been started or not''. This is
1093 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1094 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1095 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1101 @cindex subscription
1103 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1104 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1105 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1106 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1107 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1108 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1109 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1110 @code{always}, then gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1111 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1114 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1115 * Subscription Methods:: What gnus should do with new groups.
1116 * Filtering New Groups:: Making gnus ignore certain new groups.
1120 @node Checking New Groups
1121 @subsection Checking New Groups
1123 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1124 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1125 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1126 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, gnus will ask the
1127 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1128 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1129 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1130 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1131 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1132 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1134 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1135 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1136 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1137 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1138 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1139 work. I could write a function to make gnus guess whether the server
1140 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1141 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1142 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1143 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1144 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1146 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, gnus will
1147 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1148 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1149 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1150 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1151 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1154 @node Subscription Methods
1155 @subsection Subscription Methods
1157 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1158 What gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1159 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1161 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1162 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1164 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1168 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1169 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1170 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1171 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1172 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1174 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1175 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1176 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1177 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1181 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1183 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1184 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1185 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1186 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1187 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1188 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1189 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1190 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1191 up. Or something like that.
1193 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1194 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1195 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that gnus will ask
1196 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1197 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1199 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1200 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1201 Kill all new groups.
1203 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1204 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1205 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1206 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1207 topic parameter that looks like
1213 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1216 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1221 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1222 A closely related variable is
1223 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1224 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will ask you in a
1225 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1226 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1229 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1230 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1231 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1232 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1235 @node Filtering New Groups
1236 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1238 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1239 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1240 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1243 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1246 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1247 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1248 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1249 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1250 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1251 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1252 subscribing these groups.
1253 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1254 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1256 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1257 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1258 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1259 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1260 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1261 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1262 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1263 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1265 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1266 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1267 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1268 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1269 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1270 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1271 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1272 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1273 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1274 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1276 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1277 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1280 @node Changing Servers
1281 @section Changing Servers
1282 @cindex changing servers
1284 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1285 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1286 very flaky and you want to use another.
1288 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1289 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1293 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1294 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1295 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1296 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1299 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1300 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1301 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1302 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1304 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1305 @findex gnus-change-server
1306 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1307 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1308 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1309 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1310 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1312 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1313 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1314 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1315 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1316 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1318 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1319 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1320 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1321 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1322 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1323 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1325 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1326 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1327 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1331 @section Startup Files
1332 @cindex startup files
1337 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1338 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1340 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1341 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1342 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1343 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1344 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1345 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1346 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1348 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1349 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1350 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1351 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1352 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1353 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1355 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1356 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1357 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1358 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1359 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from gnus faster.
1360 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1361 gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1362 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes gnus ignore the
1363 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1364 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1366 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1367 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1368 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1369 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1370 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1371 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1372 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1373 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1374 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1375 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1376 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1377 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1379 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1380 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1381 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1382 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1384 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1385 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1386 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1387 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1388 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1389 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1390 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1391 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1392 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1393 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1396 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1397 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1399 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1400 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1403 @vindex gnus-init-file
1404 When gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1405 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1406 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1407 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1408 @file{site-init} files with gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1409 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1410 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1411 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1412 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1418 @cindex dribble file
1421 Whenever you do something that changes the gnus data (reading articles,
1422 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1423 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1424 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1425 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1428 If gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1429 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1432 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1433 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, gnus won't create and
1434 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1436 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1437 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1438 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, gnus will dribble
1439 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1440 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1441 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1443 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1444 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1445 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1448 @node The Active File
1449 @section The Active File
1451 @cindex ignored groups
1453 When gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1454 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1455 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1457 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1458 Before examining the active file, gnus deletes all lines that match the
1459 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1460 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make gnus
1461 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1462 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1463 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1466 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1467 @c if you set it to anything else.
1469 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1471 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1472 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent gnus from
1473 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1475 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1476 you actually subscribe to.
1478 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1479 variable to @code{nil} will probably make gnus slower, not faster. At
1480 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow gnus down
1481 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1483 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1484 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1485 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1486 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1487 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1488 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1490 Some news servers (old versions of Leafnode and old versions of INN, for
1491 instance) do not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these
1492 servers, @code{nil} is probably the most efficient value for this
1495 If this variable is @code{nil}, gnus will ask for group info in total
1496 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1497 @sc{nntp} server, gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1498 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1499 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1500 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1502 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1503 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1505 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1506 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1508 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1509 secondary select methods.
1512 @node Startup Variables
1513 @section Startup Variables
1517 @item gnus-load-hook
1518 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1519 A hook run while gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1520 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1521 times you start gnus.
1523 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1524 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1525 A hook run after starting up gnus successfully.
1527 @item gnus-startup-hook
1528 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1529 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1531 @item gnus-started-hook
1532 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1533 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up gnus
1536 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1537 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1538 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1539 generating the group buffer.
1541 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1542 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1543 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1544 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1545 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1546 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1547 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1548 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1550 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1551 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1552 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1553 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1554 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1555 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1557 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1558 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1559 Message displayed by gnus when no groups are available.
1561 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1562 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1563 If non-@code{nil}, play the gnus jingle at startup.
1565 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1566 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1567 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1568 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1574 @chapter Group Buffer
1575 @cindex group buffer
1577 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1578 is the first buffer shown when gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1579 long as gnus is active.
1583 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1584 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1585 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1586 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1587 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1588 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1589 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1590 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1596 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1597 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1598 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1599 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1600 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1601 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1602 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1603 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1604 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1605 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1606 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1607 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1608 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1609 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1610 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1611 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1612 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1616 @node Group Buffer Format
1617 @section Group Buffer Format
1620 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1621 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1622 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1626 @node Group Line Specification
1627 @subsection Group Line Specification
1628 @cindex group buffer format
1630 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1631 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1633 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1636 25: news.announce.newusers
1637 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1642 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1643 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1644 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1645 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1647 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1648 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1649 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1650 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1651 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1652 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1654 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1656 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1657 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1658 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1659 never examined by gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1662 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1663 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1664 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1666 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1671 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1674 Whether the group is subscribed.
1677 Level of subscribedness.
1680 Number of unread articles.
1683 Number of dormant articles.
1686 Number of ticked articles.
1689 Number of read articles.
1692 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1693 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1695 Gnus uses this estimation because the NNTP protocol provides efficient
1696 access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting the true
1697 unread message count is not possible efficiently. For hysterical
1698 raisins, even the mail backends, where the true number of unread
1699 messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
1700 interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the
1701 backend interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
1702 want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
1705 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1708 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1717 Newsgroup description.
1720 @samp{m} if moderated.
1723 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1732 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1736 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1739 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1740 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1741 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1742 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1743 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1746 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1748 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1752 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1755 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1759 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1760 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1761 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1762 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1763 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1764 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1769 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1770 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1771 group, or a bogus native group.
1774 @node Group Modeline Specification
1775 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1776 @cindex group modeline
1778 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1779 The mode line can be changed by setting
1780 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1781 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1785 The native news server.
1787 The native select method.
1791 @node Group Highlighting
1792 @subsection Group Highlighting
1793 @cindex highlighting
1794 @cindex group highlighting
1796 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1797 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1798 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1799 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1800 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1802 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1806 (cond (window-system
1807 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1808 (defface my-group-face-1
1809 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1810 (defface my-group-face-2
1811 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1812 (defface my-group-face-3
1813 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1814 (defface my-group-face-4
1815 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1816 (defface my-group-face-5
1817 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1819 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1820 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1821 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1822 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1823 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1824 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1827 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1829 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1836 The number of unread articles in the group.
1840 Whether the group is a mail group.
1842 The level of the group.
1844 The score of the group.
1846 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1848 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1849 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1851 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1852 topic being inserted.
1855 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1856 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal gnus
1857 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1859 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1860 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1861 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1862 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1863 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1866 @node Group Maneuvering
1867 @section Group Maneuvering
1868 @cindex group movement
1870 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1871 expected, hopefully.
1877 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1878 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1879 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1885 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1886 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1887 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1891 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1892 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1896 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1897 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1901 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1902 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1903 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1907 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1908 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1909 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1912 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1918 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1919 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1920 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1925 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1926 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1927 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1931 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1932 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1933 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1936 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1937 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1938 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1939 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1943 @node Selecting a Group
1944 @section Selecting a Group
1945 @cindex group selection
1950 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1951 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1952 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1953 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1954 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1955 this command, gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1956 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1957 determines the number of articles gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1958 positive, gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1959 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1961 Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
1962 articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
1963 - 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 oldest ones.
1965 When you are in the group (in the Summary buffer), you can type
1966 @kbd{M-g} to fetch new articles, or @kbd{C-u M-g} to also show the old
1971 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1972 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1973 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1974 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1975 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1979 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1980 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1981 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1982 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1983 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1984 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1985 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1986 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1987 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1988 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1991 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1992 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1993 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1994 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1995 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1998 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1999 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
2000 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
2001 doing any processing of its contents
2002 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
2003 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
2004 manner will have no permanent effects.
2008 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
2009 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what gnus should consider
2010 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
2011 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, gnus will query the user
2012 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
2013 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
2014 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
2015 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
2018 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
2019 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
2020 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
2021 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
2026 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
2027 full summary buffer.
2030 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2033 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2038 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2039 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2040 Useful functions include:
2043 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2044 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2045 don't select the article.
2047 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2048 Select the first unread article.
2050 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2051 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2055 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2056 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2057 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2061 @node Subscription Commands
2062 @section Subscription Commands
2063 @cindex subscription
2071 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2072 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2073 Toggle subscription to the current group
2074 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2080 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2081 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2082 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2083 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2089 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2090 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2091 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2097 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2098 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2101 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2102 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2103 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2104 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2105 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2111 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2112 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2116 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2117 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2120 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2121 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2122 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2123 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2124 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2125 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2126 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2127 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2128 @file{.newsrc} file.
2132 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2142 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2143 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2144 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2145 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2146 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2147 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2152 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2153 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2154 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2158 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2159 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2160 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2162 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2163 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2164 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2165 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2166 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2167 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2174 @section Group Levels
2178 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2179 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2180 can ask gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2181 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2182 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2184 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2190 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2191 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2192 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2193 prompted for a level.
2196 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2197 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2198 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2199 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2200 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2201 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2202 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2203 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2204 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2205 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2206 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2207 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2208 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2209 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2210 reasons of efficiency.
2212 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2213 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2215 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2216 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2217 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2218 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2219 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2220 groups are hidden, in a way.
2222 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2223 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2224 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2225 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2226 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2227 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2229 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2230 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2231 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2232 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2233 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2234 list of killed groups.)
2236 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2237 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2238 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2240 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2241 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2242 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2243 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2244 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2245 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2246 relevant valid ranges.
2248 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2249 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2250 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2251 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2252 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2253 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2256 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2257 one with the best level.
2259 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2260 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2261 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2264 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2265 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2266 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2267 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2270 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2271 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2272 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2273 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2275 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2276 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2277 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2278 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2279 to 5. The default is 6.
2283 @section Group Score
2288 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2289 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2290 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2293 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2294 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2295 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2296 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2297 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2298 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2299 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2300 least significant part.))
2302 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2303 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2304 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2305 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2306 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2307 action after each summary exit, you can add
2308 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2309 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2310 slow things down somewhat.
2313 @node Marking Groups
2314 @section Marking Groups
2315 @cindex marking groups
2317 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2318 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2319 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2320 bidding on those groups.
2322 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2323 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2324 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2332 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2333 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2339 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2340 Remove the mark from the current group
2341 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2345 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2346 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2350 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2351 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2355 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2356 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2360 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2361 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2362 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2365 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2367 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2368 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2369 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2370 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2371 the command to be executed.
2374 @node Foreign Groups
2375 @section Foreign Groups
2376 @cindex foreign groups
2378 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2379 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2380 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2381 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2388 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2389 @cindex making groups
2390 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2391 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2392 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2396 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2397 @cindex renaming groups
2398 Rename the current group to something else
2399 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2400 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2406 @findex gnus-group-customize
2407 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2411 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2412 @cindex renaming groups
2413 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2414 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2418 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2419 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2420 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2424 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2425 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2426 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2430 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2432 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2433 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2438 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2439 Make the gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2443 @cindex (ding) archive
2444 @cindex archive group
2445 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2446 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2447 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2448 Make a gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2449 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2450 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2451 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2455 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2457 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2458 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2459 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2460 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2464 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2466 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2467 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2468 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2472 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2473 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2475 Make a group based on some file or other
2476 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2477 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2478 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2479 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2480 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2481 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2482 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2486 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2487 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2488 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2489 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2493 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2498 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2499 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2500 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2501 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2502 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2503 @xref{Web Searches}.
2505 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2506 to a particular group by using a match string like
2507 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2510 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2511 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2512 This function will delete the current group
2513 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2514 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2515 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2516 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2517 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2521 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2522 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2523 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2527 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2528 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2529 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2532 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2535 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2536 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2537 gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2538 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2539 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2540 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2544 @node Group Parameters
2545 @section Group Parameters
2546 @cindex group parameters
2548 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2549 Here's an example group parameter list:
2552 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2556 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2557 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2558 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2559 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2561 Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
2562 is an alist of regexps and values.
2564 The following group parameters can be used:
2569 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2572 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2575 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2576 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2577 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2578 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2579 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2581 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2582 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2583 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2584 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2585 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2586 list address instead.
2588 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-address-alist}.
2592 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2595 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2598 It is totally ignored
2599 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2600 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2602 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2603 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2604 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2605 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2606 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2608 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2609 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2610 sending the message.
2612 See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
2616 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2617 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2618 of whether it has any unread articles.
2620 @item broken-reply-to
2621 @cindex broken-reply-to
2622 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2623 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2624 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2625 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2626 broken behavior. So there!
2630 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2631 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2635 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, gnus
2636 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2637 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2642 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2643 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2644 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2645 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2646 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2647 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2648 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2652 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2653 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2654 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2656 See also @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups}.
2659 @cindex total-expire
2660 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2661 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2662 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2663 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2666 See also @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups}.
2670 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2671 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2672 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2673 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2674 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2675 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2678 @cindex score file group parameter
2679 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2680 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2681 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2684 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2685 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2686 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2687 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2690 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2691 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2692 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2693 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2696 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2697 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2701 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2704 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2709 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2710 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2711 gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2715 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2716 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2717 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2719 See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
2721 @item ignored-charsets
2722 Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
2723 will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
2724 default charset will be used for decoding articles.
2726 See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
2729 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2730 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2731 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2732 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2733 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2735 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2736 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2737 like this in the group parameters:
2742 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2746 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2747 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2748 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2749 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2750 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2752 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2753 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2754 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2755 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2756 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2757 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2758 @code{eval}ed there.
2760 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2761 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2762 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2763 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2764 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2768 Use the @kbd{G p} or the @kbd{G c} command to edit group parameters of a
2769 group. (@kbd{G p} presents you with a Lisp-based interface, @kbd{G c}
2770 presents you with a Customize-like interface. The latter helps avoid
2771 silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
2772 parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
2774 Group parameters can be set in @code{gnus-parameters} too. But some
2775 variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect. For example,
2778 (setq gnus-parameters
2779 '(("mail\\..*" (gnus-show-threads nil)
2780 (gnus-use-scoring nil)
2781 (gnus-summary-line-format
2782 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
2785 ("mail\\.me" (gnus-use-scoring t))
2786 ("list\\..*" (total-expire . t)
2787 (broken-reply-to . t)))
2790 @node Listing Groups
2791 @section Listing Groups
2792 @cindex group listing
2794 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2802 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2803 List all groups that have unread articles
2804 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2805 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2806 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2807 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2814 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2815 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2816 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2817 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2818 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2819 unsubscribed groups).
2823 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2824 List all unread groups on a specific level
2825 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2826 with no unread articles.
2830 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2831 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2832 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2833 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2838 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2839 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2843 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2844 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2845 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2849 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2850 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2854 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2855 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2856 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2857 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2858 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2859 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2860 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2861 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2865 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2866 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2867 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2871 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2872 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2873 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2877 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2878 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2882 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2883 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2887 @findex gnus-group-list-limit
2888 List groups limited within the current selection
2889 (@code{gnus-group-list-limit}).
2893 @findex gnus-group-list-flush
2894 Flush groups from the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-flush}).
2898 @findex gnus-group-list-plus
2899 List groups plus the current selection (@code{gnus-group-list-plus}).
2903 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2904 @cindex visible group parameter
2905 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2906 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2907 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2908 get the same effect.
2910 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2911 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2912 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2913 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2914 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2917 @node Sorting Groups
2918 @section Sorting Groups
2919 @cindex sorting groups
2921 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2922 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2923 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2924 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2925 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2926 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2931 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2932 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2933 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2935 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2936 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2937 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2939 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2940 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2941 Sort by group level.
2943 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2944 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2945 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2947 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2948 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2949 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2950 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2952 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2953 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2954 Sort by number of unread articles.
2956 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2957 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2958 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2960 @item gnus-group-sort-by-server
2961 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-server
2962 Sort alphabetically on the Gnus server name.
2967 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2968 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2972 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2973 some sorting criteria:
2977 @kindex G S a (Group)
2978 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2979 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2980 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2983 @kindex G S u (Group)
2984 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2985 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2986 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2989 @kindex G S l (Group)
2990 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2991 Sort the group buffer by group level
2992 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2995 @kindex G S v (Group)
2996 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2997 Sort the group buffer by group score
2998 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3001 @kindex G S r (Group)
3002 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
3003 Sort the group buffer by group rank
3004 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3007 @kindex G S m (Group)
3008 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
3009 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
3010 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
3014 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
3015 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3017 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
3018 commands will sort in reverse order.
3020 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
3024 @kindex G P a (Group)
3025 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
3026 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
3027 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
3030 @kindex G P u (Group)
3031 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
3032 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
3033 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
3036 @kindex G P l (Group)
3037 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
3038 Sort the groups by group level
3039 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
3042 @kindex G P v (Group)
3043 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
3044 Sort the groups by group score
3045 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3048 @kindex G P r (Group)
3049 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
3050 Sort the groups by group rank
3051 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3054 @kindex G P m (Group)
3055 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
3056 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
3057 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
3061 And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
3065 @node Group Maintenance
3066 @section Group Maintenance
3067 @cindex bogus groups
3072 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
3073 Find bogus groups and delete them
3074 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
3078 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
3079 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
3080 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
3081 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
3082 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
3086 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
3087 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
3088 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
3089 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
3090 all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
3091 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3094 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3095 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3096 Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
3097 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3102 @node Browse Foreign Server
3103 @section Browse Foreign Server
3104 @cindex foreign servers
3105 @cindex browsing servers
3110 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3111 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3112 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3113 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3116 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3117 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3118 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3119 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3121 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3126 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3127 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3131 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3132 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3135 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3136 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3137 Enter the current group and display the first article
3138 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3141 @kindex RET (Browse)
3142 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3143 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3147 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3148 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3149 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3155 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3156 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3160 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3161 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3162 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3167 @section Exiting gnus
3168 @cindex exiting gnus
3170 Yes, gnus is ex(c)iting.
3175 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3176 Suspend gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit gnus,
3177 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3178 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3182 @findex gnus-group-exit
3183 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3184 Quit gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3188 @findex gnus-group-quit
3189 Quit gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3190 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3193 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3194 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3195 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend gnus and
3196 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit gnus, while
3197 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3202 If you wish to completely unload gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3203 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3204 trying to customize meta-variables.
3209 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3210 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3211 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3217 @section Group Topics
3220 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3221 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3222 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3223 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3224 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3225 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3229 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3230 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3241 2: alt.religion.emacs
3244 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3246 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3247 13: comp.sources.unix
3250 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3252 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3253 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3254 is a toggling command.)
3256 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3257 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3258 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3259 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3262 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3263 the hook for the group mode:
3266 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3270 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3271 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3272 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3273 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3274 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3278 @node Topic Variables
3279 @subsection Topic Variables
3280 @cindex topic variables
3282 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3283 really neat, I think.
3285 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3286 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3287 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3300 Number of groups in the topic.
3302 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3304 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3307 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3308 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3309 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3312 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3313 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3315 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3316 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3317 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3320 @node Topic Commands
3321 @subsection Topic Commands
3322 @cindex topic commands
3324 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3325 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3326 definitions slightly.
3332 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3333 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3334 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3338 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3339 Move the current group to some other topic
3340 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3341 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3345 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3346 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3350 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3351 Copy the current group to some other topic
3352 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3353 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3357 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3358 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3359 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3363 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3364 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3365 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3369 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3370 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3371 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3372 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3373 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3374 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3375 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3378 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3379 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3383 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3384 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3385 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3389 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3390 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3391 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3395 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3396 Toggle hiding empty topics
3397 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3401 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3402 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3403 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3406 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3407 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3408 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3409 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3413 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3415 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3416 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3417 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3418 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3421 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3422 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3423 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3424 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3428 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3430 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3431 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3432 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3433 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3434 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3435 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3438 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3439 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3440 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
3441 expiry process (if any)
3442 (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
3446 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3447 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3448 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3452 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3453 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3454 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3459 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3460 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3463 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3464 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3465 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3469 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3470 List all groups that gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3471 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3475 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3476 @cindex group parameters
3477 @cindex topic parameters
3479 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3480 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3486 @subsection Topic Sorting
3487 @cindex topic sorting
3489 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3495 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3496 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3497 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3498 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3501 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3502 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3503 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3504 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3507 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3508 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3509 Sort the current topic by group level
3510 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3513 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3514 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3515 Sort the current topic by group score
3516 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3519 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3520 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3521 Sort the current topic by group rank
3522 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3525 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3526 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3527 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3528 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3532 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3535 @node Topic Topology
3536 @subsection Topic Topology
3537 @cindex topic topology
3540 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3546 2: alt.religion.emacs
3549 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3551 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3552 13: comp.sources.unix
3555 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3556 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3557 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3562 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3563 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3567 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3568 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3569 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3570 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3571 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3572 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3574 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3575 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3576 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3579 @node Topic Parameters
3580 @subsection Topic Parameters
3581 @cindex topic parameters
3583 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3584 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3585 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3587 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3592 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3593 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3594 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3599 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3600 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3601 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3602 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3608 2: alt.religion.emacs
3612 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3614 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3615 13: comp.sources.unix
3619 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3620 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3621 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3622 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3623 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3624 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3626 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3627 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3628 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3629 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3630 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3632 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3633 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3634 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3635 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3636 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3637 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3638 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3639 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3642 @node Misc Group Stuff
3643 @section Misc Group Stuff
3646 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3647 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and gnus.
3648 * Group Timestamp:: Making gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3649 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the gnus files.
3656 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3657 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3658 @xref{Server Buffer}.
3662 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3663 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3664 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3668 @findex gnus-group-mail
3669 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3673 Variables for the group buffer:
3677 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3678 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3679 is called after the group buffer has been
3682 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3683 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3684 is called after the group buffer is
3685 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3688 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3689 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3690 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3691 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3693 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3694 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3695 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3696 whether they are empty or not.
3698 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3699 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3700 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3701 non-ASCII group names.
3705 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3706 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3709 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3710 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3711 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3712 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3716 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3717 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3722 @node Scanning New Messages
3723 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3724 @cindex new messages
3725 @cindex scanning new news
3731 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3732 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3733 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3734 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3735 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3736 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3741 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3742 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3743 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3744 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3745 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3746 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3747 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3749 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3750 @cindex activating groups
3752 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3753 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3758 @findex gnus-group-restart
3759 Restart gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3760 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3761 gnus variables, and then starts gnus all over again.
3765 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3766 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3768 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3769 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3773 @node Group Information
3774 @subsection Group Information
3775 @cindex group information
3776 @cindex information on groups
3783 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3784 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3787 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3788 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3789 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3790 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3791 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3792 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3793 for fetching the file.
3795 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, gnus will attempt to go
3796 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3800 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3802 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3803 @cindex describing groups
3804 @cindex group description
3805 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3806 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3807 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3811 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3812 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3813 prefix, force gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3820 @findex gnus-version
3821 Display current gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3825 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3826 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3829 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3832 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3833 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3837 @node Group Timestamp
3838 @subsection Group Timestamp
3840 @cindex group timestamps
3842 It can be convenient to let gnus keep track of when you last read a
3843 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3844 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3847 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3850 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3852 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3853 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3856 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3857 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3860 This will result in lines looking like:
3863 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3864 0: custom 19961002T012713
3867 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3868 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3872 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3873 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3878 @subsection File Commands
3879 @cindex file commands
3885 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3886 @vindex gnus-init-file
3887 @cindex reading init file
3888 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3889 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3893 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3894 @cindex saving .newsrc
3895 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3896 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3897 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3900 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3901 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3902 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3907 @node Summary Buffer
3908 @chapter Summary Buffer
3909 @cindex summary buffer
3911 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3912 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3914 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3915 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3917 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3920 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3921 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3922 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3923 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3924 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3925 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3926 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3927 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3928 * Sorting the Summary Buffer:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3929 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3930 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3931 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3932 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3933 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3934 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3935 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3936 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3937 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3938 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3939 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3940 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3941 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3942 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3943 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3944 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3945 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3946 or reselecting the current group.
3947 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3948 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3949 * Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
3953 @node Summary Buffer Format
3954 @section Summary Buffer Format
3955 @cindex summary buffer format
3959 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3960 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3961 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3967 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3968 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3969 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3970 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3973 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3974 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3975 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3976 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3977 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3978 @code{From} header. Three pre-defined functions exist:
3979 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3980 fast, and too simplistic solution;
3981 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works nicely, but is
3982 slower; and @code{std11-extract-address-components}, which works very
3983 nicely, but is slower. The default function will return the wrong
3984 answer in 5% of the cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the
3985 other function instead:
3988 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3989 'mail-extract-address-components)
3992 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3993 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3994 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3995 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3998 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3999 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
4001 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4002 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
4003 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
4004 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
4005 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
4007 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
4008 the colon after performing an operation.
4010 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
4012 The following format specification characters are understood:
4018 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
4019 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
4021 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
4022 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
4023 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
4025 Full @code{From} header.
4027 The name (from the @code{From} header).
4029 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
4030 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
4032 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
4033 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
4034 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
4035 may be more thorough.
4037 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
4040 Number of lines in the article.
4042 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
4043 methods (like nnfolder).
4045 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4047 A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace lines.
4049 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
4050 pushes everything after it off the screen).
4052 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
4053 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
4055 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
4056 for adopted articles.
4058 One space for each thread level.
4060 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
4065 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
4066 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
4070 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
4072 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
4073 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
4074 default level. If the difference between
4075 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
4076 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
4084 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
4086 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
4092 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
4093 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
4095 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
4096 article has any children.
4102 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4103 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4104 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4105 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4106 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4107 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4110 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4111 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, gnus will
4112 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4113 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4114 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4115 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4117 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4118 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4120 This restriction may disappear in later versions of gnus.
4123 @node To From Newsgroups
4124 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4128 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4129 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4130 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4131 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4132 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4136 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4137 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4138 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4142 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4143 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4146 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4147 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4150 @findex gnus-extra-header
4151 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4152 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4153 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4156 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4160 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4161 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4162 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4163 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4164 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4165 headers are used instead.
4169 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4170 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4171 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4172 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4175 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4176 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4177 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4178 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4180 In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
4184 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4186 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4187 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4188 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4189 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4193 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4194 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4201 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4202 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4205 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4206 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4208 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4209 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4210 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4211 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4213 Here are the elements you can play with:
4219 Unprefixed group name.
4221 Current article number.
4223 Current article score.
4227 Number of unread articles in this group.
4229 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4232 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4233 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4234 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4235 and no unselected ones.
4237 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4238 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4240 Subject of the current article.
4242 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4244 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4246 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4248 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4250 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4252 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4256 @node Summary Highlighting
4257 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4261 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4262 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4263 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4264 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4265 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4267 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4268 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4269 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4270 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4272 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4273 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4274 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4275 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4277 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4278 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4279 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4280 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4281 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4282 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4285 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4286 ((> score default) . bold))
4288 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4289 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4293 @node Summary Maneuvering
4294 @section Summary Maneuvering
4295 @cindex summary movement
4297 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4298 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4300 None of these commands select articles.
4305 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4306 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4307 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4308 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4309 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4313 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4314 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4315 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4316 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4317 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4320 @kindex G g (Summary)
4321 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4322 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4323 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4326 If gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4327 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4328 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4329 to the group buffer.
4331 Variables related to summary movement:
4335 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4336 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4337 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4338 no more unread articles after the current one, gnus will offer to go to
4339 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4340 empty, gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4341 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, gnus will select the
4342 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4343 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, gnus will select the
4344 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4345 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4346 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4347 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4348 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4350 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4351 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4352 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4353 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4354 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4355 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4356 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4358 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4360 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4361 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4362 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4363 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4364 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4366 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4367 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4368 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4369 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4370 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4371 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4372 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4373 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4376 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4377 the given number of lines from the top.
4382 @node Choosing Articles
4383 @section Choosing Articles
4384 @cindex selecting articles
4387 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4388 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4392 @node Choosing Commands
4393 @subsection Choosing Commands
4395 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4396 and they all select and display an article.
4398 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4399 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4403 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4404 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4405 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4406 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4411 @kindex G n (Summary)
4412 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4413 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4414 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4419 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4420 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4421 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4426 @kindex G N (Summary)
4427 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4428 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4433 @kindex G P (Summary)
4434 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4435 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4438 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4439 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4440 Go to the next article with the same subject
4441 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4444 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4445 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4446 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4447 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4451 @kindex G f (Summary)
4453 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4454 Go to the first unread article
4455 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4459 @kindex G b (Summary)
4461 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4462 Go to the article with the highest score
4463 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4468 @kindex G l (Summary)
4469 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4470 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4473 @kindex G o (Summary)
4474 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4476 @cindex article history
4477 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4478 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4479 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4480 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4481 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4482 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4487 @kindex G j (Summary)
4488 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4489 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4490 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4495 @node Choosing Variables
4496 @subsection Choosing Variables
4498 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4501 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4502 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4503 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4504 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4505 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4506 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4508 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4509 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4510 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4511 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4513 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4514 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4515 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4516 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4517 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4518 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4519 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4520 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4521 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4522 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4523 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4524 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4525 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4526 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4531 @node Paging the Article
4532 @section Scrolling the Article
4533 @cindex article scrolling
4538 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4539 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4540 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4541 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4542 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4545 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4546 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4547 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4550 @kindex RET (Summary)
4551 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4552 Scroll the current article one line forward
4553 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4556 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4557 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4558 Scroll the current article one line backward
4559 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4563 @kindex A g (Summary)
4565 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4566 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4567 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4568 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4569 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4570 the way it came from the server.
4572 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4573 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4574 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4577 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4582 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4587 @kindex A < (Summary)
4588 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4589 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4590 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4595 @kindex A > (Summary)
4596 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4597 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4601 @kindex A s (Summary)
4603 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4604 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4605 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4609 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4610 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4615 @node Reply Followup and Post
4616 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4619 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4620 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4621 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4622 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4626 @node Summary Mail Commands
4627 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4629 @cindex composing mail
4631 Commands for composing a mail message:
4637 @kindex S r (Summary)
4639 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4640 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4641 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4642 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4643 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4648 @kindex S R (Summary)
4649 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4650 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4651 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4652 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4653 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4656 @kindex S w (Summary)
4657 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4658 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4659 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4660 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4661 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4664 @kindex S W (Summary)
4665 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4666 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4667 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4668 the process/prefix convention.
4671 @kindex S v (Summary)
4672 @findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply
4673 Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article
4674 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{very wide reply} is a reply
4675 that goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4676 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
4677 articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
4680 @kindex S W (Summary)
4681 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4682 Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
4683 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4684 the process/prefix convention.
4688 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4689 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4690 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4691 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4692 Forward the current article to some other person
4693 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4694 headers of the forwarded article.
4699 @kindex S m (Summary)
4700 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4701 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4702 Send a mail to some other person
4703 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4706 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4707 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4708 @cindex bouncing mail
4709 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4710 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4711 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4712 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4713 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4714 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, gnus will try to fetch
4715 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4716 very well fail, though.
4719 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4720 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4721 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4722 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4723 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4724 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4725 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4726 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4727 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4728 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4730 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4731 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4732 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4733 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4734 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4736 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4737 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4740 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4741 @findex gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward
4742 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4743 result using mail (@code{gnus-summary-digest-mail-forward}). This
4744 command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4747 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4748 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4749 @cindex crossposting
4750 @cindex excessive crossposting
4751 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4752 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4754 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4755 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4756 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4757 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4758 command understands the process/prefix convention
4759 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4763 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4766 @node Summary Post Commands
4767 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4769 @cindex composing news
4771 Commands for posting a news article:
4777 @kindex S p (Summary)
4778 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4779 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4780 Post an article to the current group
4781 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4786 @kindex S f (Summary)
4787 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4788 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4789 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4793 @kindex S F (Summary)
4795 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4796 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4797 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4798 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4799 process/prefix convention.
4802 @kindex S n (Summary)
4803 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4804 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4805 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4808 @kindex S N (Summary)
4809 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4810 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4811 message through mail and include the original message
4812 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4813 the process/prefix convention.
4816 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4817 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4818 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4819 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}). If given a prefix, include the full
4820 headers of the forwarded article.
4823 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4824 @findex gnus-summary-digest-post-forward
4826 @cindex making digests
4827 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4828 (@code{gnus-summary-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
4829 process/prefix convention.
4832 @kindex S u (Summary)
4833 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4834 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4835 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4836 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4839 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4842 @node Summary Message Commands
4843 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4847 @kindex S y (Summary)
4848 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4849 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4850 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4851 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4852 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4857 @node Canceling and Superseding
4858 @subsection Canceling Articles
4859 @cindex canceling articles
4860 @cindex superseding articles
4862 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4863 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4865 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4867 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4869 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4870 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4871 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4872 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4873 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4874 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4876 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4877 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4880 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4881 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4882 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4884 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4885 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4886 your original article.
4888 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4890 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4891 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4892 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4895 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4896 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4897 have posted almost the same article twice.
4899 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4900 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4901 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4902 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4903 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4904 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4905 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4906 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4907 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4908 canceled/superseded.
4910 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4913 @node Marking Articles
4914 @section Marking Articles
4915 @cindex article marking
4916 @cindex article ticking
4919 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4921 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4922 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4923 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4925 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4928 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4929 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4930 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4934 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4938 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4939 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4940 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4944 @node Unread Articles
4945 @subsection Unread Articles
4947 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4952 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4953 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4955 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4956 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4957 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4958 tick it. However, articles can be expired (from news servers by the
4959 news server software, Gnus itself never expires ticked messages), so if
4960 you want to keep an article forever, you'll have to make it persistent
4961 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
4964 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4965 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4967 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4968 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4969 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4970 Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
4974 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4975 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4977 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4982 @subsection Read Articles
4983 @cindex expirable mark
4985 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4990 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4991 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4992 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4995 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4996 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4999 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
5000 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
5001 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
5004 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
5005 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
5008 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
5009 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
5012 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
5013 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
5016 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
5017 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
5020 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
5021 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
5024 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
5025 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
5028 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
5029 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
5033 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
5034 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
5035 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
5039 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
5040 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
5042 One more special mark, though:
5046 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
5047 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
5049 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
5050 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
5051 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
5052 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by gnus at
5058 @subsection Other Marks
5059 @cindex process mark
5062 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
5068 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
5069 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
5070 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
5071 in the article, and gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
5072 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
5075 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
5076 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
5077 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
5078 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
5080 @vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
5081 All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
5082 the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
5085 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
5086 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
5087 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5090 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
5091 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
5092 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
5093 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
5096 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
5097 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
5098 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
5099 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
5100 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
5103 @vindex gnus-process-mark
5104 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
5105 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
5106 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
5107 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
5108 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5112 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5113 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5114 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5116 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5117 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5118 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5122 @subsection Setting Marks
5123 @cindex setting marks
5125 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5130 @kindex M c (Summary)
5131 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5132 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5133 @cindex mark as unread
5134 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5135 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5141 @kindex M t (Summary)
5142 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5143 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5144 @xref{Article Caching}.
5149 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5150 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5151 Mark the current article as dormant
5152 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5156 @kindex M d (Summary)
5158 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5159 Mark the current article as read
5160 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5164 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5165 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5166 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5171 @kindex M k (Summary)
5172 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5173 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5174 and then select the next unread article
5175 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5179 @kindex M K (Summary)
5180 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5181 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5182 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5183 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5186 @kindex M C (Summary)
5187 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5188 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5189 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5192 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5193 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5194 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5195 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5198 @kindex M H (Summary)
5199 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5200 Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
5201 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5204 @kindex M h (Summary)
5205 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
5206 Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
5207 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
5210 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5211 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5212 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5213 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5216 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5217 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5218 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5219 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5223 @kindex M e (Summary)
5225 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5226 Mark the current article as expirable
5227 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5230 @kindex M b (Summary)
5231 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5232 Set a bookmark in the current article
5233 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5236 @kindex M B (Summary)
5237 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5238 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5239 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5242 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5243 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5244 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5245 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5248 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5249 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5250 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5251 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5254 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5255 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5256 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5257 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5258 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5261 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5262 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5263 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5264 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5265 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5266 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5267 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5268 The default is @code{t}.
5271 @node Generic Marking Commands
5272 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5274 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5275 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5276 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5277 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5278 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5281 Multiply these five behaviors with five different marking commands, and
5282 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5285 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5286 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5287 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5288 to list in this manual.
5290 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5291 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5292 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5293 article, you could say something like:
5296 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5297 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5298 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5304 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5305 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5309 @node Setting Process Marks
5310 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5311 @cindex setting process marks
5318 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5319 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5320 Mark the current article with the process mark
5321 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5322 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5326 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5327 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5328 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5329 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5332 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5333 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5334 Remove the process mark from all articles
5335 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5338 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5339 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5340 Invert the list of process marked articles
5341 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5344 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5346 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5347 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5350 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5351 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5352 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5353 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5356 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5357 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5358 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5361 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5362 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5363 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5364 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5367 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5368 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5369 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5370 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5373 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5374 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5375 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5376 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5379 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5380 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5381 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5384 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5385 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5386 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5387 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5390 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5391 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5392 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5395 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5396 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5397 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5398 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5401 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5402 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5403 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5404 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5407 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5408 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5409 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5410 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5413 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5414 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5415 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5416 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5420 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5421 set process marks based on article body contents.
5428 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5429 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5430 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5433 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5434 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5435 additional articles.
5441 @kindex / / (Summary)
5442 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5443 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5444 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5447 @kindex / a (Summary)
5448 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5449 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5450 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5453 @kindex / x (Summary)
5454 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5455 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5456 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5457 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5461 @kindex / u (Summary)
5463 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5464 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5465 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5466 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5467 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5470 @kindex / m (Summary)
5471 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5472 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5473 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5476 @kindex / t (Summary)
5477 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5478 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5479 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5480 articles younger than that number of days.
5483 @kindex / n (Summary)
5484 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5485 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5486 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5487 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5490 @kindex / w (Summary)
5491 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5492 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5493 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5497 @kindex / v (Summary)
5498 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5499 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5500 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5504 @kindex M S (Summary)
5505 @kindex / E (Summary)
5506 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5507 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5508 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5511 @kindex / D (Summary)
5512 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5513 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5514 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5517 @kindex / * (Summary)
5518 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5519 Include all cached articles in the limit
5520 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5523 @kindex / d (Summary)
5524 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5525 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5526 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5529 @kindex / M (Summary)
5530 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5531 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5534 @kindex / T (Summary)
5535 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5536 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5539 @kindex / c (Summary)
5540 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5541 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5542 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5545 @kindex / C (Summary)
5546 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5547 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5548 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5549 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5557 @cindex article threading
5559 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5560 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5561 hierarchical fashion.
5563 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5564 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5565 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5566 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5567 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5568 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5569 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5571 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5575 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5578 A tree-like article structure.
5581 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5584 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5585 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5586 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5587 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5588 called loose threads.
5590 @item thread gathering
5591 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5593 @item sparse threads
5594 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5595 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5601 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5602 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5606 @node Customizing Threading
5607 @subsection Customizing Threading
5608 @cindex customizing threading
5611 * Loose Threads:: How gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5612 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5613 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5614 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5619 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5622 @cindex loose threads
5625 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5626 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5627 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5628 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5629 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5630 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5632 When there is no real root of a thread, gnus will have to fudge
5633 something. This variable says what fudging method gnus should use.
5634 There are four possible values:
5638 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5639 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5640 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5641 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5642 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5647 @cindex adopting articles
5652 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5653 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5654 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5655 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5658 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5659 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5660 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5661 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5662 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5663 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5664 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5667 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5668 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5669 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5673 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5674 display them after one another.
5677 Don't gather loose threads.
5680 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5681 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5682 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5683 variable is @code{nil}, gnus requires an exact match between the
5684 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5685 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5686 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5687 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5688 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5689 variable to a really low number, you'll find that gnus will gather
5690 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5692 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5693 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, gnus will
5694 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5697 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5698 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5699 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5700 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5701 simplification is used.
5703 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5704 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5705 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5706 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5708 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5710 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5716 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5717 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5718 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5719 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5724 (mapconcat 'identity
5725 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5727 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5730 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5733 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5734 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5735 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5736 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5737 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5738 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5740 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5743 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5744 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5745 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5747 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5748 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5751 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5752 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5753 Remove excessive whitespace.
5756 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5759 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5760 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5761 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5762 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5763 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5764 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5765 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5766 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5768 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5769 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5770 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5771 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5772 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5773 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5774 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5775 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5776 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5780 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5781 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5782 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5783 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5785 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5786 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5787 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5790 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5794 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5795 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5801 @node Filling In Threads
5802 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5805 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5806 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5807 If non-@code{nil}, gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5808 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5809 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5810 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5811 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5812 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5813 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5814 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5815 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5816 expired by the server, there's not much gnus can do about that.
5818 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5819 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5820 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5822 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5823 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5824 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5825 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5826 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5827 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5828 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where gnus guesses that an article
5829 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5830 lines. If you select a gap, gnus will try to fetch the article in
5831 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, gnus will display all these
5832 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5833 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, gnus won't cut
5834 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5835 @code{nil} by default.
5837 @item gnus-read-all-available-headers
5838 @vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
5839 This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
5840 intended for those non-news newsgroups where the backend has to fetch
5841 quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
5842 go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
5843 web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
5845 If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
5846 @code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
5847 that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
5852 @node More Threading
5853 @subsubsection More Threading
5856 @item gnus-show-threads
5857 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5858 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5859 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5860 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5861 slower and more awkward.
5863 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5864 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5865 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5868 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5869 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5870 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5871 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5872 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5873 threads are expunged.
5875 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5876 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5877 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5880 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5881 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5882 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5883 this variable is non-@code{nil}, which is the default, the subject
5884 change is ignored. If it is @code{nil}, a change in the subject will
5885 result in a new thread.
5887 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5888 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5889 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5892 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5893 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5894 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5895 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5896 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5897 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5898 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5899 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5900 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5901 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5902 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5907 @node Low-Level Threading
5908 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5912 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5913 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5914 Hook run before parsing any headers. The default value is
5915 @code{(gnus-set-summary-default-charset)}, which sets up local value of
5916 @code{default-mime-charset} in summary buffer based on variable
5917 @code{gnus-newsgroup-default-charset-alist}.
5919 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5920 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5921 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5922 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5923 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5924 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5925 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5926 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5927 meaningful. Here's one example:
5930 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5932 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5933 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5935 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5937 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5944 @node Thread Commands
5945 @subsection Thread Commands
5946 @cindex thread commands
5952 @kindex T k (Summary)
5953 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5954 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5955 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5956 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5957 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5962 @kindex T l (Summary)
5963 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5964 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5965 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5966 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5969 @kindex T i (Summary)
5970 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5971 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5972 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5975 @kindex T # (Summary)
5976 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5977 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5978 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5981 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5982 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5983 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5984 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5987 @kindex T T (Summary)
5988 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5989 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5992 @kindex T s (Summary)
5993 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5994 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5995 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5998 @kindex T h (Summary)
5999 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
6000 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
6003 @kindex T S (Summary)
6004 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
6005 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
6008 @kindex T H (Summary)
6009 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
6010 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
6013 @kindex T t (Summary)
6014 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
6015 Re-thread the current article's thread
6016 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
6017 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
6020 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
6021 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
6022 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
6023 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
6027 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
6028 understand the numeric prefix.
6033 @kindex T n (Summary)
6035 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
6037 @kindex M-down (Summary)
6038 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
6039 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
6042 @kindex T p (Summary)
6044 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
6046 @kindex M-up (Summary)
6047 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
6048 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
6051 @kindex T d (Summary)
6052 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
6053 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
6056 @kindex T u (Summary)
6057 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
6058 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
6061 @kindex T o (Summary)
6062 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
6063 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
6066 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
6067 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
6068 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
6069 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
6070 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
6071 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
6072 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
6073 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
6074 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
6075 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
6076 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
6077 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
6081 @node Sorting the Summary Buffer
6082 @section Sorting the Summary Buffer
6084 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
6085 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
6086 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
6087 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6088 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
6089 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6090 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
6091 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
6092 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
6093 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
6094 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
6096 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
6097 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
6098 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
6099 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
6100 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
6102 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
6103 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
6104 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
6106 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
6107 last function in the list. You should probably always include
6108 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
6109 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
6110 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
6111 ascending article order.
6113 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
6114 by number, you could do something like:
6117 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6118 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
6119 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
6120 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
6123 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
6124 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
6125 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
6126 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
6127 which the articles arrived.
6129 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6133 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6135 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6136 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6139 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6140 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6141 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6142 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6145 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6146 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6147 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6148 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6149 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6150 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6151 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6152 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6153 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6154 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6155 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6156 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6157 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6159 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6163 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6164 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6165 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6170 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6171 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6172 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6173 @cindex article pre-fetch
6176 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6177 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6178 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6179 article appears. Why can't gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6180 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6182 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6183 article fetching, especially the way gnus does it.
6185 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6186 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6187 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6188 article 3, but since gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6189 connection is blocked.
6191 To avoid these situations, gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6192 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6193 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6194 extra connection takes some time, so gnus startup will be slower.
6196 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6197 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6198 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6199 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6202 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6205 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6206 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6207 happen automatically.
6209 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6210 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6211 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6212 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6213 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6214 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6215 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6217 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6218 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6219 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6220 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6221 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6222 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6223 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6224 data structure as the only parameter.
6226 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6229 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6230 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6231 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6232 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6235 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6238 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6239 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down gnus too much.
6240 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6242 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6243 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6244 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6245 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6249 Remove articles when they are read.
6252 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6255 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6257 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6258 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6259 @c from the next group.
6262 @node Article Caching
6263 @section Article Caching
6264 @cindex article caching
6267 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6268 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6269 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6270 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6271 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6273 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6275 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6276 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6277 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6278 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6279 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6280 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6281 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6282 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6284 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6285 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6286 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6287 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6288 as dormant, and don't worry.
6290 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6292 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6293 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6294 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6295 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6296 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6297 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6298 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6299 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6300 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6301 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6303 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6304 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6305 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6306 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6307 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6308 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6309 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6310 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6311 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6312 not then be downloaded by this command.
6314 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6315 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6316 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6317 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6318 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6319 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6321 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6322 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6323 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6324 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6325 variables, the group is not cached.
6327 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6328 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6329 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6330 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6331 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6332 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, gnus
6333 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6334 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6335 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6339 @node Persistent Articles
6340 @section Persistent Articles
6341 @cindex persistent articles
6343 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6344 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6345 useful in my opinion.
6347 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6348 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6349 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6350 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6351 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6352 the expiry going on at the news server.
6354 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6355 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6356 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6362 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6363 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6366 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6367 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6368 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6369 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6373 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6375 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6376 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6377 interested in persistent articles:
6380 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6384 @node Article Backlog
6385 @section Article Backlog
6387 @cindex article backlog
6389 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6390 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6391 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where gnus will buffer
6392 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6393 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6394 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6395 that, turning the backlog on will slow gnus down a little bit, and
6396 increase memory usage some.
6398 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6399 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, gnus will store
6400 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6401 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, gnus will store
6402 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6403 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6404 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6406 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6409 @node Saving Articles
6410 @section Saving Articles
6411 @cindex saving articles
6413 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6414 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6415 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6416 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6417 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6419 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6420 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, gnus will not delete
6421 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6423 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6424 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6425 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6426 deleted before saving.
6432 @kindex O o (Summary)
6434 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6435 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6436 Save the current article using the default article saver
6437 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6440 @kindex O m (Summary)
6441 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6442 Save the current article in mail format
6443 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6446 @kindex O r (Summary)
6447 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6448 Save the current article in rmail format
6449 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6452 @kindex O f (Summary)
6453 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6454 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6455 Save the current article in plain file format
6456 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6459 @kindex O F (Summary)
6460 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6461 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6462 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6465 @kindex O b (Summary)
6466 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6467 Save the current article body in plain file format
6468 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6471 @kindex O h (Summary)
6472 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6473 Save the current article in mh folder format
6474 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6477 @kindex O v (Summary)
6478 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6479 Save the current article in a VM folder
6480 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6484 @kindex O p (Summary)
6486 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6487 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6488 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6491 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6492 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6493 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6494 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6495 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6496 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6497 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6498 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6499 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6500 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6501 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6502 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6506 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6507 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6508 gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6509 functions below, or you can create your own.
6513 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6514 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6515 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6516 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6517 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6518 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6519 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6521 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6522 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6523 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6524 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6525 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6526 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6528 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6529 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6530 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6531 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6532 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6533 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6534 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6536 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6537 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6538 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6539 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6540 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6542 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6543 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6544 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6545 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6546 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6549 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6550 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6551 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6552 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6553 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6555 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6556 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6557 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6558 reader to use this setting.
6561 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6562 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6563 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6564 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6567 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6568 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6569 available functions that generate names:
6573 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6574 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6575 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6577 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6578 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6579 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6581 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6582 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6583 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6585 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6586 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6587 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6589 @item gnus-sender-save-name
6590 @findex gnus-sender-save-name
6591 File names like @file{~/News/larsi}.
6594 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6595 You can have gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6596 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6597 save articles related to gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6598 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6602 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6603 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6604 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6605 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6608 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6609 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6610 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6611 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6612 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6613 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6614 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6615 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6616 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6618 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6619 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6620 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6621 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6623 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6624 means that gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6625 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6628 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6629 lots of mail groups called things like
6630 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6631 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6632 following will do just that:
6635 (defun my-save-name (group)
6636 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6637 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6639 (setq gnus-split-methods
6640 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6645 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6646 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6647 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6648 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6649 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6650 all the files in the top level directory
6651 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6652 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6653 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6654 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6656 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6657 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6658 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6659 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6660 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6663 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6667 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6668 (setq gnus-default-article-saver
6669 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6672 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6673 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6674 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6675 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6678 @node Decoding Articles
6679 @section Decoding Articles
6680 @cindex decoding articles
6682 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6683 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6686 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6687 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6688 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6689 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6690 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6691 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6695 @cindex article series
6696 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6697 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6698 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6699 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6700 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6702 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6703 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6704 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6706 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, gnus
6707 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6708 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6710 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6711 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6712 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6715 @node Uuencoded Articles
6716 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6718 @cindex uuencoded articles
6723 @kindex X u (Summary)
6724 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6725 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6726 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6729 @kindex X U (Summary)
6730 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6731 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6732 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6735 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6736 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6737 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6740 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6741 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6742 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6743 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6747 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6748 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6749 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6750 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6751 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6753 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6754 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6755 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6756 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6759 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6760 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6761 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6762 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6763 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6764 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6768 @node Shell Archives
6769 @subsection Shell Archives
6771 @cindex shell archives
6772 @cindex shared articles
6774 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6775 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6776 some commands to deal with these:
6781 @kindex X s (Summary)
6782 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6783 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6786 @kindex X S (Summary)
6787 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6788 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6791 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6792 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6793 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6796 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6797 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6798 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6799 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6803 @node PostScript Files
6804 @subsection PostScript Files
6810 @kindex X p (Summary)
6811 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6812 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6815 @kindex X P (Summary)
6816 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6817 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6818 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6821 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6822 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6823 View the current PostScript series
6824 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6827 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6828 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6829 View and save the current PostScript series
6830 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6835 @subsection Other Files
6839 @kindex X o (Summary)
6840 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6841 Save the current series
6842 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6845 @kindex X b (Summary)
6846 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6847 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6848 doesn't really work yet.
6852 @node Decoding Variables
6853 @subsection Decoding Variables
6855 Adjective, not verb.
6858 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6859 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6860 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6864 @node Rule Variables
6865 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6866 @cindex rule variables
6868 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6869 variables are of the form
6872 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6879 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6880 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6882 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6883 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6886 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6887 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6890 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6891 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6892 This variable is consulted if gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6893 user and default view rules.
6895 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6896 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6897 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6902 @node Other Decode Variables
6903 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6906 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6908 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6909 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6910 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6911 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6912 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6916 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6917 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6920 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6921 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6922 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6925 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6926 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6927 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6928 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6929 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6932 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6933 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6934 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6936 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6937 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6938 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6939 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6940 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6943 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6944 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6945 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6947 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6948 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6949 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6950 looking for files to display.
6952 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6953 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6954 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6957 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6958 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6959 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6962 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6963 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6964 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6967 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6968 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6969 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6972 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6973 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6974 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6975 decoded articles as unread.
6977 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6978 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6979 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6980 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6982 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6983 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6984 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6986 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6987 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6989 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6990 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6991 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6992 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6994 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6995 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6996 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6997 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6998 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6999 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
7000 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
7001 simply dropped them.
7006 @node Uuencoding and Posting
7007 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
7011 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7012 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
7013 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
7014 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
7015 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
7016 for you when you post the article.
7018 @item gnus-uu-post-length
7019 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
7020 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
7021 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
7023 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
7024 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
7025 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
7026 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
7027 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
7028 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
7029 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
7031 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7032 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
7033 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
7034 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
7035 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
7036 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
7037 Default is @code{t}.
7043 @subsection Viewing Files
7044 @cindex viewing files
7045 @cindex pseudo-articles
7047 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, gnus will attempt
7048 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
7049 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
7050 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, gnus will
7051 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
7052 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
7053 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
7055 Finally, gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
7056 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
7057 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
7058 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
7060 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
7061 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
7062 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
7064 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
7065 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
7066 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
7067 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
7068 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
7070 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
7071 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
7072 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
7073 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
7074 a list of parameters to that command.
7076 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
7077 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
7078 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
7080 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
7081 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
7082 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
7085 @node Article Treatment
7086 @section Article Treatment
7088 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
7089 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
7090 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
7091 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
7092 these articles easier.
7095 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
7096 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
7097 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
7098 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
7099 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
7100 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
7101 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
7102 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
7106 @node Article Highlighting
7107 @subsection Article Highlighting
7108 @cindex highlighting
7110 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
7111 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
7116 @kindex W H a (Summary)
7117 @findex gnus-article-highlight
7118 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
7119 Do much highlighting of the current article
7120 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
7121 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
7124 @kindex W H h (Summary)
7125 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
7126 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
7127 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
7128 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
7129 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
7130 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
7131 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
7132 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
7133 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
7134 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
7135 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
7138 @kindex W H c (Summary)
7139 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7140 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7142 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7145 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7147 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7148 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7149 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7151 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7152 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7153 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7155 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7156 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7157 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7158 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7159 gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7160 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7162 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7163 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7164 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7166 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7167 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7168 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7170 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7171 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7172 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7173 that it's a citation.
7175 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7176 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7177 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7179 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7180 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7181 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7183 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7184 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7185 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7186 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7192 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7193 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7194 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7195 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7196 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7197 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7198 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7199 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7204 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7207 @node Article Fontisizing
7208 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7210 @cindex article emphasis
7212 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7213 @kindex W e (Summary)
7214 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7215 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7216 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7217 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7219 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7220 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7221 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7222 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7223 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7224 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7225 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7226 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7230 (setq gnus-emphasis-alist
7231 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7232 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7241 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7242 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7243 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7244 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7245 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7246 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7247 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7248 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7249 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7250 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7251 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7252 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7253 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7255 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7256 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7257 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7261 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7264 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7266 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7267 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7268 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7269 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7271 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7274 @node Article Hiding
7275 @subsection Article Hiding
7276 @cindex article hiding
7278 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7279 too much cruft in most articles.
7284 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7285 @findex gnus-article-hide
7286 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7287 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7288 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7291 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7292 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7293 Toggle hiding of headers (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7297 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7298 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7299 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7300 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7303 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7304 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7305 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7309 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7310 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7311 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7312 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7313 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7314 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7315 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7316 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7320 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7321 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7322 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7323 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7328 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7329 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7330 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7331 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7332 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7333 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7334 articles that have signatures in them do:
7336 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7338 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7340 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7341 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7343 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7346 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7351 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7352 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7353 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7354 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7357 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7358 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7361 @cindex stripping advertisements
7362 @cindex advertisements
7363 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7364 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7365 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7366 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7367 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7368 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7369 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7370 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7371 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7372 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7376 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7377 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7378 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7379 customizing the hiding:
7383 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7384 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7385 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7386 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7387 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7388 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7389 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7394 Starting point of the hidden text.
7396 Ending point of the hidden text.
7398 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7400 Number of lines of hidden text.
7403 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7404 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7405 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7406 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7407 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7412 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7413 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7415 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7416 following two variables:
7419 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7420 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7421 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7422 50), hide the cited text.
7424 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7425 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7426 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7431 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7432 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7433 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7434 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7435 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7436 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7440 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7441 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7442 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7444 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7445 citation customization.
7447 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7451 @node Article Washing
7452 @subsection Article Washing
7454 @cindex article washing
7456 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7457 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7459 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7460 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7463 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7464 articles by default.
7469 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7470 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7474 @kindex W l (Summary)
7475 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7476 Remove page breaks from the current article
7477 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7481 @kindex W r (Summary)
7482 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7483 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7484 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7485 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7486 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7487 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7489 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7490 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7491 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7492 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7496 @kindex W t (Summary)
7498 @findex gnus-article-toggle-headers
7499 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7500 (@code{gnus-article-toggle-headers}).
7503 @kindex W v (Summary)
7504 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7505 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7506 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7509 @kindex W m (Summary)
7510 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-mime
7511 Toggle whether to run the article through @sc{mime} before displaying
7512 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-mime}).
7515 @kindex W o (Summary)
7516 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7517 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7520 @kindex W d (Summary)
7521 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7522 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7524 @cindex M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s
7526 Treat M****s*** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7527 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7528 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7529 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7532 Sm*rtq**t*s are M****s***'s unilateral extension to the character map in
7533 an attempt to provide more quoting characters. If you see something
7534 like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
7535 apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
7538 @kindex W w (Summary)
7539 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7540 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7542 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7546 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7547 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7548 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7551 @kindex W C (Summary)
7552 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7553 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7554 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7557 @kindex W c (Summary)
7558 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7559 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7560 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7561 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7562 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7565 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7566 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7567 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7568 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7569 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7570 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7571 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7573 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7576 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7577 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7578 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7579 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7580 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7583 @kindex W h (Summary)
7584 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7585 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7586 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7587 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7589 If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
7592 @kindex W f (Summary)
7594 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7595 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7596 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7597 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7604 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7605 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7606 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7607 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7608 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7609 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7610 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7611 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7612 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7613 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7614 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7615 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7616 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7617 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7618 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7619 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7620 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7621 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7622 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7623 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7627 @kindex W b (Summary)
7628 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7629 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7630 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7633 @kindex W B (Summary)
7634 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7635 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7636 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7639 @kindex W p (Summary)
7640 @findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
7641 Verify a signed control message (@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}).
7642 Control messages such as @code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are
7643 usually signed by the hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the PGP
7644 public key of the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
7645 message.@footnote{PGP keys for many hierarchies are available at
7646 @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
7649 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7650 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7651 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7652 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7655 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7656 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7657 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7658 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7661 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7662 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7663 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7664 lines with a single empty line.
7665 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7668 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7669 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7670 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7671 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7674 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7675 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7676 Do all the three commands above
7677 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7680 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7681 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7682 Remove all blank lines
7683 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7686 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7687 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7688 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7689 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7692 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7693 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7694 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7695 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7699 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7702 @node Article Buttons
7703 @subsection Article Buttons
7706 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7707 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7708 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7709 button on these references.
7711 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7712 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7713 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7718 @item gnus-button-alist
7719 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7720 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7723 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7729 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7730 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7731 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7734 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7735 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7736 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7739 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7740 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7741 avoid false matches.
7744 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7747 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7748 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7752 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7755 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7758 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7759 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7760 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7761 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7762 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7765 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7768 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7770 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7771 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7772 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7773 default values of the variables above.
7775 @item gnus-article-button-face
7776 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7777 Face used on buttons.
7779 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7780 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7781 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7785 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7789 @subsection Article Date
7791 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7792 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7793 when the article was sent.
7798 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7799 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7800 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7801 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7804 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7805 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7807 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7808 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7811 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7812 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7813 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7816 @kindex W T p (Summary)
7817 @findex gnus-article-date-english
7818 Display the date in a format that's easily pronounceable in English
7819 (@code{gnus-article-date-english}).
7822 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7823 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7824 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7825 @findex format-time-string
7826 Display the date using a user-defined format
7827 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7828 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7829 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7830 for a list of possible format specs.
7833 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7834 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7835 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7836 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7837 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7838 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7841 X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
7844 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7845 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7848 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7849 into wonderful absurdities.
7851 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7854 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7857 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7858 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7862 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7863 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7864 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7865 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7866 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7867 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7868 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7872 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7873 preferred format automatically.
7876 @node Article Signature
7877 @subsection Article Signature
7879 @cindex article signature
7881 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7882 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7883 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7884 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7885 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7886 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7887 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7888 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7889 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7892 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7893 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7894 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7895 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7896 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7897 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7898 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7899 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7902 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7905 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7906 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7907 signature when displaying articles.
7911 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7914 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7917 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7918 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7920 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7921 in question is not a signature.
7924 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7925 listed above. Here's an example:
7928 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7929 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7932 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7933 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7934 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7935 signature after all.
7938 @node Article Miscellania
7939 @subsection Article Miscellania
7943 @kindex A t (Summary)
7944 @findex gnus-article-babel
7945 Translate the article from one language to another
7946 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7952 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7953 @cindex MIME decoding
7955 @cindex viewing attachments
7957 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7958 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7964 @kindex K v (Summary)
7965 View the @sc{mime} part.
7968 @kindex K o (Summary)
7969 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7972 @kindex K c (Summary)
7973 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7976 @kindex K e (Summary)
7977 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7980 @kindex K i (Summary)
7981 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7984 @kindex K | (Summary)
7985 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7988 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7993 @kindex K b (Summary)
7994 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7995 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7999 @kindex K m (Summary)
8000 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
8001 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
8002 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
8003 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
8004 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
8007 @kindex X m (Summary)
8008 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
8009 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
8010 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
8011 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8014 @kindex M-t (Summary)
8015 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
8016 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
8017 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
8020 @kindex W M w (Summary)
8021 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
8022 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
8025 @kindex W M c (Summary)
8026 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
8027 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
8029 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
8030 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
8031 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
8032 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
8033 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
8034 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
8037 @kindex W M v (Summary)
8038 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
8039 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
8046 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
8047 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
8048 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8049 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
8052 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
8055 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
8059 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8060 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
8061 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
8062 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
8063 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
8065 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
8066 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
8067 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
8068 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
8069 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
8070 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
8071 save all jpegs into some directory).
8073 Here's an example function the does the latter:
8076 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
8077 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
8079 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
8080 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
8081 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
8082 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
8083 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
8086 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8087 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
8088 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
8090 @vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8091 @item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8092 List of functions used for rewriting file names of @sc{mime} parts.
8093 Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
8095 Ready-made functions include@*
8096 @code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
8097 @code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
8098 @code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
8099 @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
8100 the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
8101 whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
8102 is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
8103 @findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
8104 @findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8105 @findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8106 @findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8107 @vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
8109 The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
8110 @code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
8112 Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
8113 except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
8114 such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
8117 (setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
8118 '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
8119 mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
8120 mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
8124 to your @file{.gnus} file.
8133 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
8134 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
8135 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
8136 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
8137 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
8138 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
8139 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
8141 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
8142 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
8143 variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
8144 group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
8146 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
8147 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
8148 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
8149 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
8150 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
8151 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
8152 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
8153 something some agents insist on having in there.
8155 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
8156 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
8157 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
8158 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
8159 quoted-printable header encoding.
8161 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
8162 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
8163 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
8167 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
8170 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
8171 means encode all charsets),
8173 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
8174 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
8175 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
8182 @cindex coding system aliases
8183 @cindex preferred charset
8185 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8187 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8188 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8191 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8192 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8195 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8196 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8198 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8201 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8204 This will almost do the right thing.
8206 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8210 (codepage-setup 1251)
8211 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8215 @node Article Commands
8216 @section Article Commands
8223 @kindex A P (Summary)
8224 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8225 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8226 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8227 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8228 run just before printing the buffer.
8233 @node Summary Sorting
8234 @section Summary Sorting
8235 @cindex summary sorting
8237 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8238 can't really see why you'd want that.
8243 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8244 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8245 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8248 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8249 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8250 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8253 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8254 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8255 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8258 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8259 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8260 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8263 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8264 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8265 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8268 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8269 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8270 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8273 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8274 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8275 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8278 @kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
8279 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
8280 Sort using the default sorting method
8281 (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-original}).
8284 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8285 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8286 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8287 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8288 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8292 @node Finding the Parent
8293 @section Finding the Parent
8294 @cindex parent articles
8295 @cindex referring articles
8300 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8301 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8302 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8303 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8304 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8305 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8306 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8307 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8308 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8310 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8311 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8312 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, gnus will fetch the parent, the
8313 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8314 @kbd{-3 ^}, gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8318 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8319 @kindex A R (Summary)
8320 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8321 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8324 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8325 @kindex A T (Summary)
8326 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8327 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8328 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8329 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8330 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8331 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8332 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8334 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8335 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8336 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8337 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8338 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8339 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8342 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8343 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8345 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8346 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8347 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8348 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8349 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8350 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8351 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8354 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8355 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8356 by giving this command a prefix.
8358 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8359 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8360 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8361 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8362 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8363 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8366 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8367 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8368 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8371 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8372 then ask Deja if that fails:
8375 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8377 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8380 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8381 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8382 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8383 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8384 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8385 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8388 @node Alternative Approaches
8389 @section Alternative Approaches
8391 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8392 gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8395 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8396 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8401 @subsection Pick and Read
8402 @cindex pick and read
8404 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8405 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8406 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8407 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8409 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8410 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8411 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8412 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8413 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8414 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8416 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8421 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8422 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8423 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8424 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8425 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8426 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8427 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8428 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8431 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8432 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8433 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8434 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8438 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8439 Unpick the thread or article
8440 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8441 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8442 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8443 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8444 the thread or article at that line.
8448 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8449 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8450 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8451 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8452 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8453 will still be visible when you are reading.
8457 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8458 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8459 which is mapped to the same function
8460 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8462 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8465 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8468 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8469 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8471 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8472 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8473 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8475 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8476 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8477 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8478 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8479 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8480 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8481 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8485 @subsection Binary Groups
8486 @cindex binary groups
8488 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8489 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8490 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8491 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8492 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8493 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8494 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8497 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8498 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8499 command, when you have turned on this mode
8500 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8502 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8503 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8507 @section Tree Display
8510 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8511 If you don't like the normal gnus summary display, you might try setting
8512 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8513 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8516 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8519 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8520 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8521 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8523 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8524 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8525 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8526 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8527 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8529 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8530 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8531 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8532 default is @code{modeline}.
8534 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8535 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8536 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8537 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8538 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8539 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8540 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8546 The name of the poster.
8548 The @code{From} header.
8550 The number of the article.
8552 The opening bracket.
8554 The closing bracket.
8559 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8561 Variables related to the display are:
8564 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8565 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8566 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8567 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8568 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8569 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8571 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8572 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8573 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8574 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8578 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8579 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8580 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, gnus will try to keep the tree
8581 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other gnus
8582 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8583 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8584 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8585 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8586 other windows displayed next to it.
8588 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8589 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8590 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8591 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8592 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8593 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8594 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8598 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8601 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8611 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8615 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8616 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8618 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8620 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8625 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8626 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8627 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8630 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8631 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8632 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8633 (gnus-add-configuration
8637 (summary 0.75 point)
8642 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8645 @node Mail Group Commands
8646 @section Mail Group Commands
8647 @cindex mail group commands
8649 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8650 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8652 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8653 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8658 @kindex B e (Summary)
8659 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8660 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
8661 process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
8662 expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
8663 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
8666 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8667 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8668 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8669 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8670 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8671 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8674 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8675 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8676 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8677 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8678 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8679 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8682 @kindex B m (Summary)
8684 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8685 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8686 Move the article from one mail group to another
8687 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8688 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8691 @kindex B c (Summary)
8693 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8694 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8695 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8696 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8697 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8700 @kindex B B (Summary)
8701 @cindex crosspost mail
8702 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8703 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8704 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8705 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8706 be properly updated.
8709 @kindex B i (Summary)
8710 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8711 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8712 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8713 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8716 @kindex B r (Summary)
8717 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8718 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8719 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8720 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8721 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8722 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8723 (which is the default).
8727 @kindex B w (Summary)
8729 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8730 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8731 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8732 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8733 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8734 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8737 @kindex B q (Summary)
8738 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8739 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8740 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8741 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8744 @kindex B t (Summary)
8745 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8746 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8747 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8750 @kindex B p (Summary)
8751 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8752 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8753 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8754 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8755 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8756 article from your news server (or rather, from
8757 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8758 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8759 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8760 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8761 just not have arrived yet.
8765 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8766 @cindex moving articles
8767 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have gnus
8768 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8769 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8770 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8771 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8772 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8773 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8776 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8777 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8778 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8779 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8783 @node Various Summary Stuff
8784 @section Various Summary Stuff
8787 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8788 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8789 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8790 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8794 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8795 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8796 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8798 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8799 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8800 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8801 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8802 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8803 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8806 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8807 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8808 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8809 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8810 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8812 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8813 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8814 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8817 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8818 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8819 When gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8820 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8821 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8822 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8823 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), gnus will rename the
8824 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8825 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8826 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8828 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8829 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8830 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8831 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8832 list of articles to be selected.
8834 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8835 the list in one particular group:
8838 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8839 (if (string= group "some.group")
8840 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8847 @node Summary Group Information
8848 @subsection Summary Group Information
8853 @kindex H f (Summary)
8854 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8855 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8856 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8857 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8858 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8859 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8860 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8861 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8862 be used for fetching the file.
8865 @kindex H d (Summary)
8866 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8867 Give a brief description of the current group
8868 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8869 rereading the description from the server.
8872 @kindex H h (Summary)
8873 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8874 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8875 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8878 @kindex H i (Summary)
8879 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8880 Go to the gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8884 @node Searching for Articles
8885 @subsection Searching for Articles
8890 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8891 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8892 Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
8893 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8896 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8897 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8898 Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
8899 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8903 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8904 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8905 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8906 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8907 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8908 search backward instead.
8910 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8911 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8914 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8915 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8916 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8917 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8920 @node Summary Generation Commands
8921 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8926 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8927 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8928 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8931 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8932 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8933 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8934 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8939 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8940 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8946 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8947 @kindex A D (Summary)
8948 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8949 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8950 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8951 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8952 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8953 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8954 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8955 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8959 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8960 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8961 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8962 several documents into one biiig group
8963 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8964 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8965 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8966 command understands the process/prefix convention
8967 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8970 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8971 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8972 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8973 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8974 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8975 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8979 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8980 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8981 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8984 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8985 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8986 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8987 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8990 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8991 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8992 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8993 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8998 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8999 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
9000 @cindex summary exit
9001 @cindex exiting groups
9003 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
9004 group and return you to the group buffer.
9010 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
9012 @findex gnus-summary-exit
9013 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
9014 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
9015 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
9016 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
9017 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
9018 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
9019 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
9020 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
9021 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
9022 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
9026 @kindex Z E (Summary)
9028 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
9029 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
9030 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
9034 @kindex Z c (Summary)
9036 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
9037 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
9038 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
9039 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
9042 @kindex Z C (Summary)
9043 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
9044 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
9045 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
9048 @kindex Z n (Summary)
9049 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
9050 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
9051 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
9054 @kindex Z R (Summary)
9055 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
9056 Exit this group, and then enter it again
9057 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
9058 all articles, both read and unread.
9062 @kindex Z G (Summary)
9063 @kindex M-g (Summary)
9064 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
9065 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
9066 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
9067 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
9068 articles, both read and unread.
9071 @kindex Z N (Summary)
9072 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
9073 Exit the group and go to the next group
9074 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
9077 @kindex Z P (Summary)
9078 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
9079 Exit the group and go to the previous group
9080 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
9083 @kindex Z s (Summary)
9084 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
9085 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
9086 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
9087 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
9088 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
9091 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
9092 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
9093 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
9094 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
9096 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
9097 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
9098 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
9099 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
9100 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
9101 If you do that, gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
9102 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
9103 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
9104 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
9105 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
9106 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
9107 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
9109 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
9111 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
9112 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
9113 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
9114 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
9115 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
9116 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
9117 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
9118 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
9119 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
9122 @node Crosspost Handling
9123 @section Crosspost Handling
9127 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
9128 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
9129 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
9130 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
9131 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
9132 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
9135 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
9136 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
9137 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
9138 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
9139 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
9141 @cindex cross-posting
9144 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
9145 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
9146 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
9147 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
9148 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
9149 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
9150 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
9151 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
9152 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
9153 the cross reference mechanism.
9155 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
9156 @cindex overview.fmt
9157 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
9158 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
9159 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
9160 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
9161 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
9162 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
9165 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
9166 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
9167 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
9172 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
9175 @node Duplicate Suppression
9176 @section Duplicate Suppression
9178 By default, gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
9179 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
9180 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
9181 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
9186 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
9187 is evil and not very common.
9190 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
9191 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9194 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9195 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9198 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9201 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9202 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9204 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9205 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9206 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9207 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9208 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9209 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9210 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9213 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9214 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9215 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9216 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9217 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9221 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9222 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9223 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9225 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9226 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9227 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9228 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9229 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single gnus
9230 session are suppressed.
9232 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9233 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9234 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9235 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9237 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9238 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9239 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9240 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9243 If you have a tendency to stop and start gnus often, setting
9244 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9245 you leave gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9246 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9247 so that means that if you stop and start gnus often, you should set
9248 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9249 to you to figure out, I think.
9254 Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
9259 To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
9265 @item mm-verify-option
9266 @vindex mm-verify-option
9267 Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
9268 @code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
9269 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9271 @item mm-decrypt-option
9272 @vindex mm-decrypt-option
9273 Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
9274 @code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
9275 protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
9279 @node Article Buffer
9280 @chapter Article Buffer
9281 @cindex article buffer
9283 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9284 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9285 tell gnus otherwise.
9288 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9289 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9290 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9291 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9292 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9296 @node Hiding Headers
9297 @section Hiding Headers
9298 @cindex hiding headers
9299 @cindex deleting headers
9301 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9302 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9304 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9305 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9306 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9307 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9308 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9309 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9310 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9311 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9312 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9314 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9318 @item gnus-visible-headers
9319 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9320 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9321 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9322 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9324 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9325 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9328 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9331 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9334 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9335 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9336 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9337 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9338 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9339 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9341 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} field
9342 and the @code{Xref} field, you might say:
9345 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9348 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9351 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9352 variable will have no effect.
9356 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9357 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9358 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9359 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9360 the headers are to be displayed.
9362 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9363 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9366 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9369 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9370 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9372 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9373 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9374 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9375 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
9376 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9377 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9378 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9381 These conditions are:
9384 Remove all empty headers.
9386 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9387 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9389 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9392 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9395 Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
9396 the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
9398 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9401 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9403 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9406 To include these three elements, you could say something like;
9409 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9410 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9413 This is also the default value for this variable.
9417 @section Using @sc{mime}
9420 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9421 while people stand around yawning.
9423 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9424 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9426 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9427 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9428 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9430 @vindex gnus-show-mime
9431 @vindex gnus-article-display-method-for-mime
9432 @vindex gnus-strict-mime
9433 @findex gnus-article-display-mime-message
9434 Gnus handles @sc{mime} by pushing the articles through
9435 @code{gnus-article-display-method-for-mime}, which is
9436 @code{gnus-article-display-mime-message} by default. This function
9437 calls the SEMI MIME-View program to actually do the work. For more
9438 information on SEMI MIME-View, see its manual page (however it is not
9439 existed yet, sorry).
9441 Set @code{gnus-show-mime} to @code{t} if you want to use
9442 @sc{mime} all the time. However, if @code{gnus-strict-mime} is
9443 non-@code{nil}, the @sc{mime} method will only be used if there are
9444 @sc{mime} headers in the article. If you have @code{gnus-show-mime}
9445 set, then you'll see some unfortunate display glitches in the article
9446 buffer. These can't be avoided.
9448 In GNUS or Gnus, it might be best to just use the toggling functions
9449 from the summary buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance,
9450 you enter the group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it,
9451 @sc{mime} has decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible
9452 sing-a-long song comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find
9453 the volume button, because there isn't one, and people are starting to
9454 look at you, and you try to stop the program, but you can't, and you
9455 can't find the program to control the volume, and everybody else in the
9456 room suddenly decides to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel
9459 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9461 To avoid such kind of situation, gnus stops to use
9462 @code{metamail-buffer}. So now, you can set @code{gnus-show-mime} to
9463 non-@code{nil} every-time, then you can push button in the article
9464 buffer when there are nobody else.
9466 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9469 @node Customizing Articles
9470 @section Customizing Articles
9471 @cindex article customization
9473 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9474 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9475 called automatically when you select the articles.
9477 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9478 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9479 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9480 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9482 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9483 for sensible values.
9487 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9490 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9493 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9496 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9499 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9503 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9504 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9505 regexps in the list.
9508 A list where the first element is not a string:
9510 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9511 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9512 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9516 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9520 @code{mime}: Do this treatment if the value of @code{gnus-show-mime}' is
9525 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9526 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9527 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9528 considered to contain just a single part.
9530 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9531 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9532 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9533 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9534 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9535 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9536 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9538 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9539 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9540 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9541 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9544 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9545 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9546 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9547 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9548 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9549 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9550 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9551 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9552 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9553 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9554 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
9555 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9556 @item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
9557 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9558 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9559 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9560 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9561 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9562 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9563 @item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
9564 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9565 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9566 @item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
9567 @item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
9568 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9569 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9570 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9571 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9572 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9573 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9574 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9575 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9576 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9577 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9578 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9579 @item gnus-treat-translate
9580 @item gnus-treat-decode-article-as-default-mime-charset
9583 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9584 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9585 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9586 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9587 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9591 @node Article Keymap
9592 @section Article Keymap
9594 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9595 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9596 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9597 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9600 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9605 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9606 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9607 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9610 @kindex DEL (Article)
9611 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9612 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9615 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9616 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9617 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9618 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9619 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9622 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9623 @findex gnus-article-mail
9624 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9625 given a prefix, include the mail.
9629 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9630 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9631 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9635 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9636 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9637 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9640 @kindex TAB (Article)
9641 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9642 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9643 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9646 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9647 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9648 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9654 @section Misc Article
9658 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9659 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9660 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9661 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9664 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9665 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9667 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9668 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9670 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9671 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9672 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9673 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9674 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9675 the contents of the article buffer.
9677 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9678 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9679 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9681 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9682 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9683 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9684 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9686 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9687 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9688 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9689 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9690 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9695 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9696 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9699 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9702 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9704 @item gnus-break-pages
9705 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9706 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9707 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9708 paging will not be done.
9710 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9711 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9712 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9717 @node Composing Messages
9718 @chapter Composing Messages
9719 @cindex composing messages
9722 @cindex sending mail
9728 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9729 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9730 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9731 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9732 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9733 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9736 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9737 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9738 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9739 * Archived Messages:: Where gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9740 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9741 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9742 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9743 * Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
9746 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9747 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9753 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9756 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9757 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9758 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9759 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9761 @item gnus-add-to-list
9762 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9763 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9764 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9769 @node Posting Server
9770 @section Posting Server
9772 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9773 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9775 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9777 @vindex gnus-post-method
9779 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
9780 select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
9781 you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
9782 However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
9783 just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9784 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9785 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9788 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9791 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9792 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9793 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9794 the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
9796 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9797 gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9799 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9800 If that's the case, gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9803 Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
9804 you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
9808 @section Mail and Post
9810 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9814 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9815 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9816 @cindex mailing lists
9818 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9819 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9820 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9821 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9822 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9823 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9824 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9825 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9826 still a pain, though.
9830 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9831 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9832 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9835 @findex ispell-message
9837 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9840 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9841 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9844 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9848 "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
9849 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9851 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9854 Modify to suit your needs.
9857 @node Archived Messages
9858 @section Archived Messages
9859 @cindex archived messages
9860 @cindex sent messages
9862 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9863 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9864 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9865 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9868 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9869 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server gnus is to
9870 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9874 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9875 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9876 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9877 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9880 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9881 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9882 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9883 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9886 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9887 '(nnfolder "archive"
9888 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9889 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9890 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9893 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9895 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9896 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9897 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9899 This variable can be used to do the following:
9903 Messages will be saved in that group.
9905 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9906 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9907 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9908 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9909 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9910 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9911 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9912 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9914 @item a list of strings
9915 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9916 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9917 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9919 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9924 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9926 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9929 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9931 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9934 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9936 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9937 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9938 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9939 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9944 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9945 '((if (message-news-p)
9950 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9951 messages in one file per month:
9954 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9955 '((if (message-news-p)
9957 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9960 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9961 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9963 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9964 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9965 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9966 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9967 gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9968 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9969 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9970 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9971 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9972 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9974 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9975 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9976 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9977 this will disable archiving.
9980 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9981 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9982 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9983 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9984 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9987 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9988 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9989 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9992 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9993 but the latter is the preferred method.
9995 @item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9996 @vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
9997 If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
10002 @node Posting Styles
10003 @section Posting Styles
10004 @cindex posting styles
10007 All them variables, they make my head swim.
10009 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
10010 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
10011 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
10014 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
10015 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
10016 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
10017 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
10018 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
10023 (signature "Peace and happiness")
10024 (organization "What me?"))
10026 (signature "Death to everybody"))
10027 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
10028 (organization "Emacs is it")))
10031 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
10032 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
10033 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
10034 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
10035 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
10036 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
10037 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
10038 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
10040 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
10041 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
10042 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
10043 next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
10044 the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
10045 will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
10046 variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
10047 @code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
10048 then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
10050 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
10051 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
10052 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
10053 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
10054 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
10055 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
10056 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
10057 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
10058 result is thrown away.
10060 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
10061 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
10062 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
10063 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
10064 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
10065 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
10067 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
10068 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
10069 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
10071 @findex message-mail-p
10072 @findex message-news-p
10074 So here's a new example:
10077 (setq gnus-posting-styles
10079 (signature-file "~/.signature")
10081 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
10082 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
10084 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
10085 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
10086 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
10088 (signature my-news-signature))
10089 (header "to" "larsi.*org"
10090 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
10091 ((posting-from-work-p)
10092 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
10093 (address "user@@bar.foo")
10094 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
10095 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
10097 (From (save-excursion
10098 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
10099 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
10101 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
10104 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
10105 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
10106 if you fill many roles.
10113 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
10114 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
10115 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
10116 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
10117 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
10119 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
10120 some sort using the gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
10121 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
10122 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
10123 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
10127 @vindex nndraft-directory
10128 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
10129 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
10130 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
10131 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
10132 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
10133 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
10135 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
10136 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
10139 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
10140 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
10141 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
10142 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
10143 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
10144 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
10145 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
10146 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
10147 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
10148 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
10149 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
10150 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
10151 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
10152 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
10154 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
10155 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
10156 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
10158 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
10159 @kindex D e (Draft)
10160 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
10161 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
10162 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
10164 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
10167 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
10168 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
10169 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
10170 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
10171 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
10172 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
10173 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
10176 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
10177 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
10178 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
10181 @node Rejected Articles
10182 @section Rejected Articles
10183 @cindex rejected articles
10185 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
10186 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
10187 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
10188 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
10190 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of gnus.
10191 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
10192 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
10193 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So gnus saves these
10194 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
10196 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
10197 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
10198 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
10204 Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
10205 @code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
10206 verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
10208 To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
10209 @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10213 (setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
10214 (setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
10217 The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
10218 to 700, for your own safety.
10220 If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
10221 @file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
10225 exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
10228 If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
10229 your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
10232 (setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
10235 To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
10236 menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
10237 C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
10238 p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
10239 encrypt using S/MIME.
10241 Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
10242 you've typed it correctly.
10244 @node Select Methods
10245 @chapter Select Methods
10246 @cindex foreign groups
10247 @cindex select methods
10249 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10250 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10251 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10252 personal mail group.
10254 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10255 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10256 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10257 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10258 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10259 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10261 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10262 we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
10264 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10267 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10268 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10269 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10270 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10271 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10273 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10276 * Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10277 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10278 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10279 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10280 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10281 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10282 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10286 @node Server Buffer
10287 @section Server Buffer
10289 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10290 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10291 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10292 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10293 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10294 backend represents a virtual server.
10296 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10297 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10298 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10299 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10301 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10302 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10303 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10304 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10305 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10306 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10307 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10309 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10310 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10313 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10314 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10315 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10316 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10317 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10318 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10319 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10322 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10323 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10326 @node Server Buffer Format
10327 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10328 @cindex server buffer format
10330 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10331 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10332 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10333 variable, with some simple extensions:
10338 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10341 The name of this server.
10344 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10347 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10350 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10351 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10352 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10353 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10363 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10366 @node Server Commands
10367 @subsection Server Commands
10368 @cindex server commands
10374 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10375 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10379 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10380 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10383 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10384 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10385 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10389 @findex gnus-server-exit
10390 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10394 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10395 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10399 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10400 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10404 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10405 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10409 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10410 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10414 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10415 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10416 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10421 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10422 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10423 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10424 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10429 @node Example Methods
10430 @subsection Example Methods
10432 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10435 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10438 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10444 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10445 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10448 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10449 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10451 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10452 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10456 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10459 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10460 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10462 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10463 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10464 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10468 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10471 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10474 Here's the method for a public spool:
10478 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10479 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10485 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10486 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10487 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10488 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10489 should probably look something like this:
10493 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
10494 (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
10495 (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
10496 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
10499 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10500 compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
10501 configuration to the example above:
10504 (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
10507 If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
10508 through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
10509 telnet connection to the news server as follows:
10513 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
10514 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
10515 (nntp-address "the.news.server")
10516 (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
10519 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10520 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10521 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10522 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10525 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10526 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10528 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10529 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10531 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10532 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10533 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10535 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10537 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10538 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10539 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10540 will contain the following:
10550 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10551 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10552 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10555 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10556 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10557 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10560 @node Server Variables
10561 @subsection Server Variables
10563 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10564 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10565 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10566 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10567 won't change the "derived" variables.
10569 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10570 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10571 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10572 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10573 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10574 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10575 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10576 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10577 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10581 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10582 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10583 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10587 @node Servers and Methods
10588 @subsection Servers and Methods
10590 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10591 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10592 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10593 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10597 @node Unavailable Servers
10598 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10600 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10601 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10602 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10603 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10604 actually the case or not.
10606 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10607 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10608 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10609 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10610 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10611 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10612 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10613 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10615 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10616 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10618 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{Server Buffer}) and poke it
10619 with the following commands:
10625 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10626 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10627 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10631 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10632 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10633 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10637 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10638 Mark the current server as unreachable
10639 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10642 @kindex M-o (Server)
10643 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10644 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10645 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10648 @kindex M-c (Server)
10649 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10650 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10651 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10655 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10656 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10657 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10663 @section Getting News
10664 @cindex reading news
10665 @cindex news backends
10667 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10668 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10669 or it can read from a local spool.
10672 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10673 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10678 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10681 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10682 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10683 server as the, uhm, address.
10685 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10686 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10687 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10688 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10690 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10691 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10692 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10694 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10699 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10700 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10701 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10703 @cindex authentification
10704 @cindex nntp authentification
10705 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10706 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10707 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10708 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10709 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10710 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10711 present in this hook.
10713 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10714 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10715 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10716 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10717 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10718 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10719 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10720 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10721 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10722 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10723 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10724 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10728 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10731 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10733 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10734 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10735 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10736 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10737 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10738 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10739 @samp{force} is explained below.
10743 Here's an example file:
10746 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10747 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10750 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10751 have to be first, for instance.
10753 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10754 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10755 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10756 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10757 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10758 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10759 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10761 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10762 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10768 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10769 previously mentioned.
10771 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10773 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10774 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10775 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10776 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10777 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10780 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10781 '(("innd" (ding))))
10784 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10786 The default value is
10789 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10790 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
10791 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10794 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10795 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10797 @item nntp-maximum-request
10798 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10799 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10800 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10801 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10802 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10803 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10804 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10806 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10807 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10808 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10809 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10810 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10811 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10812 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10813 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10814 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10815 no timeouts are done.
10817 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10818 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10819 @c @cindex PPP connections
10820 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10821 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10822 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10823 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10824 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10825 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10826 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10827 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10828 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10829 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10831 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10832 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10833 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10834 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10835 @c described above.
10837 @item nntp-server-hook
10838 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10839 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10842 @item nntp-buggy-select
10843 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10844 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10846 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10847 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10848 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10849 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10852 @item nntp-xover-commands
10853 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10856 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10857 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10861 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10862 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10863 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10864 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10865 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10866 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10867 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10868 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10869 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10870 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10871 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10873 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10874 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10875 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10877 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10878 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10879 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10880 server closes connection.
10882 @item nntp-record-commands
10883 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10884 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10885 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10886 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10887 that doesn't seem to work.
10889 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10890 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10891 It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
10892 be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
10893 parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
10894 Five pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped in
10895 two categories: direct connection functions (three pre-made), and
10896 indirect ones (two pre-made).
10898 @item nntp-list-options
10899 @vindex nntp-list-options
10900 List of newsgroup name used for a option of the LIST command to restrict
10901 the listing output to only the specified newsgroups. Each newsgroup name
10902 can be a shell-style wildcard, for instance, @dfn{fj.*}, @dfn{japan.*},
10903 etc. Fortunately, if the server can accept such a option, it will
10904 probably make gnus run faster. You may use it as a server variable as
10908 (setq gnus-select-method
10909 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10910 (nntp-list-options ("fj.*" "japan.*"))))
10913 @item nntp-options-subscribe
10914 @vindex nntp-options-subscribe
10915 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will be subscribed
10916 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10917 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10918 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10919 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10922 (setq gnus-select-method
10923 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10924 (nntp-options-subscribe "^fj\\.\\|^japan\\.")))
10927 @item nntp-options-not-subscribe
10928 @vindex nntp-options-not-subscribe
10929 Regexp matching the newsgroup names which will not be subscribed
10930 unconditionally. Use @dfn{ } instead of @dfn{$} for a regexp string.
10931 It may be effective as well as @code{nntp-list-options} even though the
10932 server could not accept a shell-style wildcard as a option of the LIST
10933 command. You may use it as a server variable as follows:
10936 (setq gnus-select-method
10937 '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"
10938 (nntp-options-not-subscribe "\\.binaries\\.")))
10943 * Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
10944 * Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
10945 * Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
10949 @node Direct Functions
10950 @subsubsection Direct Functions
10951 @cindex direct connection functions
10953 These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
10954 between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server. The behavior of these
10955 functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
10956 (@pxref{Common Variables}).
10959 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10960 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10961 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10964 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10965 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10966 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10967 you must have SSLay installed
10968 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10969 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10970 define a server as follows:
10973 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10975 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10977 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10978 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10979 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10980 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10983 @findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
10984 @item nntp-open-telnet-stream
10985 Opens a connection to an @sc{nntp} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
10986 it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
10987 default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
10988 of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
10989 connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
10990 @code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
10994 (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
10995 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
10996 (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
10999 With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
11000 session, which is not a good idea.
11004 @node Indirect Functions
11005 @subsubsection Indirect Functions
11006 @cindex indirect connection functions
11008 These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
11009 intermediate host before actually connecting to the @sc{nntp} server.
11010 All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
11011 the "via" family of connection: they're all prefixed with "via" to make
11012 things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
11013 commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
11016 @item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11017 @findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
11018 Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
11019 to the real @sc{nntp} server from there. This is useful for instance if
11020 you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
11022 @code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11025 @item nntp-via-rlogin-command
11026 @vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
11027 Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
11028 @samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
11031 @item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11032 @findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
11033 Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
11034 @samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
11036 @code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
11039 @item nntp-via-telnet-command
11040 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
11041 Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
11044 @item nntp-via-telnet-switches
11045 @vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
11046 List of strings to be used as the switches to the
11047 @code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
11049 @item nntp-via-user-password
11050 @vindex nntp-via-user-password
11051 Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
11053 @item nntp-via-envuser
11054 @vindex nntp-via-envuser
11055 If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
11056 server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
11057 login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
11059 @item nntp-via-shell-prompt
11060 @vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
11061 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
11062 is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
11069 Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
11074 @item nntp-via-user-name
11075 @vindex nntp-via-user-name
11076 User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
11078 @item nntp-via-address
11079 @vindex nntp-via-address
11080 Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
11085 @node Common Variables
11086 @subsubsection Common Variables
11088 The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
11089 pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
11094 @item nntp-pre-command
11095 @vindex nntp-pre-command
11096 A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native connection
11097 function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream} and
11098 @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}. This is where you would put a @samp{SOCKS}
11099 wrapper for instance.
11102 @vindex nntp-address
11103 The address of the @sc{nntp} server.
11105 @item nntp-port-number
11106 @vindex nntp-port-number
11107 Port number to connect to the @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{nntp}.
11109 @item nntp-end-of-line
11110 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
11111 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
11112 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
11113 using a non native connection function.
11115 @item nntp-telnet-command
11116 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
11117 Command to use when connecting to the @sc{nntp} server through
11118 @samp{telnet}. This is NOT for an intermediate host. This is just for
11119 the real @sc{nntp} server. The default is @samp{telnet}.
11121 @item nntp-telnet-switches
11122 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
11123 A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
11130 @subsection News Spool
11134 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
11135 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
11136 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
11139 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
11140 anything else) as the address.
11142 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
11143 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
11144 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
11145 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
11149 @item nnspool-inews-program
11150 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
11151 Program used to post an article.
11153 @item nnspool-inews-switches
11154 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
11155 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
11157 @item nnspool-spool-directory
11158 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
11159 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
11160 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
11162 @item nnspool-nov-directory
11163 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
11164 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
11165 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
11167 @item nnspool-lib-dir
11168 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
11169 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
11171 @item nnspool-active-file
11172 @vindex nnspool-active-file
11173 The path to the active file.
11175 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
11176 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
11177 The path to the group descriptions file.
11179 @item nnspool-history-file
11180 @vindex nnspool-history-file
11181 The path to the news history file.
11183 @item nnspool-active-times-file
11184 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
11185 The path to the active date file.
11187 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
11188 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
11189 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
11192 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11193 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
11195 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
11196 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
11197 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
11203 @section Getting Mail
11204 @cindex reading mail
11207 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
11211 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
11212 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
11213 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
11214 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
11215 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
11216 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
11217 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
11218 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
11219 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
11220 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
11221 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
11222 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
11223 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
11227 @node Mail in a Newsreader
11228 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
11230 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
11231 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
11232 of a culture shock.
11234 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
11235 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
11237 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
11238 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
11239 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
11240 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
11242 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
11244 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
11245 deleted? How awful!
11247 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
11248 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
11249 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
11250 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
11253 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
11254 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
11255 they want to treat a message.
11257 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
11258 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
11259 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
11260 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
11261 archived somewhere else.
11263 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
11264 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
11265 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
11266 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
11267 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
11269 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
11270 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
11271 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
11273 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
11274 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
11277 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
11278 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
11279 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
11280 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
11281 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
11283 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
11284 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
11285 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
11286 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
11287 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
11288 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
11292 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
11293 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
11295 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
11296 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
11297 and things will happen automatically.
11299 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
11300 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
11303 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
11304 '((nnml "private")))
11307 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
11308 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
11309 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
11310 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
11311 like any other group.
11313 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
11316 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11317 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11318 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11322 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
11323 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
11324 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
11327 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
11328 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
11329 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
11332 @node Splitting Mail
11333 @subsection Splitting Mail
11334 @cindex splitting mail
11335 @cindex mail splitting
11337 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
11338 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
11339 to be split into groups.
11342 (setq nnmail-split-methods
11343 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
11344 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
11345 ("mail.other" "")))
11348 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
11349 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
11350 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
11351 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
11352 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
11353 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
11354 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
11357 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
11360 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
11361 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
11362 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
11363 mail belongs in that group.
11365 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
11366 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
11367 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
11368 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11369 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11370 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11372 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11373 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11374 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11375 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11376 thinks should carry this mail message.
11378 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11379 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11380 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11381 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11383 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11384 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11385 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11386 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11387 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11389 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11392 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11393 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11394 links. If that's the case for you, set
11395 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11396 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11398 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11399 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11400 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11401 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11402 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11403 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11406 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11407 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11408 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11409 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11410 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11411 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11412 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11413 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11414 month's rent money.
11418 @subsection Mail Sources
11420 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11421 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11425 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11426 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11427 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11431 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11432 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11434 @cindex mail server
11437 @cindex mail source
11439 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11440 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11445 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11448 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11449 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11450 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11453 The following mail source types are available:
11457 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11463 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11464 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11467 An example file mail source:
11470 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11473 Or using the default path:
11479 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11480 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11481 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11484 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11488 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11491 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11495 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11498 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11500 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11503 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11507 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11508 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11509 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
11510 scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
11511 to scan mail groups at a specified level.
11517 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11521 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11525 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11526 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11527 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11528 predicate are considered.
11532 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11536 An example directory mail source:
11539 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11544 Get mail from a POP server.
11550 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11551 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11554 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
11555 @samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11556 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11557 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11558 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11561 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11565 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11569 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
11570 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11573 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11576 The valid format specifier characters are:
11580 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11581 included in this string.
11584 The name of the server.
11587 The port number of the server.
11590 The user name to use.
11593 The password to use.
11596 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11597 corresponding keywords.
11600 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11601 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11604 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11605 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11608 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11609 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11612 @item :authentication
11613 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11614 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11619 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11620 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11622 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11623 default user name, and default fetcher:
11629 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11632 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11633 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11636 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11639 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11643 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11644 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11645 contains exactly one mail.
11651 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11652 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11655 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11656 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11658 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11659 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11660 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11663 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11664 from locking problems).
11668 Two example maildir mail sources:
11671 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
11672 :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11676 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
11681 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
11682 as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
11683 some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
11684 and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
11691 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11692 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11695 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11696 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11699 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11703 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11707 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11708 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11709 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11711 @item :authentication
11712 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11713 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11714 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11718 When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
11719 mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
11720 @code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
11726 The valid format specifier characters are:
11730 The name of the server.
11733 User name from `imap-default-user'.
11736 The port number of the server.
11739 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11740 corresponding keywords.
11743 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11744 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11747 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11748 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11749 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11750 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11751 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11752 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11755 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11756 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11757 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11758 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11761 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11762 after finishing the fetch.
11766 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11769 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
11771 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11775 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11776 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11778 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11781 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11782 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11784 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11790 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11791 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11794 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11798 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11802 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11803 folder after finishing the fetch.
11807 An example webmail source:
11810 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail
11812 :password "secret")
11817 @item Common Keywords
11818 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11824 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11825 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11829 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11834 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11835 useful when you use local mail and news.
11840 @subsubsection Function Interface
11842 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11843 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11844 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11845 consider the following mail-source setting:
11848 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11849 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11852 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11853 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11854 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11855 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11856 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11858 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11861 @node Mail Source Customization
11862 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11864 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11865 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11869 @item mail-source-crash-box
11870 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11871 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11872 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11874 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11875 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11876 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11878 @item mail-source-directory
11879 @vindex mail-source-directory
11880 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11881 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11882 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11885 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11886 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11887 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11888 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11889 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11890 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11892 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11893 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11894 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11899 @node Fetching Mail
11900 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11902 @vindex mail-sources
11903 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11904 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11905 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11906 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11908 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11909 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11912 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11913 mail server, you'd say something like:
11918 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11919 :password "secret")))
11922 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11926 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11927 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11930 :password "secret")))
11934 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11935 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11936 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11937 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11938 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11939 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11943 @node Mail Backend Variables
11944 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11946 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11950 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11951 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11952 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11953 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11955 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11956 @item nnmail-split-hook
11957 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11958 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11959 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11960 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11961 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11962 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11963 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11964 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11965 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11968 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11969 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11970 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11971 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11972 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11973 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11974 starting to handle the new mail) and
11975 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11976 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11977 default file modes the new mail files get:
11980 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11981 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11983 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11984 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11987 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11988 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11989 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11990 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11991 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11992 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11993 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11995 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11996 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11997 @findex delete-file
11998 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
12000 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12001 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12002 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
12003 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
12004 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
12009 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
12010 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
12011 @cindex mail splitting
12012 @cindex fancy mail splitting
12014 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
12015 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
12016 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
12017 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
12018 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
12019 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
12021 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
12024 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
12025 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
12026 ;; from real errors.
12027 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
12029 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
12030 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
12031 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
12032 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
12033 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
12034 ;; Other mailing lists...
12035 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
12036 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
12037 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
12038 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
12039 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
12040 ;; message was really cross-posted.
12041 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
12042 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
12044 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
12045 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
12049 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
12050 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
12051 the five possible split syntaxes:
12056 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
12057 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
12061 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
12062 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
12063 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
12064 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
12065 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
12066 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
12067 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
12068 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
12071 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12072 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
12073 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
12074 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
12077 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12078 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
12081 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
12082 this message. Use with extreme caution.
12085 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
12086 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
12087 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
12088 function should return a @var{split}.
12091 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
12092 body of the messages:
12095 (defun split-on-body ()
12097 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
12098 (goto-char (point-min))
12099 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
12103 The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
12104 when the @code{:} function is run.
12107 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
12108 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
12109 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
12113 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
12117 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
12118 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
12119 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
12120 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
12121 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
12123 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
12124 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
12125 are expanded as specified by the variable
12126 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
12127 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
12130 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
12131 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
12132 when all this splitting is performed.
12134 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
12135 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
12136 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
12139 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
12142 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
12143 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
12145 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
12146 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
12147 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
12148 groupings 1 through 9.
12150 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
12151 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
12152 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
12153 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
12154 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
12155 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
12156 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
12157 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
12158 it once per thread.
12160 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
12161 non-nil value. And then you can include
12162 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
12164 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12165 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
12166 ;; other splits go here
12170 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
12171 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
12172 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
12173 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
12174 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
12175 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
12176 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
12177 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
12178 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
12179 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
12180 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
12181 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
12183 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
12184 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
12185 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
12186 messages goes into the new group.
12189 @node Group Mail Splitting
12190 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
12191 @cindex mail splitting
12192 @cindex group mail splitting
12194 @findex gnus-group-split
12195 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
12196 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
12197 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
12198 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
12199 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
12200 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
12201 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
12202 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
12204 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
12205 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
12206 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
12207 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
12209 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
12210 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
12211 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
12212 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
12213 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
12214 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
12215 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
12217 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
12218 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
12219 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
12220 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
12221 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
12222 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
12223 @code{gnus-group-split}.
12225 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
12226 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
12227 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
12228 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
12229 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
12230 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
12231 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
12232 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
12233 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
12234 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
12235 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
12236 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
12237 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
12239 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
12244 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
12245 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
12247 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
12248 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
12249 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
12250 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
12252 ((split-spec . catch-all))
12255 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
12256 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
12257 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
12260 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
12261 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
12262 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
12266 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
12267 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
12268 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
12272 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
12275 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
12276 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
12277 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
12278 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
12279 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
12280 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
12281 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
12282 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
12283 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
12285 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
12286 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
12287 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
12288 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
12289 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
12290 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
12291 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
12292 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
12293 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
12295 @findex gnus-group-split-update
12296 However, if you change group parameters, you'd have to update
12297 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
12298 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
12299 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
12300 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
12303 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
12306 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
12307 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
12308 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
12309 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
12310 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
12313 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
12314 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
12315 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
12316 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
12318 @node Incorporating Old Mail
12319 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
12320 @cindex incorporating old mail
12321 @cindex import old mail
12323 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
12324 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
12325 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
12328 Doing so can be quite easy.
12330 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
12331 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
12332 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
12333 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
12334 your @code{nnml} groups.
12340 Go to the group buffer.
12343 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
12344 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12347 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
12350 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
12351 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
12354 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
12355 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
12358 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
12359 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
12360 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
12361 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
12362 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
12364 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
12365 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
12366 using the new mail backend.
12369 @node Expiring Mail
12370 @subsection Expiring Mail
12371 @cindex article expiry
12373 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
12374 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
12375 different approach to mail reading.
12377 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
12378 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
12379 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
12380 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
12381 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
12382 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
12385 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
12386 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
12387 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
12388 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
12389 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
12390 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
12391 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
12392 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
12394 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12395 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
12396 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
12397 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
12398 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
12399 column in the summary buffer.
12401 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
12402 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
12403 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
12404 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
12407 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12409 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12410 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12411 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12414 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12415 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12416 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12417 articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12418 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12420 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12421 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12424 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12425 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12428 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12429 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12431 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12432 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12433 don't really mix very well.
12435 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12436 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12437 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12438 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12441 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12442 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12443 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12444 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12447 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12449 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12451 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12453 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12455 ((string= group "important")
12461 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12462 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12464 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12465 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12466 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12469 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12470 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12472 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12473 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12474 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12475 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12476 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12477 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12478 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12479 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12480 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12481 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12482 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12483 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12486 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12488 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12492 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12493 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12494 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12495 easier for procmail users.
12497 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12498 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12499 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12500 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12501 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12502 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12503 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12504 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12505 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12506 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12507 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12508 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12509 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12512 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12514 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12515 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12516 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12517 auto-expire turned on.
12521 @subsection Washing Mail
12522 @cindex mail washing
12523 @cindex list server brain damage
12524 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12526 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12527 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12528 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12529 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12530 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12531 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12533 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12534 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12535 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12538 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12539 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12540 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12541 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12544 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12545 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12546 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12547 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12548 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12551 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12552 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12553 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12554 Emacs running on MS machines.
12558 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12559 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12560 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12561 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12564 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12565 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12566 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12567 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12569 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12570 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12571 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12572 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12573 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12574 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12575 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12578 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12579 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12582 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12583 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12586 This can also be done non-destructively with
12587 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12589 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12590 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12591 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12593 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12594 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12596 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12597 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12598 @code{References} headers.
12602 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12603 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12604 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12608 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12609 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12610 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12617 @subsection Duplicates
12619 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12620 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12621 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12622 @cindex duplicate mails
12623 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12624 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12625 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12626 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12627 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12628 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12629 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12630 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12631 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12632 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12633 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12634 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12635 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12637 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12638 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12639 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12640 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12642 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12645 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12646 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12650 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12651 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12652 ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
12653 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12654 (any mail "mail.misc")
12661 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12662 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12667 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12668 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12669 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12670 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12671 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12674 @node Not Reading Mail
12675 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12677 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12678 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12679 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12681 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12682 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12683 mail, which should help.
12685 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12686 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12687 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12688 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12689 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12690 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12691 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12692 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12693 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12694 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12695 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12697 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12698 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12702 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12703 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12705 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12706 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12707 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12709 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12710 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12711 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12712 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12715 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12716 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12717 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12718 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12719 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12720 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12724 @node Unix Mail Box
12725 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12727 @cindex unix mail box
12729 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12730 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12731 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12732 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12733 which group it belongs in.
12735 Virtual server settings:
12738 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12739 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12740 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
12743 @item nnmbox-active-file
12744 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12745 The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
12746 @file{~/.mbox-active}.
12748 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12749 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12750 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12751 into groups. Default is @code{t}.
12756 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12760 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12761 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12762 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12763 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12764 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12766 Virtual server settings:
12769 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12770 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12771 The name of the rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
12773 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12774 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12775 The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
12776 @file{~/.rmail-active}
12778 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12779 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12780 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
12786 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12788 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12790 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12791 format. It should be used with some caution.
12793 @vindex nnml-directory
12794 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12795 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12796 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12797 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12799 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12802 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12803 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12804 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12805 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12806 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12807 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12808 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12809 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12811 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12812 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12813 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12814 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12816 Virtual server settings:
12819 @item nnml-directory
12820 @vindex nnml-directory
12821 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12822 The default is the value of `message-directory' (whose default value is
12825 @item nnml-active-file
12826 @vindex nnml-active-file
12827 The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
12828 @file{~/Mail/active"}.
12830 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12831 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12832 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12833 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}.
12835 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12836 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12837 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
12840 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12841 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12842 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12843 default is @code{nil}
12845 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12846 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12847 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12849 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12850 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12851 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12855 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12856 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12857 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12858 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12859 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12860 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12861 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12866 @subsubsection MH Spool
12868 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12870 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12871 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12872 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12873 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12875 Virtual server settings:
12878 @item nnmh-directory
12879 @vindex nnmh-directory
12880 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
12881 default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12884 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12885 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12886 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
12890 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12891 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12892 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12893 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12894 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12895 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12896 to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
12901 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12903 @cindex mbox folders
12904 @cindex mail folders
12906 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12907 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12908 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12911 Virtual server settings:
12914 @item nnfolder-directory
12915 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12916 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12917 The default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
12920 @item nnfolder-active-file
12921 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12922 The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
12924 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12925 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12926 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12927 Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups"}
12929 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12930 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12931 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The default
12934 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12935 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12936 @cindex backup files
12937 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12938 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12939 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12940 your @file{.emacs} file:
12943 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12944 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12946 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12949 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12950 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12951 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12952 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12953 extract some information from it before removing it.
12955 @item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12956 @vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
12957 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files. The
12958 default is @code{nil}.
12963 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12964 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12965 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12966 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12967 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12968 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12971 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12972 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12974 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12975 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12976 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12977 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12978 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12980 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12981 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12982 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12983 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12984 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12985 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12986 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12987 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12990 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12991 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12992 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12993 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12998 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12999 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
13000 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
13001 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
13002 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
13003 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
13004 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
13005 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
13006 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
13007 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
13008 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
13009 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
13010 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
13015 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
13016 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
13017 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
13018 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
13019 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
13020 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
13021 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
13022 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
13023 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
13024 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
13025 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
13026 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
13027 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
13028 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
13030 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
13031 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
13036 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
13037 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
13038 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
13039 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
13040 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
13041 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
13042 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
13043 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
13044 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
13045 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
13046 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
13047 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
13048 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
13049 provided by the active file and overviews.
13051 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
13052 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
13053 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
13054 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
13055 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
13058 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
13059 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
13064 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
13065 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
13066 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
13067 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
13068 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
13069 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
13070 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
13074 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
13075 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
13076 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
13077 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
13078 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
13079 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
13080 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
13081 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
13082 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
13084 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
13085 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
13086 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
13087 friendly mail backend all over.
13092 @node Browsing the Web
13093 @section Browsing the Web
13095 @cindex browsing the web
13099 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
13100 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
13101 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
13102 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
13103 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
13104 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
13105 even know what a news group is.
13107 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
13108 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
13109 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
13110 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
13111 you mad in the end.
13113 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
13116 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
13117 interfaces to these sources.
13120 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
13121 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
13122 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
13123 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
13124 * RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
13125 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
13128 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
13130 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
13131 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
13132 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
13133 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
13134 though, you should be ok.
13136 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
13137 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
13138 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
13139 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
13140 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
13144 @subsection Web Searches
13148 @cindex InReference
13149 @cindex Usenet searches
13150 @cindex searching the Usenet
13152 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
13153 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
13154 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
13155 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
13156 searches without having to use a browser.
13158 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
13159 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
13160 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
13161 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
13162 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
13164 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
13165 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
13166 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
13167 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
13168 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
13169 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
13170 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
13171 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
13172 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
13173 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
13176 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
13177 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
13178 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
13179 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
13180 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
13181 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
13183 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
13184 to use @code{nnweb}.
13186 Virtual server variables:
13191 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
13192 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
13196 @vindex nnweb-search
13197 The search string to feed to the search engine.
13199 @item nnweb-max-hits
13200 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
13201 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
13204 @item nnweb-type-definition
13205 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
13206 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
13207 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
13212 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
13216 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
13219 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
13222 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
13226 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
13233 @subsection Slashdot
13237 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
13238 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
13239 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
13241 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
13242 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
13245 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13246 '((nnslashdot "")))
13249 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
13250 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
13251 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
13252 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
13253 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
13256 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
13257 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
13259 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
13260 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
13261 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
13262 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
13263 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
13264 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
13267 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
13270 @item nnslashdot-threaded
13271 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
13272 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
13273 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
13274 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
13275 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
13276 but much, much slower than untreaded.
13278 @item nnslashdot-login-name
13279 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
13280 The login name to use when posting.
13282 @item nnslashdot-password
13283 @vindex nnslashdot-password
13284 The password to use when posting.
13286 @item nnslashdot-directory
13287 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
13288 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
13289 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
13291 @item nnslashdot-active-url
13292 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
13293 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
13294 news articles and comments. The default is
13295 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
13297 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
13298 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
13299 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
13301 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
13303 @item nnslashdot-article-url
13304 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
13305 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
13307 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
13309 @item nnslashdot-threshold
13310 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
13311 The score threshold. The default is -1.
13313 @item nnslashdot-group-number
13314 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
13315 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
13316 updated. The default is 0.
13323 @subsection Ultimate
13325 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
13327 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
13328 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
13329 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
13330 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
13332 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
13333 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
13334 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
13335 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
13336 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
13337 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
13338 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
13340 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
13343 @item nnultimate-directory
13344 @vindex nnultimate-directory
13345 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
13346 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
13351 @subsection Web Archive
13353 @cindex Web Archive
13355 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
13356 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
13357 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
13358 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13361 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
13362 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
13363 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
13364 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
13365 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
13366 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
13367 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
13369 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
13372 @item nnwarchive-directory
13373 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
13374 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
13375 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
13377 @item nnwarchive-login
13378 @vindex nnwarchive-login
13379 The account name on the web server.
13381 @item nnwarchive-passwd
13382 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
13383 The password for your account on the web server.
13391 Some sites have RDF site summary (RSS)
13392 @uref{http://purl.org/rss/1.0/spec}. It has a quite regular and nice
13393 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
13396 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something
13397 like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET}, then
13400 The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
13403 @item nnrss-directory
13404 @vindex nnrss-directory
13405 The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
13406 @samp{~/News/rss/}.
13410 The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
13411 the summary buffer.
13414 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
13415 (setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
13417 (defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
13419 (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
13420 (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
13423 The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
13426 (require 'browse-url)
13428 (defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
13430 (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
13433 (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
13434 gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
13436 (browse-url (cdr url))
13437 (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
13439 (eval-after-load "gnus"
13440 #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
13441 (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
13442 (add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
13445 @node Customizing w3
13446 @subsection Customizing w3
13452 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
13453 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
13454 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
13456 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
13457 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
13458 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
13461 (eval-after-load "w3"
13463 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
13464 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
13465 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
13466 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
13468 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
13471 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
13472 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
13476 @node Other Sources
13477 @section Other Sources
13479 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
13480 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
13484 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
13485 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
13486 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
13487 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13488 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13489 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13493 @node Directory Groups
13494 @subsection Directory Groups
13496 @cindex directory groups
13498 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13499 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13502 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13503 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13504 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13505 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13507 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13508 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13509 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13510 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13511 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13513 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13515 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13516 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13517 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13518 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13521 @node Anything Groups
13522 @subsection Anything Groups
13525 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13526 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13527 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13530 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13531 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13532 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13533 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13534 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13535 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13536 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13537 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13538 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13539 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13542 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13543 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13544 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13545 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13547 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13548 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13549 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13550 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13552 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13553 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13554 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13555 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13556 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13557 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13558 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13559 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13564 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13565 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13566 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13567 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13569 @item nneething-exclude-files
13570 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13571 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13572 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13574 @item nneething-include-files
13575 @vindex nneething-include-files
13576 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13577 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13579 @item nneething-map-file
13580 @vindex nneething-map-file
13581 Name of the map files.
13585 @node Document Groups
13586 @subsection Document Groups
13588 @cindex documentation group
13591 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13592 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13599 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13604 The standard Unix mbox file.
13606 @cindex MMDF mail box
13608 The MMDF mail box format.
13611 Several news articles appended into a file.
13614 @cindex rnews batch files
13615 The rnews batch transport format.
13616 @cindex forwarded messages
13619 Forwarded articles.
13622 Netscape mail boxes.
13625 MIME multipart messages.
13627 @item standard-digest
13628 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13631 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13634 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13635 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13636 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13639 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13640 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13641 group. And that's it.
13643 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13644 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13645 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13646 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13647 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13648 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13649 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13650 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13651 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13652 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13654 Virtual server variables:
13657 @item nndoc-article-type
13658 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13659 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13660 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13661 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13662 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13664 @item nndoc-post-type
13665 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13666 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13667 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13672 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13676 @node Document Server Internals
13677 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13679 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13680 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13681 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13682 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13684 First, here's an example document type definition:
13688 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13689 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13692 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13693 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13694 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13695 types can be defined with very few settings:
13698 @item first-article
13699 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13700 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13703 @item article-begin
13704 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13705 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13707 @item head-begin-function
13708 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13711 @item nndoc-head-begin
13712 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13715 @item nndoc-head-end
13716 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13717 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13719 @item body-begin-function
13720 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13724 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13727 @item body-end-function
13728 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13732 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13735 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13736 regexp will be totally ignored.
13740 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13741 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13742 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13743 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13744 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13747 @item prepare-body-function
13748 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13749 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13750 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13752 @item article-transform-function
13753 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13754 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13755 body of the article.
13757 @item generate-head-function
13758 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13759 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13760 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13761 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13765 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13770 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13771 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13772 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13773 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13774 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13775 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13776 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13777 (subtype digest guess))
13780 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13781 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13782 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13783 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13784 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13786 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13787 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13788 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13789 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13790 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
13791 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13792 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13793 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13794 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13795 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13803 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13804 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13805 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13807 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13808 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13809 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13812 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13813 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13814 that interested in doing things properly.
13816 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13817 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13820 First some terminology:
13825 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13826 get news and/or mail from.
13829 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13830 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13833 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13837 @item message packets
13838 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13839 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13840 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13842 @item response packets
13843 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13844 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13845 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13855 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13856 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13857 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13858 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13861 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13864 You put the packet in your home directory.
13867 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13868 the native or secondary server.
13871 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13872 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13875 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13879 You transfer this packet to the server.
13882 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13885 You then repeat until you die.
13889 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13890 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13893 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13894 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13895 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13899 @node SOUP Commands
13900 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13902 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13906 @kindex G s b (Group)
13907 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13908 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13909 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13910 process/prefix convention.
13913 @kindex G s w (Group)
13914 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13915 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13918 @kindex G s s (Group)
13919 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13920 Send all replies from the replies packet
13921 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13924 @kindex G s p (Group)
13925 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13926 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13929 @kindex G s r (Group)
13930 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13931 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13934 @kindex O s (Summary)
13935 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13936 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13937 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13938 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13943 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13948 @item gnus-soup-directory
13949 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13950 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13951 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13953 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13954 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13955 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13956 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13958 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13959 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13960 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13961 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13963 @item gnus-soup-packer
13964 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13965 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13966 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13968 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13969 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13970 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13971 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13973 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13974 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13975 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13977 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13978 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13979 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13980 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13986 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13989 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13990 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13991 you can read them at leisure.
13993 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13997 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13998 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13999 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
14000 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
14002 @item nnsoup-directory
14003 @vindex nnsoup-directory
14004 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
14005 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
14007 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
14008 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
14009 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
14010 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
14012 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
14013 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
14014 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
14015 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
14016 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
14018 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
14019 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
14020 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
14021 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
14023 @item nnsoup-active-file
14024 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
14025 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
14026 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
14027 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
14028 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
14030 @item nnsoup-packer
14031 @vindex nnsoup-packer
14032 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
14033 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
14035 @item nnsoup-unpacker
14036 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
14037 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
14038 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
14040 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
14041 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
14042 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
14045 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
14046 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
14047 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
14050 @item nnsoup-always-save
14051 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
14052 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
14058 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
14060 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
14061 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
14062 more for that to happen.
14064 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
14065 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
14066 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
14069 In specific, this is what it does:
14072 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
14073 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
14076 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
14077 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
14078 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
14081 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
14082 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
14083 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
14086 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
14087 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
14088 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
14090 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
14096 @item nngateway-address
14097 @vindex nngateway-address
14098 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
14100 @item nngateway-header-transformation
14101 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
14102 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
14103 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
14104 transformation should be called, and defaults to
14105 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
14106 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
14109 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
14110 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
14111 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
14114 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
14117 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
14120 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
14123 The following pre-defined functions exist:
14125 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
14128 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
14129 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
14130 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
14132 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
14134 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
14135 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
14136 @code{nngateway-address}.
14141 (setq gnus-post-method
14143 "mail2news@@replay.com"
14144 (nngateway-header-transformation
14145 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
14153 So, to use this, simply say something like:
14156 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
14162 @subsection @sc{imap}
14166 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
14167 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
14168 server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
14169 specify the network address of the server.
14171 @sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
14172 POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
14173 mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
14174 protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
14175 is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
14177 If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
14178 mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
14179 server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
14180 described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
14182 If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
14183 entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
14184 manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
14185 usage explained in this section.
14187 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
14188 might look something like this:
14191 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
14192 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
14193 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
14195 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14196 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
14197 ; a UW server running on localhost
14199 (nnimap-server-port 143)
14200 (nnimap-address "localhost")
14201 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
14202 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
14203 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
14204 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
14205 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
14206 (nnimap-stream network))
14207 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
14209 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
14210 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
14211 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
14214 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
14219 @item nnimap-address
14220 @vindex nnimap-address
14222 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
14223 server name if not specified.
14225 @item nnimap-server-port
14226 @vindex nnimap-server-port
14227 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
14229 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
14232 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14233 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
14236 @item nnimap-list-pattern
14237 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
14238 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
14239 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
14240 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
14241 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
14242 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
14244 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
14245 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
14246 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
14249 Example server specification:
14252 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14253 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
14254 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
14257 @item nnimap-stream
14258 @vindex nnimap-stream
14259 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
14260 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
14261 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
14262 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
14264 Example server specification:
14267 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14268 (nnimap-stream ssl))
14271 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
14275 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Requires the
14276 @samp{imtest} program.
14278 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
14280 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
14281 SSL). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
14284 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Requires OpenSSL (the
14285 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
14287 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
14289 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
14292 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
14293 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
14294 using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
14295 1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
14296 to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
14297 with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
14298 restrictions on IMAP commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
14299 indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
14300 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
14303 @vindex imap-ssl-program
14304 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
14305 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
14306 and nnimap support it too - although the most recent versions of
14307 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
14308 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
14309 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
14312 @vindex imap-shell-program
14313 @vindex imap-shell-host
14314 For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
14315 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
14317 @item nnimap-authenticator
14318 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
14320 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
14321 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
14323 Example server specification:
14326 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
14327 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
14330 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
14334 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
14335 external program @code{imtest}.
14337 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
14340 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
14341 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
14343 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
14345 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
14347 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
14350 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
14352 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
14353 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
14354 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
14355 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
14356 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
14357 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
14360 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
14361 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
14362 running in circles yet?
14364 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
14365 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
14368 The possible options are:
14373 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
14376 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
14377 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
14378 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
14379 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
14381 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
14386 @item nnimap-importantize-dormant
14387 @vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
14389 If non-nil, marks dormant articles as ticked (as well), for other IMAP
14390 clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will naturally still (only) be
14391 marked as ticked. This is to make dormant articles stand out, just
14392 like ticked articles, in other IMAP clients. (In other words, Gnus has
14393 two ``Tick'' marks and IMAP has only one.)
14395 Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
14396 enable per-user persistant dormant flags, using something like:
14399 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
14400 (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14401 (setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
14402 (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
14405 In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
14406 as ticked for other users.
14408 @item nnimap-expunge-search-string
14410 @vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
14412 This variable contain the IMAP search command sent to server when
14413 searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
14414 @code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
14415 UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
14417 Probably the only useful value to change this to is
14418 @code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
14419 messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
14420 RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
14422 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
14423 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
14425 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
14426 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
14427 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
14433 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
14434 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
14435 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
14440 @node Splitting in IMAP
14441 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
14442 @cindex splitting imap mail
14444 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
14445 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
14446 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
14447 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
14448 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
14452 Here are the variables of interest:
14456 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
14457 @cindex splitting, crosspost
14459 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
14461 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
14462 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
14464 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
14466 @item nnimap-split-inbox
14467 @cindex splitting, inbox
14469 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
14471 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
14472 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
14476 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
14477 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
14480 No nnmail equivalent.
14482 @item nnimap-split-rule
14483 @cindex Splitting, rules
14484 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
14486 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
14489 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
14490 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
14491 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
14492 Neither did I, we need examples.
14495 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14497 "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
14498 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
14499 ("INBOX.private" "")))
14502 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
14503 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
14504 into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
14506 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
14507 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
14511 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
14514 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
14515 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
14516 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
14517 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
14519 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
14520 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
14521 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
14522 of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
14523 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
14524 them every time you fetch new mail.)
14526 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
14527 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
14528 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
14530 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
14531 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
14532 thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14534 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
14536 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
14537 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
14538 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
14541 (setq nnimap-split-rule
14542 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14543 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14544 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14545 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14546 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14549 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14550 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14551 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14552 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14553 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14554 group/function elements.
14556 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14558 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14560 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14562 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14563 split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14565 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14566 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14567 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14570 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14571 @cindex splitting, fancy
14572 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14573 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14575 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14576 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14577 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14579 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14580 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14581 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14582 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14587 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14588 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14591 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14595 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14596 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14597 @cindex editing imap acls
14598 @cindex Access Control Lists
14599 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14601 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14603 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14604 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14605 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14608 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14609 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14610 editing window with detailed instructions.
14612 Some possible uses:
14616 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14617 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14618 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14620 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14621 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14622 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14626 @node Expunging mailboxes
14627 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14631 @cindex Manual expunging
14633 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14635 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
14636 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14637 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14639 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14644 @node Combined Groups
14645 @section Combined Groups
14647 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14651 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14652 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14656 @node Virtual Groups
14657 @subsection Virtual Groups
14659 @cindex virtual groups
14660 @cindex merging groups
14662 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14665 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14666 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14667 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14669 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14670 regexp to match component groups.
14672 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14673 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14674 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14675 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14676 the virtual group.)
14678 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14679 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14682 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14685 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14686 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14688 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14689 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14690 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14691 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14694 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14697 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14698 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14699 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14701 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14702 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14703 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14704 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14705 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14707 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14708 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14709 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14711 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14712 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14713 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14714 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14715 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14716 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14717 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14718 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14719 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14720 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14721 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14723 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14724 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14725 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14726 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14727 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14728 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14729 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14731 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14732 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14736 @node Kibozed Groups
14737 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14741 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14742 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14743 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14744 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14746 @kindex G k (Group)
14747 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14750 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14751 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14752 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14753 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14755 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14756 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14757 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14759 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14760 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14761 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14762 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14763 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14764 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14765 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14766 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14768 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14769 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14770 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14771 Stranger things have happened.
14773 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14774 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14776 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14777 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14778 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14779 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14780 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14781 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14783 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14784 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14787 @node Gnus Unplugged
14788 @section Gnus Unplugged
14793 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14795 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14796 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14797 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14798 read news. Believe it or not.
14800 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14801 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14802 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14803 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14804 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14806 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14807 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14808 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14809 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14810 reading news on a machine.
14812 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14816 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14817 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14821 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14822 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14829 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14831 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14834 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14835 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14836 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14837 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14838 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14839 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14840 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14841 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14842 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14843 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14848 @subsection Agent Basics
14850 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14852 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14853 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14854 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14855 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14857 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14858 connected to the net continuously.
14860 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14861 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14863 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14868 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14869 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14870 already fetched while in this mode.
14873 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14874 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14875 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14876 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14877 Source Specifiers}).
14880 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14881 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14882 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14883 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14884 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14887 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14888 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14889 then you read the news offline.
14892 And then you go to step 2.
14895 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14901 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14902 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14903 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14904 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14905 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14906 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14909 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14916 @node Agent Categories
14917 @subsection Agent Categories
14919 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14920 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14921 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14922 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14923 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14924 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14925 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14927 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14928 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14929 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14930 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14931 managing categories.
14934 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14935 * Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14936 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14940 @node Category Syntax
14941 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14943 A category consists of two things.
14947 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14948 are eligible for downloading; and
14951 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14952 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14953 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14956 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14957 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14958 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14959 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14961 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14962 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14963 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14965 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14966 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14967 operators sprinkled in between.
14969 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14971 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14972 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14978 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14979 short (for some value of ``short'').
14981 Here's a more complex predicate:
14990 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14991 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14994 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14995 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14996 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14998 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14999 you want to do, you can write your own.
15003 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
15004 lines; default 100.
15007 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
15008 lines; default 200.
15011 True iff the article has a download score less than
15012 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
15015 True iff the article has a download score greater than
15016 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
15019 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
15020 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
15021 checksum and sees whether articles match.
15030 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
15031 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
15032 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
15035 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
15036 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
15037 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
15038 something along the lines of the following:
15041 (defun my-article-old-p ()
15042 "Say whether an article is old."
15043 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
15044 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
15047 with the predicate then defined as:
15050 (not my-article-old-p)
15053 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
15054 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
15055 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
15056 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
15059 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
15060 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
15061 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
15064 and simply specify your predicate as:
15070 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
15071 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
15072 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
15073 just don't give a damn.
15075 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
15076 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
15077 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
15078 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
15079 parameters like so:
15082 (agent-predicate . short)
15085 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
15086 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
15087 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
15089 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
15092 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
15095 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
15096 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
15097 predicate is assumed to be a list.
15100 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
15101 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
15102 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
15103 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
15104 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
15105 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
15107 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
15108 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
15109 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
15110 if it's to be specific to that group.
15112 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
15119 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
15120 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
15126 Category specification
15130 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15136 Group Parameter specification
15139 (agent-score ("from"
15140 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
15145 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
15151 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
15158 Category specification
15161 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
15167 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
15171 Group Parameter specification
15174 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
15177 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
15182 Use @code{normal} score files
15184 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
15185 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
15186 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
15187 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
15189 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
15190 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
15191 files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
15192 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
15196 Category Specification
15203 Group Parameter specification
15206 (agent-score . file)
15211 @node Category Buffer
15212 @subsubsection Category Buffer
15214 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
15215 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
15216 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
15218 The following commands are available in this buffer:
15222 @kindex q (Category)
15223 @findex gnus-category-exit
15224 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
15227 @kindex k (Category)
15228 @findex gnus-category-kill
15229 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
15232 @kindex c (Category)
15233 @findex gnus-category-copy
15234 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
15237 @kindex a (Category)
15238 @findex gnus-category-add
15239 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
15242 @kindex p (Category)
15243 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
15244 Edit the predicate of the current category
15245 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
15248 @kindex g (Category)
15249 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
15250 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
15251 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
15254 @kindex s (Category)
15255 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
15256 Edit the download score rule of the current category
15257 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
15260 @kindex l (Category)
15261 @findex gnus-category-list
15262 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
15266 @node Category Variables
15267 @subsubsection Category Variables
15270 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
15271 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
15272 Hook run in category buffers.
15274 @item gnus-category-line-format
15275 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
15276 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
15277 Variables}). Valid elements are:
15281 The name of the category.
15284 The number of groups in the category.
15287 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
15288 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
15289 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
15291 @item gnus-agent-short-article
15292 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
15293 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
15295 @item gnus-agent-long-article
15296 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
15297 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
15299 @item gnus-agent-low-score
15300 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
15301 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
15304 @item gnus-agent-high-score
15305 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
15306 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
15312 @node Agent Commands
15313 @subsection Agent Commands
15315 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
15316 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
15317 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
15321 * Group Agent Commands::
15322 * Summary Agent Commands::
15323 * Server Agent Commands::
15326 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
15327 following incantation:
15329 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15331 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
15336 @node Group Agent Commands
15337 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
15341 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
15342 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
15343 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
15344 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
15347 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
15348 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
15349 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
15352 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
15353 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
15354 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
15355 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
15358 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
15359 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
15360 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
15361 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
15364 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
15365 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
15366 Add the current group to an Agent category
15367 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
15368 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15371 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
15372 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
15373 Remove the current group from its category, if any
15374 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
15375 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
15378 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
15379 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15380 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
15386 @node Summary Agent Commands
15387 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
15391 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
15392 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
15393 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
15396 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
15397 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
15398 Remove the downloading mark from the article
15399 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
15402 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
15403 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
15404 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
15407 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
15408 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
15409 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
15414 @node Server Agent Commands
15415 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
15419 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
15420 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
15421 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
15422 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
15425 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
15426 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
15427 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
15428 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
15434 @subsection Agent Expiry
15436 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
15437 @findex gnus-agent-expire
15438 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
15439 @cindex Agent expiry
15440 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
15443 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
15444 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
15445 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
15446 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
15447 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
15448 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
15450 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
15451 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
15452 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
15453 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
15454 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
15457 @node Agent and IMAP
15458 @subsection Agent and IMAP
15460 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
15461 since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
15462 @sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
15463 make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
15465 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
15466 are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
15467 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
15468 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
15470 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
15471 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
15472 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
15473 with the server. This behavior is customizable with
15474 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
15476 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
15477 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
15478 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
15479 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
15480 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
15481 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
15483 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
15484 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
15485 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
15486 in the group buffer by default.
15488 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
15489 expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
15494 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
15497 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
15501 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
15502 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
15503 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
15504 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
15505 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
15506 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
15507 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
15508 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
15511 @node Outgoing Messages
15512 @subsection Outgoing Messages
15514 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
15515 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
15516 after posting, and edit them at will.
15518 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
15519 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
15520 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
15521 messages in the draft group.
15525 @node Agent Variables
15526 @subsection Agent Variables
15529 @item gnus-agent-directory
15530 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
15531 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
15532 @file{~/News/agent/}.
15534 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
15535 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
15536 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
15537 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
15538 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
15541 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15542 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15543 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15545 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15546 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15547 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15552 @node Example Setup
15553 @subsection Example Setup
15555 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15556 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15557 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15560 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15561 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15562 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15564 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15565 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15566 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15568 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15569 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15571 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15575 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15576 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15579 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15580 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15581 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15582 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15583 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15586 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15587 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15588 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15589 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15590 back all the killed groups.)
15592 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15593 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15594 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15597 @node Batching Agents
15598 @subsection Batching Agents
15600 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15601 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15602 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15606 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15610 @node Agent Caveats
15611 @subsection Agent Caveats
15613 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15614 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15618 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15623 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15624 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15630 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15631 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15638 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15639 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15640 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15643 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15644 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15645 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15646 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15647 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15649 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15650 before generating the summary buffer.
15652 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15653 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15654 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15656 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15657 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15658 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15659 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15662 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15663 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15664 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15665 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15666 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15667 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15668 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15669 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15670 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15671 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15672 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15673 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15674 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15675 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15676 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15677 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15681 @node Summary Score Commands
15682 @section Summary Score Commands
15683 @cindex score commands
15685 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15686 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15687 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15688 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15689 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15691 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15692 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15693 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15694 score file the current one.
15696 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15701 @kindex V s (Summary)
15702 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15703 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15706 @kindex V S (Summary)
15707 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15708 Display the score of the current article
15709 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15712 @kindex V t (Summary)
15713 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15714 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15715 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15718 @kindex V R (Summary)
15719 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15720 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15721 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15722 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15723 effect you're having.
15726 @kindex V c (Summary)
15727 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15728 Make a different score file the current
15729 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15732 @kindex V e (Summary)
15733 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15734 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15735 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15739 @kindex V f (Summary)
15740 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15741 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15742 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15745 @kindex V F (Summary)
15746 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15747 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15748 after editing score files.
15751 @kindex V C (Summary)
15752 @findex gnus-score-customize
15753 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15754 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15758 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15763 @kindex V m (Summary)
15764 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15765 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15766 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15769 @kindex V x (Summary)
15770 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15771 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15772 expunge all articles below this score
15773 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15776 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15777 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15780 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15781 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15785 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15786 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15788 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15789 keys are available:
15793 Score on the author name.
15796 Score on the subject line.
15799 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15802 Score on the @code{References} line.
15808 Score on the number of lines.
15811 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15814 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15815 the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
15816 @file{ADAPT} files.)
15825 Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
15831 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15832 what headers you are scoring on.
15844 Substring matching.
15847 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15876 Greater than number.
15881 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15882 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15883 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15887 Temporary score entry.
15890 Permanent score entry.
15893 Immediately scoring.
15898 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15899 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15900 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15901 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15903 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15904 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15905 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15906 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15907 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15909 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15910 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15911 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15912 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15913 current score file.
15915 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15916 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15917 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15920 @node Group Score Commands
15921 @section Group Score Commands
15922 @cindex group score commands
15924 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15929 @kindex W f (Group)
15930 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15931 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15932 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15933 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15937 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15939 @findex gnus-batch-score
15940 @cindex batch scoring
15942 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15946 @node Score Variables
15947 @section Score Variables
15948 @cindex score variables
15952 @item gnus-use-scoring
15953 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15954 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15955 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15957 @item gnus-kill-killed
15958 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15959 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15960 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15961 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15962 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15963 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15964 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15966 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15967 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15968 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15969 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15970 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15972 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15973 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15974 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15975 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15977 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15978 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15979 @cindex score cache
15980 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15981 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15982 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
15983 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15984 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15985 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15988 @item gnus-save-score
15989 @vindex gnus-save-score
15990 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15991 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15992 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15994 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15995 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15996 across group visits.
15998 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15999 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
16000 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
16001 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
16002 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
16003 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
16004 manually entered data.
16006 @item gnus-summary-default-score
16007 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
16008 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
16010 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
16011 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
16012 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
16013 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
16014 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
16015 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
16017 @item gnus-score-over-mark
16018 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
16019 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
16020 default. Default is @samp{+}.
16022 @item gnus-score-below-mark
16023 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
16024 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
16025 default. Default is @samp{-}.
16027 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16028 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
16029 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
16030 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
16032 Predefined functions available are:
16035 @item gnus-score-find-single
16036 @findex gnus-score-find-single
16037 Only apply the group's own score file.
16039 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
16040 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
16041 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
16042 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
16043 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
16044 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
16045 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
16046 then a regexp match is done.
16048 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
16049 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
16051 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
16052 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
16053 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
16054 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
16056 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16057 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
16058 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
16059 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
16060 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
16064 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
16065 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
16066 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
16067 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
16068 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
16069 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
16070 returned is the local score file. Phu.
16072 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
16073 overall score file, you could use the value
16075 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
16076 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
16079 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
16080 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
16081 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
16082 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
16083 are expired. It's 7 by default.
16085 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16086 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
16087 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
16088 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
16089 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
16090 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
16091 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
16094 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16095 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
16096 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
16098 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
16099 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
16100 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
16101 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
16102 threading---according to the current value of
16103 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
16104 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
16105 simplified in this manner.
16110 @node Score File Format
16111 @section Score File Format
16112 @cindex score file format
16114 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
16115 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
16116 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
16118 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
16122 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
16124 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
16126 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
16128 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
16133 (mark-and-expunge -10)
16137 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
16138 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
16139 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
16140 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
16144 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
16145 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
16147 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
16148 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
16149 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
16151 Six keys are supported by this alist:
16156 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
16157 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
16158 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
16159 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
16160 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
16161 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
16162 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
16163 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
16164 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
16165 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
16166 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
16167 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
16168 to articles that matches these score entries.
16170 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
16171 score entry has one to four elements.
16175 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
16176 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
16180 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
16181 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
16182 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
16183 is successful. If this element is not present, the
16184 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
16185 instead. This is 1000 by default.
16188 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
16189 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
16190 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
16191 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
16192 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
16195 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
16196 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
16197 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
16198 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
16201 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
16202 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
16203 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
16204 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
16205 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
16206 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
16207 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
16208 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
16209 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
16210 instead, if you feel like.
16213 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
16214 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
16216 These predicates are true if
16219 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
16222 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
16223 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
16230 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
16231 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
16232 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
16233 it's not. I think.)
16235 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
16236 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
16237 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
16238 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
16241 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
16242 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
16243 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
16244 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
16245 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
16246 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
16247 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
16251 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
16252 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
16253 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
16254 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
16255 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
16256 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
16257 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
16258 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
16261 @item Head, Body, All
16262 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
16266 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
16267 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
16268 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
16269 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
16270 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
16271 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
16272 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
16276 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
16277 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
16278 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
16279 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
16280 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
16281 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
16282 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
16283 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
16284 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
16285 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
16286 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
16290 @cindex Score File Atoms
16292 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16293 lower than this number will be marked as read.
16296 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16297 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
16299 @item mark-and-expunge
16300 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
16301 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
16304 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
16305 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
16306 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
16307 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
16308 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
16311 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
16312 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
16315 @item exclude-files
16316 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
16317 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
16321 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
16322 ignored when handling global score files.
16325 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
16326 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
16327 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
16328 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
16331 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
16332 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
16333 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
16334 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
16336 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
16340 (mark-and-expunge -100)
16343 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
16344 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
16345 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
16346 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
16347 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
16349 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where a few
16350 interesting threads which can't be found automatically by ordinary
16351 scoring rules exist.
16354 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
16355 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
16356 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
16357 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
16358 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
16359 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
16360 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16361 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
16362 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
16363 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
16364 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
16368 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
16369 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
16370 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
16371 file for a number of groups.
16374 @cindex local variables
16375 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
16376 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
16377 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
16378 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
16379 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
16383 @node Score File Editing
16384 @section Score File Editing
16386 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
16387 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
16388 with a mode for that.
16390 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
16391 additional commands:
16396 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
16397 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
16398 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
16399 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
16402 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
16403 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
16404 Insert the current date in numerical format
16405 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
16406 you were wondering.
16409 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
16410 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
16411 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
16412 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
16413 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
16418 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
16420 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
16421 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
16423 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
16424 e} to begin editing score files.
16427 @node Adaptive Scoring
16428 @section Adaptive Scoring
16429 @cindex adaptive scoring
16431 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
16432 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
16433 stupidity, to be precise.
16435 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
16436 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
16437 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
16438 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
16439 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
16440 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
16441 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
16442 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
16443 variable to @code{(word line)}.
16445 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16446 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
16447 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
16448 might look something like this:
16451 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
16452 '((gnus-unread-mark)
16453 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
16454 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
16455 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
16456 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
16457 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
16458 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
16459 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
16460 (gnus-ancient-mark)
16461 (gnus-low-score-mark)
16462 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
16465 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
16466 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
16467 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
16468 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
16469 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
16470 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
16473 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
16474 will be applied to each article.
16476 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
16477 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
16478 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
16479 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
16481 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
16482 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
16483 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
16484 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
16486 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
16487 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
16488 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
16489 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
16491 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
16492 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
16493 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
16494 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
16495 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
16496 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
16498 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
16499 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
16500 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
16501 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
16502 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
16503 aspirins afterwards.)
16505 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
16506 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
16507 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
16509 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
16510 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
16511 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
16513 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
16514 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
16515 let you use different rules in different groups.
16517 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
16518 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
16519 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
16522 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
16523 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
16524 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
16525 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
16526 the length of the match is less than
16527 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
16528 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
16531 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16532 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
16533 headers. If you adapt on words, the
16534 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
16535 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
16538 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
16539 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
16540 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
16541 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
16542 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
16545 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16546 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16547 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16548 score with 30 points.
16550 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16551 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16552 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16553 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16554 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16556 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit
16557 Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
16558 scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
16559 an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
16560 variable defaults til @code{nil}.
16562 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16563 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16564 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16565 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16567 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16568 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16569 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16570 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16572 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16573 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16574 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16575 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16576 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16578 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16579 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16580 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16582 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16583 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16584 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16585 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16588 @node Home Score File
16589 @section Home Score File
16591 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16592 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16593 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16594 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16596 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16597 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16598 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16600 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16601 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16606 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16610 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16611 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16615 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16619 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16620 group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
16623 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16624 the home score file.
16627 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16630 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16635 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16638 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16639 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16642 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16643 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16645 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16647 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16648 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16651 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16652 Other functions include
16655 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16656 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16657 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16658 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16662 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16663 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16664 their own home score files:
16667 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16668 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16669 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16670 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16671 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16674 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16675 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16676 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16677 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16678 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16680 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16681 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16682 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16683 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16684 precedence over this variable.
16687 @node Followups To Yourself
16688 @section Followups To Yourself
16690 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16691 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16692 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16693 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16694 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16695 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16699 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16700 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16701 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16704 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16705 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16706 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16710 @vindex message-sent-hook
16711 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16712 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16714 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16718 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16719 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16723 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16724 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16727 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16728 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16733 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16737 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16738 is system-dependent.
16742 @section Scoring Tips
16743 @cindex scoring tips
16749 @cindex scoring crossposts
16750 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16751 the @code{Xref} header.
16753 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16756 @item Multiple crossposts
16757 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16758 more than, say, 3 groups:
16761 ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
16765 @item Matching on the body
16766 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16767 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16768 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16769 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16770 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16771 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16772 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16775 @item Marking as read
16776 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16777 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16778 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16782 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16784 @item Negated character classes
16785 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16786 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16787 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16791 @node Reverse Scoring
16792 @section Reverse Scoring
16793 @cindex reverse scoring
16795 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16796 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16797 like this in your score file:
16801 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16806 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16807 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16810 @node Global Score Files
16811 @section Global Score Files
16812 @cindex global score files
16814 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16815 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16816 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16818 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16819 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16820 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16822 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16823 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16824 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16825 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16826 files are applicable to which group.
16828 To use the score file
16829 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16830 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
16834 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16835 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16836 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16839 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16841 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16842 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16843 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16844 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16846 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16847 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16849 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16850 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16851 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16852 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16853 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16854 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16856 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16862 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16864 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16866 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16868 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16869 lowered out of existence.
16871 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16872 articles completely.
16875 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16876 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16877 old articles for a long time.
16880 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16881 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16882 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16883 holding our breath yet?
16887 @section Kill Files
16890 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16891 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16892 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16894 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16895 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16896 files into score files.
16898 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16899 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16900 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16901 that isn't a very good idea.
16903 Normal kill files look like this:
16906 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16907 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16911 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16912 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16914 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16915 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16918 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16923 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16924 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16925 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16928 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16929 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16930 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16933 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16938 @kindex M-k (Group)
16939 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16940 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16943 @kindex M-K (Group)
16944 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16945 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16948 Kill file variables:
16951 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16952 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16953 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16954 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16955 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16956 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16957 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16959 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16960 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16961 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16962 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16965 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16966 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16967 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16968 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16969 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16970 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16971 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16972 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16973 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16975 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16976 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16977 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16982 @node Converting Kill Files
16983 @section Converting Kill Files
16985 @cindex converting kill files
16987 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16988 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16989 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16992 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16993 You can fetch it from
16994 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16996 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16997 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16998 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
17006 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
17007 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
17008 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
17010 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
17011 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
17012 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
17013 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
17014 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
17015 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
17016 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
17017 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
17021 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
17022 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
17023 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
17024 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
17028 @node Using GroupLens
17029 @subsection Using GroupLens
17031 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
17033 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
17034 better bit in town at the moment.
17036 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
17040 @item gnus-use-grouplens
17041 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
17042 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
17043 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
17045 @item grouplens-pseudonym
17046 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
17047 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
17048 with the Better Bit Bureau.
17050 @item grouplens-newsgroups
17051 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
17052 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
17056 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
17057 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
17058 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
17059 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
17060 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
17061 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
17064 @node Rating Articles
17065 @subsection Rating Articles
17067 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
17068 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
17069 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
17070 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
17073 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
17078 @kindex r (GroupLens)
17079 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
17080 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
17083 @kindex k (GroupLens)
17084 @findex grouplens-score-thread
17085 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
17086 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
17087 threads in rec.humor.
17091 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
17092 the score of the article you're reading.
17097 @kindex n (GroupLens)
17098 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
17099 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
17102 @kindex , (GroupLens)
17103 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
17104 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
17108 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
17109 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
17112 @node Displaying Predictions
17113 @subsection Displaying Predictions
17115 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
17116 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
17117 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
17118 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
17119 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
17121 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
17122 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
17123 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
17124 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
17125 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
17126 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
17127 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
17128 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
17129 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
17130 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
17131 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
17132 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
17133 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
17135 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
17136 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
17137 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
17138 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
17140 The following are valid values for that variable.
17143 @item prediction-spot
17144 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
17147 @item confidence-interval
17148 A numeric confidence interval.
17150 @item prediction-bar
17151 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
17153 @item confidence-bar
17154 Numerical confidence.
17156 @item confidence-spot
17157 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
17159 @item prediction-num
17160 Plain-old numeric value.
17162 @item confidence-plus-minus
17163 Prediction +/- confidence.
17168 @node GroupLens Variables
17169 @subsection GroupLens Variables
17173 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
17174 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
17175 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
17176 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
17179 @item grouplens-bbb-host
17180 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
17183 @item grouplens-bbb-port
17184 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
17186 @item grouplens-score-offset
17187 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
17188 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
17191 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
17192 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
17193 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
17198 @node Advanced Scoring
17199 @section Advanced Scoring
17201 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
17202 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
17203 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
17204 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
17205 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
17207 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
17211 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
17212 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
17213 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
17217 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
17218 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
17220 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
17221 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
17222 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
17223 non-@code{nil} value.
17225 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
17226 operator, and various match operators.
17233 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17234 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
17235 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
17240 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
17241 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
17242 then this operator will return @code{false}.
17247 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
17248 logical negation of the value of its argument.
17252 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
17253 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
17254 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
17255 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
17256 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
17257 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
17258 the ancestry you want to go.
17260 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
17261 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
17262 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
17263 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
17264 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
17267 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
17268 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
17270 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
17271 when he's talking about Gnus:
17275 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17276 ("subject" "Gnus"))
17282 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
17286 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17293 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
17294 really don't want to read what he's written:
17298 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
17299 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
17303 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
17304 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
17305 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
17312 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
17313 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
17314 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
17315 ("body" "white.*socks"))
17319 The possibilities are endless.
17322 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
17323 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
17325 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
17326 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
17327 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
17328 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
17329 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
17330 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
17331 @samp{subject}) first.
17333 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
17334 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
17345 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
17346 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
17352 ("subject" "Gnus")))
17359 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
17360 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
17365 @section Score Decays
17366 @cindex score decays
17369 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
17370 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
17371 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
17372 use them in any sensible way.
17374 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
17375 @findex gnus-decay-score
17376 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
17377 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
17378 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
17379 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
17380 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
17381 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
17382 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
17383 definition of that function:
17386 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
17388 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
17389 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
17392 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
17394 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
17396 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
17399 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
17400 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
17401 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
17402 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
17406 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
17409 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
17412 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
17416 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
17417 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
17418 the new score, which should be an integer.
17420 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
17421 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
17428 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
17429 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
17430 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
17431 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
17432 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
17433 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
17434 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
17435 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
17436 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
17437 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
17438 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
17439 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
17440 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
17441 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
17442 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
17443 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
17444 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
17445 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
17449 @node Process/Prefix
17450 @section Process/Prefix
17451 @cindex process/prefix convention
17453 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
17454 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
17456 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
17457 command to be performed on.
17461 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
17462 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
17463 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
17464 with the current one.
17466 @vindex transient-mark-mode
17467 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
17468 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
17470 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
17471 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
17474 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
17475 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
17477 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
17480 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
17481 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
17482 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
17483 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
17485 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
17486 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
17487 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
17488 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
17489 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
17490 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
17491 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
17492 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
17494 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
17495 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
17496 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
17497 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
17498 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
17502 @section Interactive
17503 @cindex interaction
17507 @item gnus-novice-user
17508 @vindex gnus-novice-user
17509 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
17510 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
17511 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
17512 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
17515 @item gnus-expert-user
17516 @vindex gnus-expert-user
17517 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
17518 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
17519 matter how strange.
17521 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
17522 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
17523 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
17524 is @code{t} by default.
17526 @item gnus-interactive-exit
17527 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
17528 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
17533 @node Symbolic Prefixes
17534 @section Symbolic Prefixes
17535 @cindex symbolic prefixes
17537 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
17538 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
17539 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
17540 rule of 900 to the current article.
17542 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
17543 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
17544 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
17545 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
17546 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
17547 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
17548 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
17550 @kindex M-i (Summary)
17551 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
17552 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
17553 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17554 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17555 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17556 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17557 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17558 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17560 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17561 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17562 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17564 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17568 @node Formatting Variables
17569 @section Formatting Variables
17570 @cindex formatting variables
17572 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17573 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17574 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17575 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17576 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17579 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17580 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17581 lots of percentages everywhere.
17584 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17585 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17586 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17587 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17588 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17591 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17592 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17593 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17594 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17595 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17596 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17597 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17598 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17600 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17601 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17603 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17604 @findex gnus-update-format
17605 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17606 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17607 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17608 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17612 @node Formatting Basics
17613 @subsection Formatting Basics
17615 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17616 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17617 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17619 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17620 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17621 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17622 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17623 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17626 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17627 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17628 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17629 less than 4 characters wide.
17632 @node Mode Line Formatting
17633 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17635 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17636 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17637 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17638 with the following two differences:
17643 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17646 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17647 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17648 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17649 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17650 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17651 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17652 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17657 @node Advanced Formatting
17658 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17660 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17661 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17662 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17663 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17665 These are the valid modifiers:
17670 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17674 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17679 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17682 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17687 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17690 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17693 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17696 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17700 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17701 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17702 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17703 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17704 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17705 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17706 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17708 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17709 last operation, padding.
17711 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
17712 If @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} is set to @code{nil} (@code{t} by
17713 default) with your strong personality, and use a lots of these advanced
17714 thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets quite slow. This can be helped
17715 enormously by running @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with
17716 the look of your lines.
17717 @xref{Compilation}.
17720 @node User-Defined Specs
17721 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17723 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17724 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17725 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17726 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17727 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17728 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17729 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17730 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17731 should protect against that.
17733 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17734 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17735 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17736 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17740 @node Formatting Fonts
17741 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17743 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17744 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17745 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17746 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17749 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17750 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17751 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17752 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17753 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17754 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17756 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17757 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17758 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17759 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17760 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17761 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17762 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17763 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17765 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17768 ;; Create three face types.
17769 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17770 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17772 ;; We want the article count to be in
17773 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17774 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17775 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17777 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17778 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17780 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17781 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17782 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17785 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17786 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17788 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17789 mode-line variables.
17792 @node Windows Configuration
17793 @section Windows Configuration
17794 @cindex windows configuration
17796 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17798 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17799 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17800 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17801 @code{t} by default.
17803 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17804 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17806 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17807 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17808 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17811 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17812 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17813 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17817 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17818 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17819 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17820 possible names is listed below.
17822 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17823 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17826 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17830 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17831 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17832 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17833 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17834 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17835 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17836 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17837 size spec per split.
17839 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17840 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17841 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17842 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17843 present) gets focus.
17845 Here's a more complicated example:
17848 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17849 (summary 0.25 point)
17850 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17854 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17855 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17856 occupy, not a percentage.
17858 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17859 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17860 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17861 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17862 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17865 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17868 (article (horizontal 1.0
17873 (summary 0.25 point)
17878 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17879 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17881 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17882 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17883 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17884 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17885 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17887 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17888 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17889 lines from the splits.
17891 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17895 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17896 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17897 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17898 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17899 buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17900 size = number | frame-params
17901 buf-name = group | article | summary ...
17904 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17905 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17906 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17907 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17909 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17910 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17911 @cindex window height
17912 @cindex window width
17913 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17914 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17915 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17916 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17917 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17918 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17920 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17921 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17922 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17923 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17925 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17926 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17927 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17928 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17929 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17930 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17931 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17932 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17933 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17934 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17935 configuration list.
17938 (gnus-configure-frame
17942 (article 0.3 point))
17950 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17951 @code{frame} split:
17954 (gnus-configure-frame
17957 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17959 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17960 (user-position . t)
17961 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17966 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17967 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17968 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17969 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17970 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17971 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17972 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17973 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17975 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17976 be found in its default value.
17978 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17979 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17980 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17984 (message (horizontal 1.0
17985 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17987 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17992 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17993 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17994 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17999 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
18000 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
18001 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
18002 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
18003 (name . "Message"))
18004 (message 1.0 point))))
18007 @findex gnus-add-configuration
18008 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
18009 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
18010 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
18011 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
18014 (gnus-add-configuration
18015 '(article (vertical 1.0
18017 (summary .25 point)
18021 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
18022 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
18023 Gnus has been loaded.
18025 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
18026 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
18027 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
18028 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
18029 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
18031 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
18032 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
18033 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
18036 @subsection Example Window Configurations
18040 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
18041 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
18056 (gnus-add-configuration
18059 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18061 (summary 0.16 point)
18064 (gnus-add-configuration
18067 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
18068 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
18074 @node Faces and Fonts
18075 @section Faces and Fonts
18080 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
18081 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
18082 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
18087 @section Compilation
18088 @cindex compilation
18089 @cindex byte-compilation
18091 @findex gnus-compile
18093 Remember all those line format specification variables?
18094 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
18095 on. By default, T-gnus will use the byte-compiled codes of these
18096 variables and we can keep a slow-down to a minimum. However, if you set
18097 @code{gnus-compile-user-specs} to @code{nil} (@code{t} by default),
18098 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
18099 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
18100 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
18103 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
18104 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
18105 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
18106 you'll get top speed again. Note that T-gnus will not save these
18107 compiled specs in the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
18110 @item gnus-compile-user-specs
18111 @vindex gnus-compile-user-specs
18112 If it is non-nil, the user-defined format specs will be byte-compiled
18113 automatically. The default value of this variable is @code{t}. It has
18114 an effect on the values of @code{gnus-*-line-format-spec}.
18119 @section Mode Lines
18122 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
18123 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
18124 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
18125 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
18126 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
18127 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
18128 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
18131 @cindex display-time
18133 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
18134 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
18135 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
18136 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
18137 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
18138 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
18139 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
18140 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
18143 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
18145 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
18146 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
18148 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
18149 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
18150 (length display-time-string)))))
18153 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
18154 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
18155 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
18156 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
18157 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
18160 @node Highlighting and Menus
18161 @section Highlighting and Menus
18163 @cindex highlighting
18166 @vindex gnus-visual
18167 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
18168 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
18169 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
18172 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
18173 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
18176 @item group-highlight
18177 Do highlights in the group buffer.
18178 @item summary-highlight
18179 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
18180 @item article-highlight
18181 Do highlights in the article buffer.
18183 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
18185 Create menus in the group buffer.
18187 Create menus in the summary buffers.
18189 Create menus in the article buffer.
18191 Create menus in the browse buffer.
18193 Create menus in the server buffer.
18195 Create menus in the score buffers.
18197 Create menus in all buffers.
18200 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
18201 buffers, you could say something like:
18204 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
18207 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
18210 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
18213 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
18214 in all Gnus buffers.
18216 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
18219 @item gnus-mouse-face
18220 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
18221 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
18222 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
18226 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
18230 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
18231 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
18232 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
18234 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
18235 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
18236 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
18238 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
18239 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
18240 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
18242 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
18243 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
18244 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
18246 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
18247 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
18248 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
18250 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
18251 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
18252 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
18263 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
18264 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
18265 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
18266 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
18267 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
18271 @vindex gnus-carpal
18272 Well, you can make Gnus display bufferfuls of buttons you can click to
18273 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
18274 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
18279 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18280 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
18281 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
18283 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
18284 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
18285 Face used on buttons.
18287 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
18288 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
18289 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
18291 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18292 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
18293 Buttons in the group buffer.
18295 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18296 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
18297 Buttons in the summary buffer.
18299 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18300 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
18301 Buttons in the server buffer.
18303 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18304 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
18305 Buttons in the browse buffer.
18308 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
18309 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
18310 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
18318 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
18319 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
18320 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
18321 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
18322 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
18324 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
18325 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
18326 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
18328 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
18329 been idle for thirty minutes:
18332 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
18335 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
18339 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
18342 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
18343 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
18344 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18346 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
18347 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
18348 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
18349 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
18351 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
18352 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
18353 @var{idle} minutes.
18355 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
18356 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
18359 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
18360 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
18361 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
18363 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
18364 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
18365 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
18366 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
18368 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
18369 your @file{.gnus} file:
18371 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
18373 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
18376 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
18377 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
18378 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
18379 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
18380 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
18381 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
18382 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
18383 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
18384 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
18385 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
18386 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
18388 @findex gnus-demon-init
18389 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
18390 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
18391 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
18392 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
18393 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
18395 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
18396 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
18397 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
18406 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
18407 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
18409 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
18410 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
18411 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
18412 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
18415 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
18416 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
18417 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
18418 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
18420 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
18421 this will make spam disappear.
18423 There are some variables to customize, of course:
18426 @item gnus-use-nocem
18427 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
18428 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
18431 @item gnus-nocem-groups
18432 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
18433 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
18434 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
18435 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
18437 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
18438 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
18439 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
18440 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
18441 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
18442 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
18444 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
18445 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
18447 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
18448 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
18449 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
18450 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
18451 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
18452 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
18453 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
18454 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
18455 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
18456 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
18458 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
18459 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
18462 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
18465 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
18466 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
18469 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
18472 The specs are applied left-to-right.
18475 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
18476 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
18478 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
18479 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
18480 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
18481 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
18483 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
18484 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
18487 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
18489 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
18497 This might be dangerous, though.
18499 @item gnus-nocem-directory
18500 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
18501 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
18502 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
18504 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18505 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
18506 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
18507 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
18508 might then see old spam.
18510 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
18511 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
18512 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
18513 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
18514 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
18517 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18518 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
18519 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
18520 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
18524 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
18525 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
18526 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
18527 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
18534 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
18535 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
18536 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
18538 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
18539 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
18540 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
18541 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
18542 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
18543 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
18544 @code{undo} function.
18546 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
18547 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
18548 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
18549 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
18550 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
18551 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
18552 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
18553 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
18554 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
18555 never be totally undoable.
18557 @findex gnus-undo-mode
18558 @vindex gnus-use-undo
18560 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
18561 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
18562 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
18563 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18568 @section Moderation
18571 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18572 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18573 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18576 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18580 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18583 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18585 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18590 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18591 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18592 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18595 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18596 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18599 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18600 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18604 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18607 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18608 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18612 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18613 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18616 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18620 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18621 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18622 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18623 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18636 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18637 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18638 over your shoulder as you read news.
18641 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18642 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18643 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18644 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18645 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18650 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18652 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18661 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18662 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18663 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18664 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18665 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18666 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18667 @code{GIF} formats.
18670 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18671 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18672 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18673 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18674 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18676 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18677 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18678 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18679 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18680 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18681 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18684 @node Picon Requirements
18685 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18687 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18688 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18691 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18692 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18693 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18695 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18696 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18697 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18698 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18699 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18703 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18705 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18706 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18709 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18710 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18713 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18714 containing the Picons databases.
18716 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18719 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18720 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18725 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18733 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18734 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18735 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18736 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18737 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18742 @item gnus-picons-database
18743 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18744 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18745 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18746 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18747 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18748 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18750 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18751 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18752 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18753 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18754 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18755 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18756 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18758 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18759 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18760 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18761 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18762 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18763 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18764 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18765 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18767 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18768 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18769 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18774 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18775 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18777 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18778 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18781 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18783 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18784 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18785 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18786 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18788 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18789 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18790 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18796 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18797 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18805 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18806 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18807 don't need to worry about.
18811 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18812 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18813 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18814 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18816 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18817 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18818 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18819 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18821 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18822 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18823 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18824 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18825 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18827 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18828 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18829 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18830 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18831 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18832 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18833 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18835 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18836 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18837 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18838 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18840 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18841 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18842 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18843 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18844 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18845 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18846 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18848 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18849 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18850 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18851 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18853 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18854 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18855 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18856 Defaults to @code{t}.
18858 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18859 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18860 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18861 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18863 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18864 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18865 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18867 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18868 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18869 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18870 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18872 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18873 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18875 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18876 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18877 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18878 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18879 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18880 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18881 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18882 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18893 @subsection Smileys
18898 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18903 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18904 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18906 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18907 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18910 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18913 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18914 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18915 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18916 text and maps that to file names.
18918 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18919 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18920 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18921 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18922 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18923 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18925 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18926 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18928 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18929 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18930 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18932 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18933 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18937 @item smiley-data-directory
18938 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18939 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18941 @item smiley-flesh-color
18942 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18943 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18945 @item smiley-features-color
18946 @vindex smiley-features-color
18947 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18949 @item smiley-tongue-color
18950 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18951 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18953 @item smiley-circle-color
18954 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18955 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18957 @item smiley-mouse-face
18958 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18959 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18965 @subsection Toolbar
18975 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18976 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18977 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18978 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18979 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18981 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18982 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18983 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18985 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18986 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18987 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18989 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18990 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18991 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18997 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
19000 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19001 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
19002 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
19003 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
19004 unusual directory structure.
19006 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19007 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
19008 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
19009 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
19011 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19012 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
19013 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
19014 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
19015 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
19016 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
19018 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19019 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
19020 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
19034 @node Fuzzy Matching
19035 @section Fuzzy Matching
19036 @cindex fuzzy matching
19038 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
19039 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
19041 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
19042 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
19043 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
19045 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
19046 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
19047 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
19048 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
19049 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
19052 @node Thwarting Email Spam
19053 @section Thwarting Email Spam
19057 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
19059 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
19060 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
19061 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
19062 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
19063 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
19064 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
19065 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
19066 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
19069 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
19070 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
19071 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
19072 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
19073 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
19074 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
19078 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
19079 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
19081 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
19082 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
19083 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
19084 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
19085 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
19086 part of the mail address.)
19089 (setq message-default-news-headers
19090 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
19093 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
19094 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
19099 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
19100 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
19101 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
19107 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
19108 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
19109 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
19110 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
19112 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
19113 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
19114 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
19115 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
19116 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
19117 your fancy split rule in this way:
19122 (to "larsi" "misc")
19126 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
19127 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
19128 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
19129 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
19130 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
19132 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
19133 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
19134 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
19135 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
19136 cosmic balance somewhat.
19138 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
19139 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
19140 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
19141 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
19144 @node Various Various
19145 @section Various Various
19151 @item gnus-home-directory
19152 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
19153 defaults to @file{~/}.
19155 @item gnus-directory
19156 @vindex gnus-directory
19157 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
19158 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
19159 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
19161 Note that gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
19162 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
19163 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
19164 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
19166 @item gnus-default-directory
19167 @vindex gnus-default-directory
19168 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
19169 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
19170 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
19171 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
19172 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
19173 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
19176 @vindex gnus-verbose
19177 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
19178 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
19179 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
19180 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
19181 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
19183 @item gnus-verbose-backends
19184 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
19185 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
19186 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
19188 @item nnheader-max-head-length
19189 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
19190 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
19191 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
19192 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
19193 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
19194 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
19195 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
19196 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
19197 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
19199 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
19200 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
19201 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
19202 read when doing the operation described above.
19204 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19205 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19207 @cindex invalid characters in file names
19208 @cindex characters in file names
19209 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
19210 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
19211 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
19214 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
19218 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
19219 Windows (phooey) systems.
19221 @item gnus-hidden-properties
19222 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
19223 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
19224 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
19225 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
19227 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
19228 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
19229 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
19230 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
19231 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
19233 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
19234 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
19235 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
19237 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19238 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
19240 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
19241 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
19242 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
19243 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
19246 @sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
19255 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
19256 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
19258 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
19260 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
19266 Not because of victories @*
19269 but for the common sunshine,@*
19271 the largess of the spring.
19275 but for the day's work done@*
19276 as well as I was able;@*
19277 not for a seat upon the dais@*
19278 but at the common table.@*
19283 @chapter Appendices
19286 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
19287 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
19288 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
19289 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
19290 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
19291 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
19292 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
19293 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
19301 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
19302 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
19304 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
19305 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
19306 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
19307 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
19308 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
19310 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
19311 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
19312 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
19313 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
19314 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
19315 appropriate name, don't you think?)
19317 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
19318 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
19319 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
19320 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
19323 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
19324 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
19325 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
19326 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
19327 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
19328 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
19329 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
19330 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
19331 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
19335 @node Gnus Versions
19336 @subsection Gnus Versions
19337 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
19339 @cindex September Gnus
19340 @cindex Quassia Gnus
19342 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
19343 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
19344 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
19346 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
19347 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
19349 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
19350 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
19352 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
19353 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
19355 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
19356 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
19359 On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
19361 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
19362 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
19363 ``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
19364 that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
19365 run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
19366 released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
19369 @node Other Gnus Versions
19370 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
19373 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
19374 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
19375 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
19376 @sc{mime} capabilities.
19378 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
19379 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
19380 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
19381 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
19388 What's the point of Gnus?
19390 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
19391 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
19392 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
19393 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
19394 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
19395 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
19396 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
19397 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
19398 keep track of millions of people who post?
19400 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
19401 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
19402 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
19403 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
19404 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
19405 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
19406 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
19407 every one of you to explore and invent.
19409 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
19410 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
19413 @node Compatibility
19414 @subsection Compatibility
19416 @cindex compatibility
19417 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
19418 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
19419 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
19424 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
19428 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
19431 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
19434 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
19435 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
19436 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
19437 important variables have their values copied into their global
19438 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
19439 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
19441 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
19442 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
19443 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
19444 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
19445 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
19449 @cindex highlighting
19450 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
19451 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
19452 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
19453 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
19454 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
19455 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
19458 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
19459 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
19460 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
19461 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
19463 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
19464 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
19465 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
19466 to stop doing it the old way.
19468 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
19470 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
19472 @cindex reporting bugs
19474 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
19475 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
19476 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
19478 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
19479 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
19480 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
19481 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
19486 @subsection Conformity
19488 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
19489 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
19496 There are no known breaches of this standard.
19500 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
19502 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
19503 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
19504 We do have some breaches to this one.
19510 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
19511 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
19512 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
19513 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
19514 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
19519 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
19520 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
19521 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
19522 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
19526 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
19527 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
19532 @subsection Emacsen
19538 Gnus should work on :
19546 XEmacs 21.1.1 and up.
19550 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19551 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19552 Emacs versions. However, T-gnus does support ``Mule 2.3 based on Emacs
19553 19.34'' and possibly the versions of XEmacs prior to 21.1.1, e.g. 20.4.
19554 See the file ``README'' in the T-gnus distribution for more details.
19556 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19557 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19558 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19562 @node Gnus Development
19563 @subsection Gnus Development
19565 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19566 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19567 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19568 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19569 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19570 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19571 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19572 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19574 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19575 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19576 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19577 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19578 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19581 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19582 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19583 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19584 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19585 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19587 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19588 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19589 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19590 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19591 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19592 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19593 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19594 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19595 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19596 can't be assumed to do so.
19601 @subsection Contributors
19602 @cindex contributors
19604 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19605 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19606 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19607 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19608 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19609 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19610 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19611 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19612 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19613 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19615 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19621 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19624 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19625 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19626 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19627 functionality and stuff.
19630 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19631 well as numerous other things).
19634 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19637 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19640 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19643 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19644 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19647 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19650 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19651 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19654 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19657 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19660 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19663 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19666 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19667 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19670 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19673 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19676 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19679 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19683 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19686 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19689 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19692 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19693 well as autoconf support.
19697 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19698 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19700 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19709 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19713 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19723 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19738 Massimo Campostrini,
19743 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19744 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19748 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19751 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19757 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19762 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19766 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19774 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19776 Michelangelo Grigni,
19780 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19782 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19784 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19791 François Felix Ingrand,
19792 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19793 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19795 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19806 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19807 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19809 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19810 Thor Kristoffersen,
19813 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19831 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19832 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19839 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19844 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19848 John McClary Prevost,
19854 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19859 Christian von Roques,
19862 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19869 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19871 Randal L. Schwartz,
19885 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19890 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19906 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19911 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19912 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19913 (550kB and counting).
19915 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19918 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19919 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19923 @subsection New Features
19924 @cindex new features
19927 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19928 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
19929 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19930 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19931 * Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
19934 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19935 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19936 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19939 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19941 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19946 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19947 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19950 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19951 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19954 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19957 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19958 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19959 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19962 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19963 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19964 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19965 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19968 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19969 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19972 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19973 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19974 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19977 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19978 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19981 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19982 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19983 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19986 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19987 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19988 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19991 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19992 the @file{.emacs} file.
19995 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19996 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19999 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
20000 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
20003 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
20004 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20007 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
20008 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
20011 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
20012 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20015 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
20018 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
20019 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
20022 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
20023 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
20026 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
20027 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
20030 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
20033 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
20034 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20037 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
20041 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
20045 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
20046 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
20049 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
20055 @node September Gnus
20056 @subsubsection September Gnus
20060 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
20064 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
20069 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
20070 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
20074 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
20075 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
20079 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
20083 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
20084 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
20087 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
20091 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
20094 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
20097 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
20100 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
20104 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
20105 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
20108 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
20112 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
20116 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
20120 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
20124 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
20127 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
20128 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
20131 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
20135 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
20136 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
20139 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
20142 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
20143 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
20144 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
20147 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
20151 The Gnus cache is much faster.
20154 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
20158 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
20159 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
20162 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
20163 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
20166 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
20167 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
20170 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
20171 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
20172 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
20175 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
20176 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
20179 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
20182 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20185 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
20188 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
20191 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
20192 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
20195 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
20199 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
20202 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
20207 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
20210 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
20214 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
20217 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
20221 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
20224 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
20227 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
20228 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
20231 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
20232 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
20236 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
20237 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
20240 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
20244 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
20245 buffer to allow easier treatment.
20248 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
20251 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
20255 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
20259 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
20260 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
20263 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
20267 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
20268 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
20271 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
20272 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20275 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
20279 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
20282 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
20285 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
20291 @subsubsection Red Gnus
20293 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
20297 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
20304 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
20307 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
20308 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
20311 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
20312 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
20316 Article washing status can be displayed in the
20317 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
20320 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
20323 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
20324 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
20327 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
20331 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
20332 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
20336 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
20337 Server Internals}).
20340 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
20344 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
20347 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
20348 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
20351 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
20352 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
20353 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
20356 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
20357 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20360 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
20361 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
20364 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
20368 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
20369 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20372 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
20373 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
20376 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
20380 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
20383 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
20387 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
20388 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
20391 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
20392 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
20395 A new command for reading collections of documents
20396 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
20397 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
20400 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
20404 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
20405 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
20408 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
20409 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
20410 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
20413 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
20414 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
20418 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
20422 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
20426 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
20431 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
20435 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
20439 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
20440 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
20443 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
20449 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
20451 New features in Gnus 5.6:
20456 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
20457 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
20458 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
20461 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
20462 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
20463 group, which is created automatically.
20466 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
20470 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
20473 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
20474 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
20477 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
20481 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
20484 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
20485 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
20488 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
20491 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
20492 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
20495 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
20496 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
20499 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
20500 control over simplification.
20503 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
20506 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
20510 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
20513 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
20516 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
20517 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
20518 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
20521 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
20522 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
20525 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
20529 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
20530 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
20533 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
20534 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
20537 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20541 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20544 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20547 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20548 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20551 A new function for citing in Message has been
20552 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20555 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20558 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20562 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20563 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20566 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20567 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20570 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20573 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20577 @node Pterodactyl Gnus
20578 @subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
20580 New features in Gnus 5.8:
20584 @item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
20585 many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
20587 If you used procmail like in
20590 (setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
20591 (setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
20592 (setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
20593 (setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
20596 this now has changed to
20600 '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
20604 More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
20605 Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
20607 @item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
20608 Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
20610 @item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
20611 many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
20613 @item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
20614 called to position point.
20616 @item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
20617 summary buffers and NOV files.
20619 @item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
20620 of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
20622 @item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
20623 subtly different manner.
20625 @item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
20626 @code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
20627 again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
20629 @item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
20637 @section The Manual
20641 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
20642 either @code{texi2dvi}
20644 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
20645 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
20647 to get what you hold in your hands now.
20649 The following conventions have been used:
20654 This is a @samp{string}
20657 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
20660 This is a @file{file}
20663 This is a @code{symbol}
20667 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
20671 (setq flargnoze "yes")
20674 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
20677 (setq flumphel 'yes)
20680 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
20681 ever get them confused.
20685 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
20686 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
20687 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
20688 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
20689 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
20690 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
20691 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
20697 @node On Writing Manuals
20698 @section On Writing Manuals
20700 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
20701 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
20702 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
20703 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
20704 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
20705 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
20708 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
20709 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
20710 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
20713 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
20714 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
20719 @section Terminology
20721 @cindex terminology
20726 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
20727 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
20728 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
20729 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
20730 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
20734 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
20735 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
20736 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
20737 not posting, and replying is not following up.
20741 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
20745 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
20750 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
20751 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
20752 is all done by the backends.
20756 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
20757 default, way of getting news.
20761 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
20762 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
20767 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
20768 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
20772 A message that has been posted as news.
20775 @cindex mail message
20776 A message that has been mailed.
20780 A mail message or news article
20784 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
20789 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
20794 A line from the head of an article.
20798 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
20799 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
20803 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
20804 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
20805 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
20806 normal @sc{head} format.
20810 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
20811 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
20812 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
20813 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
20814 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
20815 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
20817 @item killed groups
20818 @cindex killed groups
20819 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
20820 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
20822 @item zombie groups
20823 @cindex zombie groups
20824 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
20827 @cindex active file
20828 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
20829 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
20830 is rather large, as you might surmise.
20833 @cindex bogus groups
20834 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
20835 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
20836 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
20839 @cindex activating groups
20840 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
20841 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
20842 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
20846 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
20848 @item select method
20849 @cindex select method
20850 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
20853 @item virtual server
20854 @cindex virtual server
20855 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
20856 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
20857 whole is a virtual server.
20861 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
20862 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
20865 @item ephemeral groups
20866 @cindex ephemeral groups
20867 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
20868 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
20869 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
20872 @cindex solid groups
20873 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
20874 group buffer are solid groups.
20876 @item sparse articles
20877 @cindex sparse articles
20878 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
20879 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
20883 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
20884 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
20888 @cindex thread root
20889 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
20890 articles in the thread.
20894 An article that has responses.
20898 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
20902 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
20903 specified by RFC 1153.
20909 @node Customization
20910 @section Customization
20911 @cindex general customization
20913 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
20914 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
20915 for some quite common situations.
20918 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
20919 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
20920 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
20921 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
20925 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
20926 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
20928 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
20929 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
20930 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
20934 @item gnus-read-active-file
20935 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
20936 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
20937 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
20938 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
20939 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
20941 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
20942 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
20943 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
20944 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
20948 @node Slow Terminal Connection
20949 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
20951 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
20952 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
20953 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
20957 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
20958 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
20959 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
20960 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
20961 horizontal and vertical recentering.
20963 @item gnus-visible-headers
20964 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
20965 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
20966 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
20967 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
20969 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
20971 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
20972 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
20973 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
20976 @item gnus-use-full-window
20977 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
20978 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
20979 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
20980 want to read them anyway.
20982 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
20983 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
20986 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
20987 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
20988 lines, which might save some time.
20992 @node Little Disk Space
20993 @subsection Little Disk Space
20996 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
20997 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21001 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21002 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21003 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21004 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21007 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21008 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21009 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21010 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21013 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21014 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21015 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21016 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21017 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21023 @subsection Slow Machine
21024 @cindex slow machine
21026 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21027 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21029 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21030 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21032 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21033 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21034 summary buffer faster.
21038 @node Troubleshooting
21039 @section Troubleshooting
21040 @cindex troubleshooting
21042 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21050 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21053 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21054 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21058 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21059 like @samp{T-gnus 6.15.* (based on Oort Gnus v0.*; for SEMI 1.1*, FLIM
21060 1.1*)} you have the right files loaded. If, on the other hand, you get
21061 something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp flee}, you have some old
21062 @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21065 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21069 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21070 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21071 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21072 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21073 something like that.
21076 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21079 @cindex reporting bugs
21081 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21083 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21084 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21085 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21086 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21088 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21089 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21090 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21091 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21094 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21095 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21096 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21097 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21098 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21099 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21101 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21102 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21103 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21106 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21107 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21109 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21110 @cindex ding mailing list
21111 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21112 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21116 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21117 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21119 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21120 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21121 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21122 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21125 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21126 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21127 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21128 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21129 and general methods of operation.
21132 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21133 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21134 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21135 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21136 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21137 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21138 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21139 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21140 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
21144 @node Gnus Utility Functions
21145 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
21146 @cindex Gnus utility functions
21147 @cindex utility functions
21149 @cindex internal variables
21151 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
21152 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
21153 Below is a list of the most common ones.
21157 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
21158 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
21159 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
21161 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
21162 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
21163 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
21165 @item gnus-group-real-name
21166 @findex gnus-group-real-name
21167 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
21170 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
21171 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
21172 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
21173 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
21175 @item gnus-get-info
21176 @findex gnus-get-info
21177 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
21179 @item gnus-group-unread
21180 @findex gnus-group-unread
21181 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
21185 @findex gnus-active
21186 The active entry for @var{group}.
21188 @item gnus-set-active
21189 @findex gnus-set-active
21190 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
21192 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21193 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21194 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
21197 @item gnus-continuum-version
21198 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21199 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21200 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21203 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21204 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21205 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21207 @item gnus-news-group-p
21208 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21209 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21211 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21212 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21213 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21215 @item gnus-server-to-method
21216 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21217 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21219 @item gnus-server-equal
21220 @findex gnus-server-equal
21221 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21223 @item gnus-group-native-p
21224 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21225 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21227 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21228 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21229 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21231 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21232 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21233 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21235 @item group-group-find-parameter
21236 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21237 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21238 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21240 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21241 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21242 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21244 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21245 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21246 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21248 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21249 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21250 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21251 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21254 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21258 @item gnus-read-method
21259 @findex gnus-read-method
21260 Prompts the user for a select method.
21265 @node Backend Interface
21266 @subsection Backend Interface
21268 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21269 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21270 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21271 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21272 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21273 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21275 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21276 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21277 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21278 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21279 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21280 been opened, the function should fail.
21282 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21283 name. Take this example:
21287 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
21288 (nntp-port-number 4324))
21291 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
21292 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
21294 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
21295 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
21296 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
21298 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
21299 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
21300 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
21302 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
21303 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
21304 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
21305 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
21306 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
21307 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
21310 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
21311 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
21312 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
21313 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
21316 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
21319 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
21322 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
21323 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
21324 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
21325 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
21326 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
21327 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
21331 @node Required Backend Functions
21332 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
21336 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
21338 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
21339 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
21340 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
21341 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
21343 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
21344 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
21345 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
21346 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
21348 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
21349 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
21350 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
21351 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
21352 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
21353 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
21354 number, do maximum fetches.
21356 Here's an example HEAD:
21359 221 1056 Article retrieved.
21360 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
21361 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
21362 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
21363 Subject: Re: Something very droll
21364 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
21365 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
21367 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
21368 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
21369 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
21373 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
21374 these in the data buffer.
21376 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
21380 head = error / valid-head
21381 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
21382 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
21383 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
21384 header = <text> eol
21387 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
21388 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
21392 nov-buffer = *nov-line
21393 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
21394 field = <text except TAB>
21397 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
21401 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
21403 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
21404 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
21406 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
21407 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
21408 server. In fact, it should do so.
21410 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
21411 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
21414 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
21416 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
21417 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
21420 There should be no data returned.
21423 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
21425 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
21426 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
21427 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
21428 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
21430 There should be no data returned.
21433 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
21435 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
21436 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
21437 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
21438 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
21440 There should be no data returned.
21443 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
21445 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
21447 There should be no data returned.
21450 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
21452 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
21453 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
21454 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
21455 it would be nice if that were possible.
21457 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
21458 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
21459 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
21460 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
21461 into its article buffer.
21463 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
21464 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
21465 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
21466 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
21467 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
21468 on successful article retrieval.
21471 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
21473 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
21474 making @var{group} the current group.
21476 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
21479 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
21482 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
21485 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
21486 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
21487 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
21488 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
21489 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
21490 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
21491 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
21492 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
21495 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
21496 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
21497 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
21501 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21503 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
21504 a no-op on most backends.
21506 There should be no data returned.
21509 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
21511 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
21514 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
21517 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
21518 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
21521 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
21522 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
21525 active-file = *active-line
21526 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
21528 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
21531 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
21532 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
21533 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
21536 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
21538 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
21539 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
21540 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
21541 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
21542 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
21543 clear if the posting could not be completed.
21545 There should be no result data from this function.
21550 @node Optional Backend Functions
21551 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
21555 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
21557 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
21558 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
21559 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
21561 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
21562 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
21563 former is in the same format as the data from
21564 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
21565 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
21568 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
21572 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
21574 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
21575 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
21576 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
21577 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
21578 should return the (altered) group info.
21580 There should be no result data from this function.
21583 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
21585 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
21586 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
21587 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
21588 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
21589 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
21590 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
21591 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
21592 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
21594 There should be no result data from this function.
21597 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
21599 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
21600 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
21601 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
21602 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
21603 propagate the mark information to the server.
21605 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
21608 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
21611 RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
21612 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
21613 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
21614 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
21615 mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
21616 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
21617 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
21618 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
21619 not limit itself to these.
21621 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
21622 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
21623 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
21624 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
21626 An example action list:
21629 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
21630 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
21631 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
21634 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
21635 mark on (currently not used for anything).
21637 There should be no result data from this function.
21639 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
21641 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
21642 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
21643 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
21644 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
21645 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
21647 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
21648 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
21649 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
21652 There should be no result data from this function.
21655 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
21657 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
21658 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
21659 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
21660 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
21661 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
21662 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
21663 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
21665 There should be no result data from this function.
21668 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
21670 The result data from this function should be a description of
21674 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
21676 description = <text>
21679 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
21681 The result data from this function should be the description of all
21682 groups available on the server.
21685 description-buffer = *description-line
21689 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
21691 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
21692 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
21693 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
21696 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
21698 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
21700 There should be no return data.
21703 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
21705 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
21706 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
21707 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
21708 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
21709 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
21712 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
21715 There should be no result data returned.
21718 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
21721 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
21722 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
21724 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
21725 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
21726 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
21727 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
21728 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
21729 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
21731 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
21732 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
21735 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21736 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21738 There should be no data returned.
21741 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
21743 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
21744 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
21745 this function in short order.
21747 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
21748 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
21750 There should be no data returned.
21753 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
21755 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
21756 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
21758 There should be no data returned.
21761 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
21763 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
21764 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
21765 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
21767 There should be no data returned.
21770 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
21772 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
21773 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
21775 There should be no data returned.
21780 @node Error Messaging
21781 @subsubsection Error Messaging
21783 @findex nnheader-report
21784 @findex nnheader-get-report
21785 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
21786 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
21787 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
21788 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
21789 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
21790 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
21793 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
21795 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
21798 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
21799 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
21800 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
21801 takes one argument---the server symbol.
21803 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
21804 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
21805 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
21808 @node Writing New Backends
21809 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
21811 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
21812 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
21813 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
21814 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
21815 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
21818 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
21819 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
21820 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
21822 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
21823 package called @code{nnoo}.
21825 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
21826 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
21832 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
21833 parameters. For instance:
21836 (nnoo-declare nndir
21840 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
21841 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
21844 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
21845 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
21846 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
21848 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
21849 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
21850 a function in those backends.
21853 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21854 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21855 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21858 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
21859 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
21860 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
21862 @item nnoo-define-basics
21863 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
21867 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21871 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
21872 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
21873 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
21875 @item nnoo-map-functions
21876 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
21877 functions from the parent backends.
21880 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21881 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21882 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
21885 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
21886 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
21887 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
21888 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
21891 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
21892 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
21893 haven't already been defined.
21899 nnmh-request-newgroups)
21903 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
21904 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
21905 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
21910 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
21913 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
21914 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
21918 (require 'nnheader)
21922 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
21924 (nnoo-declare nndir
21927 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
21928 "Where nndir will look for groups."
21929 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
21931 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
21932 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
21935 (defvoo nndir-current-group ""
21937 nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
21938 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
21939 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
21941 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
21942 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
21944 ;;; Interface functions.
21946 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
21948 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
21949 (setq nndir-directory
21950 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
21952 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
21953 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
21954 (push `(nndir-current-group
21955 ,(file-name-nondirectory
21956 (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21958 (push `(nndir-top-directory
21959 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
21961 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
21963 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
21964 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21965 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
21966 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
21967 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
21971 nnmh-status-message
21973 nnmh-request-newgroups))
21979 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21980 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
21982 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
21983 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
21984 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
21985 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
21987 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
21988 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
21993 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
21996 The abilities can be:
22000 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22002 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
22004 This backend supports both mail and news.
22006 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
22009 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22010 articles and groups.
22012 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22013 true for almost all backends.
22014 @item prompt-address
22015 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22016 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
22017 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22021 @node Mail-like Backends
22022 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
22024 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
22025 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
22026 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22027 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22030 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22031 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22032 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22035 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22036 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22039 This function takes four parameters.
22043 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
22046 @item exit-function
22047 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22049 @item temp-directory
22050 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22053 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22054 performed for one group only.
22057 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
22058 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22059 find the article number assigned to this article.
22061 The function also uses the following variables:
22062 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22063 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
22064 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22065 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22069 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22070 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22074 @node Score File Syntax
22075 @subsection Score File Syntax
22077 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22078 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22079 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22081 Here's a typical score file:
22085 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22092 BNF definition of a score file:
22095 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22096 element = rule / atom
22097 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22098 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22099 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22100 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22102 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22103 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22104 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22105 date-header = "date"
22106 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22107 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22108 score = "nil" / <integer>
22109 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22110 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
22111 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
22112 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
22113 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
22114 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22115 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22116 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
22117 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22118 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
22119 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
22120 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
22121 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
22122 exclude-files / read-only / touched
22123 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
22124 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
22125 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
22126 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
22127 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
22128 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
22129 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
22130 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
22131 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
22132 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
22133 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
22134 eval = "eval" space <form>
22135 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
22138 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
22141 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
22142 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
22143 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
22144 one looong line, then that's ok.
22146 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
22147 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22151 @subsection Headers
22153 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
22154 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
22155 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
22156 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
22158 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
22159 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
22160 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
22161 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
22162 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
22163 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
22164 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
22166 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
22167 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
22168 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
22169 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
22170 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
22172 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
22173 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
22179 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
22180 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
22182 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
22183 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
22184 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
22185 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
22187 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
22191 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
22194 is transformed into
22197 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22200 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22201 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22204 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22207 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22208 is slightly tricky:
22211 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22217 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22220 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22226 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22233 and is equal to the previous range.
22235 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22236 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22237 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22241 range = simple-range / normal-range
22242 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22243 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22244 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22245 number *[ " " contents ]
22248 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22249 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22250 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22251 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22252 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22257 @subsection Group Info
22259 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22260 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22261 describes the group.
22263 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22264 second is a more complex one:
22267 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22269 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22270 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22272 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22275 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22276 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22277 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22278 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22279 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22280 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22281 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22282 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22283 this section is about.
22285 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22286 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22287 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22289 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
22292 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
22293 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
22294 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22295 group = quote <string> quote
22296 ralevel = rank / level
22297 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22298 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
22299 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
22301 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
22302 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
22303 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
22304 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
22307 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
22308 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
22311 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
22312 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
22315 @item gnus-info-group
22316 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
22317 @findex gnus-info-group
22318 @findex gnus-info-set-group
22319 Get/set the group name.
22321 @item gnus-info-rank
22322 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
22323 @findex gnus-info-rank
22324 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
22325 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
22327 @item gnus-info-level
22328 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
22329 @findex gnus-info-level
22330 @findex gnus-info-set-level
22331 Get/set the group level.
22333 @item gnus-info-score
22334 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
22335 @findex gnus-info-score
22336 @findex gnus-info-set-score
22337 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
22339 @item gnus-info-read
22340 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
22341 @findex gnus-info-read
22342 @findex gnus-info-set-read
22343 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
22345 @item gnus-info-marks
22346 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
22347 @findex gnus-info-marks
22348 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
22349 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
22351 @item gnus-info-method
22352 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
22353 @findex gnus-info-method
22354 @findex gnus-info-set-method
22355 Get/set the group select method.
22357 @item gnus-info-params
22358 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
22359 @findex gnus-info-params
22360 @findex gnus-info-set-params
22361 Get/set the group parameters.
22364 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
22365 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
22367 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
22368 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
22369 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
22370 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
22373 @node Extended Interactive
22374 @subsection Extended Interactive
22375 @cindex interactive
22376 @findex gnus-interactive
22378 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
22379 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
22380 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
22383 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
22384 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
22389 The best thing to do would have been to implement
22390 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
22391 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
22392 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
22393 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
22394 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
22395 @code{interactive}.
22397 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
22402 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
22403 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
22407 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
22408 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
22409 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
22412 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
22416 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
22420 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
22426 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
22427 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
22431 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
22432 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
22433 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
22435 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
22436 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
22437 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
22438 Gnus, that's very useful.
22440 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
22441 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
22442 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
22443 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
22444 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
22445 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
22446 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
22447 following function:
22450 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
22454 (,function ,@@args))
22458 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
22459 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
22460 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
22463 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
22464 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
22465 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
22467 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
22468 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
22469 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
22472 @node Various File Formats
22473 @subsection Various File Formats
22476 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
22477 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
22481 @node Active File Format
22482 @subsubsection Active File Format
22484 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
22485 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
22488 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
22491 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
22492 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
22493 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
22494 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
22495 no.general 1000 900 y
22498 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
22501 active = *group-line
22502 group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
22503 group = <non-white-space string>
22505 high-number = <non-negative integer>
22506 low-number = <positive integer>
22507 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
22510 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
22511 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
22514 @node Newsgroups File Format
22515 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
22517 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
22518 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
22519 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
22522 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
22523 Here's the definition:
22527 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
22528 group = <non-white-space string>
22530 description = <string>
22535 @node Emacs for Heathens
22536 @section Emacs for Heathens
22538 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
22539 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
22540 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
22541 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
22542 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
22543 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
22544 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
22548 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
22549 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
22554 @subsection Keystrokes
22558 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
22561 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
22564 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
22565 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
22566 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
22567 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
22568 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
22569 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
22571 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
22572 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
22573 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
22574 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
22575 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
22576 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
22577 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
22579 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
22580 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
22581 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
22582 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
22583 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
22584 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
22585 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
22587 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
22588 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
22589 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
22590 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
22591 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
22597 @subsection Emacs Lisp
22599 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
22600 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
22601 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
22602 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
22604 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
22605 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
22606 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
22607 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
22608 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
22609 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
22610 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
22613 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
22614 write the following:
22617 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
22620 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
22621 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
22622 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
22625 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
22626 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
22627 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
22628 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
22629 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
22631 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
22632 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
22633 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
22637 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
22641 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
22644 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
22645 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
22648 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
22651 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
22652 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
22655 @include gnus-faq.texi
22676 % LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
22677 % LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
22678 % LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
22679 % LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
22680 % LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref