-\input texinfo @c -*-texinfo-*- -*- coding: iso-latin-1 -*-
+\input texinfo
@setfilename gnus
@settitle Gnus Manual
-@synindex fn cp
-@synindex vr cp
-@synindex pg cp
-@dircategory Emacs
-@direntry
-* Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
-@end direntry
-@iftex
-@finalout
-@end iftex
-@setchapternewpage odd
+@syncodeindex fn cp
+@syncodeindex vr cp
+@syncodeindex pg cp
+
+@documentencoding ISO-8859-1
+
+@copying
+Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001,
+2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+
+@quotation
+Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
+under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or
+any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
+Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
+Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
+license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
+License'' in the Emacs manual.
+
+(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
+this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
+Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
+
+This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
+Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
+separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
+license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
+@end quotation
+@end copying
@iftex
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+% Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
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+
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\gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
\thispagestyle{empty}
-Copyright \copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000
-Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-
-Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
-any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
-Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
-Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
-license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
-License'' in the Emacs manual.
-
-(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
-this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
-Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
-
-This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
-Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
-separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
-license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
+@c @insertcopying
\newpage
\end{titlepage}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@ifnottex
+@insertcopying
+@end ifnottex
-This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
-
-Copyright (C) 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
-any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
-Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
-Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
-license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
-License'' in the Emacs manual.
-
-(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
-this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
-Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
+@dircategory Emacs
+@direntry
+* Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
+@end direntry
+@iftex
+@finalout
+@end iftex
+@setchapternewpage odd
-This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
-Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
-separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
-license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
-@end ifnottex
-@tex
@titlepage
@title Gnus Manual
@author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
@page
-
@vskip 0pt plus 1filll
-Copyright @copyright{} 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
-
-Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
-under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
-any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
-Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
-Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
-license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
-License'' in the Emacs manual.
-
-(a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
-this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
-Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
-
-This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
-Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
-separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
-license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
-
+@insertcopying
@end titlepage
-@page
-
-@end tex
@node Top
@ifinfo
You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
-can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
+can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@acronym{NNTP}, local
spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
luck.
-This manual corresponds to Oort Gnus v.
+@c Adjust ../Makefile.in if you change the following line:
+This manual corresponds to No Gnus v0.4.
@end ifinfo
@end iftex
@menu
-* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
-* Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
-* Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
-* Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
-* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
-* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
-* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
-* Various:: General purpose settings.
-* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
-* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
-* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
-* Key Index:: Key Index.
+* Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
+* Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
+* Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
+* Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
+* Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
+* Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
+* Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
+* Various:: General purpose settings.
+* The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
+* Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, @acronym{FAQ}, History, Internals.
+* Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
+* Key Index:: Key Index.
+
+Other related manuals
+
+* Message:(message). Composing messages.
+* Emacs-MIME:(emacs-mime). Composing messages; @acronym{MIME}-specific parts.
+* Sieve:(sieve). Managing Sieve scripts in Emacs.
+* PGG:(pgg). @acronym{PGP/MIME} with Gnus.
+* SASL:(sasl). @acronym{SASL} authentication in Emacs.
@detailmenu
--- The Detailed Node Listing ---
Starting Gnus
-* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
-* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
-* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
-* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
-* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
-* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
-* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
-* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
-* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
-* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
New Groups
-* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
-* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
-* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
-
-The Group Buffer
-
-* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
-* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
-* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
-* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
-* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
-* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
-* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
-* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
-* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
-* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
-* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
-* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
-* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
-* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
-* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
-* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
-* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
+
+Group Buffer
+
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
Group Buffer Format
-* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
-* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
-* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
Group Topics
-* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
-* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
-* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
-* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
-* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
Misc Group Stuff
-* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
-* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
-* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
-* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
-The Summary Buffer
+Summary Buffer
* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
* Threading:: How threads are made.
* Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
* Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
* Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
-* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
+* Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
+ or reselecting the current group.
* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
+* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
Summary Buffer Format
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
Choosing Articles
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
Reply, Followup and Post
-* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
-* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
-* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
-* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
+* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
+* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
+* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
+* Canceling and Superseding::
Marking Articles
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
-* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
-* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
Threading
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
Customizing Threading
-* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
-* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
-* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
-* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
Decoding Articles
-* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
-* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
-* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
-* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
-* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
-* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
Decoding Variables
-* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
-* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
-* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
Article Treatment
-* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
-* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
-* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
-* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
-* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
-* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
-* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
-* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
Alternative Approaches
Various Summary Stuff
-* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands::
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
-The Article Buffer
+Article Buffer
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
Composing Messages
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
-* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
-* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
-* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
-* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
-* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
-* Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
+* POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
Select Methods
-* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
-* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
-* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
-* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
-* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+
+Server Buffer
+
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
-The Server Buffer
+Getting News
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
-* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
-* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
-Getting News
+@acronym{NNTP}
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
+* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
+* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
+* NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
Getting Mail
-* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
-* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
-* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
-* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
-* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
-* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
-* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
-* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
-* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
-* Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
-* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
-* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
-* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
Mail Sources
-* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
-* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
-* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
-Choosing a Mail Backend
+Choosing a Mail Back End
* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
+* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
Browsing the Web
-* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
-* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
-* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
-* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
+* Archiving Mail::
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
+
+@acronym{IMAP}
+
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
+* A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
+* Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
Other Sources
-* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
-* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
-* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
-* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
-* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
-* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
Document Groups
SOUP
-* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
-* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
-* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
-@sc{imap}
+Combined Groups
-* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
-* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
-* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-Combined Groups
+Email Based Diary
+
+* The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
+* The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
+* Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
+
+The NNDiary Back End
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+* Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
+* Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
+* Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
+
+The Gnus Diary Library
+
+* Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
+* Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
+* Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
+* Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
Gnus Unplugged
-* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
-* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
-* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
-* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
-* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
-* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
-* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
-* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
-* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
-* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
+* Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
+* Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
+* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
+* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
+* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
+* Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
+* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
Agent Categories
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
Agent Commands
-* Group Agent Commands::
-* Summary Agent Commands::
-* Server Agent Commands::
+* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
+* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
+* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
Scoring
-* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
-* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
-* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
-* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
-* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
-* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
-* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
-* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
-* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
-* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
-* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
-* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
-* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
-* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
-* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
-* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
-
-GroupLens
-
-* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
-* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
-* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
-* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
Advanced Scoring
Various
-* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
-* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
-* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
-* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
-* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
-* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
-* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
-* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
-* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
-* Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
-* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
-* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
-* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
-* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
-* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
-* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
-* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
-* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
+* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
+* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
+* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
+* Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
+* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
+* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
+* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
+* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
+* Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
+* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
+* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
+* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
+* Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
+* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
+* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
+* Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
+* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
Formatting Variables
-* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
-* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
-* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
-* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
-* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
-
-XEmacs Enhancements
-
-* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
-* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
-* Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
-* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
-
-Picons
-
-* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
-* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
-* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
-* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
-* Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
+* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
+* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
+* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
+* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
+* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
+* Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
+* Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
+* Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
+
+Image Enhancements
+
+* X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
+* Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
+
+Thwarting Email Spam
+
+* The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
+* Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
+* SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
+* Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
+* Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
+* Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
+
+Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
+
+* Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
+* Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
+* Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
+* Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
+* Blacklists and Whitelists::
+* BBDB Whitelists::
+* Gmane Spam Reporting::
+* Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
+* Blackholes::
+* Regular Expressions Header Matching::
+* Bogofilter::
+* SpamAssassin back end::
+* ifile spam filtering::
+* spam-stat spam filtering::
+* SpamOracle::
+* Extending the Spam ELisp package::
+
+Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
+
+* Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
+* Splitting mail using spam-stat::
+* Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
Appendices
-* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
-* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
-* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
-* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
-* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
-* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
-* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
-* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
+* XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
+* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
+* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
+* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
+* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
+* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
+* Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
History
-* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
-* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
-* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
-* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
-* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
-* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
-* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
-* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
-* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
+* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
New Features
-* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
-* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
-* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
-* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
+* Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
+* No Gnus:: Very punny.
Customization
-* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
-* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
-* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
-* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
+* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
+* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
+* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
+* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
Gnus Reference Guide
-* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
-* Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
-* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
-* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
-* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
-* Group Info:: The group info format.
-* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
-* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
-* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
-
-Backend Interface
-
-* Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
-* Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
-* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
-* Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
-* Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
-* Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
+* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
+* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
+* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
+* Group Info:: The group info format.
+* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
+* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
+* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
+
+Back End Interface
+
+* Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
+* Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
Various File Formats
-* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
-* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
Emacs for Heathens
-* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
-* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
@end detailmenu
@end menu
@kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
-variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
-@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
+variables in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file. This file is similar to
+@file{~/.emacs}, but is read when Gnus starts.
If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
@menu
-* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
-* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
-* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
-* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
-* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
-* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
-* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
-* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
-* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
-* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
-* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
+* Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
+* The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
+* The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
+* Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
+* New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
+* Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
+* Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
+* Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
+* The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
+* Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
@end menu
native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
foreign groups.
-For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
+For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @acronym{NNTP} server is where
you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
@lisp
@end lisp
If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
-certainly be much faster.
+certainly be much faster. But do not use the local spool if your
+server is running Leafnode (which is a simple, standalone private news
+server); in this case, use @code{(nntp "localhost")}.
@vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
@cindex NNTPSERVER
-@cindex @sc{nntp} server
+@cindex @acronym{NNTP} server
If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
-@code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
+@env{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
-(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
-that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
+(@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter.
+If that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs
+as an @acronym{NNTP} server. That's a long shot, though.
@vindex gnus-nntp-server
If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
@vindex gnus-secondary-servers
@vindex gnus-nntp-server
You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
-@sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
+@acronym{NNTP} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
(i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
@findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
@kindex B (Group)
-However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
+However, if you use one @acronym{NNTP} server regularly and are just
interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
groups are.
-For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
-would typically set this variable to
+For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} back end to read your mail,
+you would typically set this variable to
@lisp
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
@end lisp
+Note: the @acronym{NNTP} back end stores marks in marks files
+(@pxref{NNTP marks}). This feature makes it easy to share marks between
+several Gnus installations, but may slow down things a bit when fetching
+new articles. @xref{NNTP marks}, for more information.
+
@node The First Time
@section The First Time
@cindex first time usage
-If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
-be subscribed by default.
+If no startup files exist (@pxref{Startup Files}), Gnus will try to
+determine what groups should be subscribed by default.
@vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
-@code{.newsrc} file.
+@file{.newsrc} file.
To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
+@findex gnus-slave
Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
@kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
-information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
-
+information in the normal (i.e., master) @file{.newsrc} file.
-@node Fetching a Group
-@section Fetching a Group
-@cindex fetching a group
+If the @file{.newsrc*} files have not been saved in the master when the
+slave starts, you may be prompted as to whether to read an auto-save
+file. If you answer ``yes'', the unsaved changes to the master will be
+incorporated into the slave. If you answer ``no'', the slave may see some
+messages as unread that have been read in the master.
-@findex gnus-fetch-group
-It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
-group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
-perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
-command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
-It takes the group name as a parameter.
@node New Groups
@code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
@kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
-@code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
+@code{always}, then Gnus will query the back ends for new groups even
when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
@menu
-* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
-* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
-* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
+* Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
+* Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
+* Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
@end menu
@item gnus-subscribe-topics
@vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
-Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
+Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
topic parameter that looks like
"nnslashdot"
@end example
-will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
+will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
that topic.
If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
@vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
Yet another variable that meddles here is
@code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
-@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
-thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
-meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
-more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
-that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
-@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
-don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
+@code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous,
+but I thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is
+more meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is
+used more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new
+groups that come from mail back ends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
+@code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, @code{nnmh}, and @code{nnmaildir})
+subscribed. If you don't like that, just set this variable to
+@code{nil}.
New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
@code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
@section Changing Servers
@cindex changing servers
-Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
+Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another.
This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
very flaky and you want to use another.
@emph{Wrong!}
Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
-@sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
+@acronym{NNTP} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
worthless.
gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
+@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data
+@findex gnus-group-clear-data
+Clear the data from the current group only---nix out marks and the
+list of read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
+
After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
+@code{gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} will ask you if you want
+to have it done automatically; for @code{gnus-group-clear-data}, you
+can use @kbd{M-x gnus-cache-move-cache} (but beware, it will move the
+cache for all groups).
@node Startup Files
@cindex .newsrc.el
@cindex .newsrc.eld
-Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
-information is traditionally stored in this file.
+Most common Unix news readers use a shared startup file called
+@file{.newsrc}. This file contains all the information about what
+groups are subscribed, and which articles in these groups have been
+read.
Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
@code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
-@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
-convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
+@file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which can be
+convenient if you use a different news reader occasionally, and you
+want to read a different subset of the available groups with that
+news reader.
@vindex gnus-save-killed-list
If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
@vindex gnus-startup-file
+@vindex gnus-backup-startup-file
+@vindex version-control
The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
+If you want version control for this file, set
+@code{gnus-backup-startup-file}. It respects the same values as the
+@code{version-control} variable.
@vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
@vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
@end lisp
@vindex gnus-init-file
+@vindex gnus-site-init-file
When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
-(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
+(@file{.../site-lisp/gnus-init} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
(@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
@file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
@file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
-and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
-
+and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order). If Emacs was invoked with
+the @option{-q} or @option{--no-init-file} options (@pxref{Initial
+Options, ,Initial Options, emacs, The Emacs Manual}), Gnus doesn't read
+@code{gnus-init-file}.
@node Auto Save
this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
-file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
+file permissions as the @file{.newsrc} file.
@vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
-@sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
+@acronym{NNTP} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
@code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
-different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
+different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
-@file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
+@file{~/.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @file{.emacs} instead.
@item gnus-no-groups-message
@vindex gnus-no-groups-message
@chapter Group Buffer
@cindex group buffer
+@c Alex Schroeder suggests to rearrange this as follows:
+@c
+@c <kensanata> ok, just save it for reference. I'll go to bed in a minute.
+@c 1. Selecting a Group, 2. (new) Finding a Group, 3. Group Levels,
+@c 4. Subscription Commands, 5. Group Maneuvering, 6. Group Data,
+@c 7. Group Score, 8. Group Buffer Format
+@c <kensanata> Group Levels should have more information on levels 5 to 9. I
+@c suggest to split the 4th paragraph ("Gnus considers groups...") as follows:
+@c <kensanata> First, "Gnus considers groups... (default 9)."
+@c <kensanata> New, a table summarizing what levels 1 to 9 mean.
+@c <kensanata> Third, "Gnus treats subscribed ... reasons of efficiency"
+@c <kensanata> Then expand the next paragraph or add some more to it.
+@c This short one sentence explains levels 1 and 2, therefore I understand
+@c that I should keep important news at 3 and boring news at 4.
+@c Say so! Then go on to explain why I should bother with levels 6 to 9.
+@c Maybe keep those that you don't want to read temporarily at 6,
+@c those that you never want to read at 8, those that offend your
+@c human rights at 9...
+
+
The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
long as Gnus is active.
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group,height=9cm}}
\put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
\put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
\put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
@end iftex
@menu
-* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
-* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
-* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
-* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
-* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
-* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
-* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
-* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
-* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
-* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
-* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
-* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
-* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
-* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
-* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
-* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
-* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
+* Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
+* Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
+* Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
+* Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
+* Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
+* Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
+* Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
+* Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
+* Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
+* Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
+* Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
+* Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
+* Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
+* Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
+* Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
+* Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
+* Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
@end menu
@section Group Buffer Format
@menu
-* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
-* Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
-* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
+* Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
+* Group Mode Line Specification:: The group buffer mode line.
+* Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
@end menu
a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
@xref{Formatting Variables}.
-@samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
+@samp{%M%S%5y:%B%(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
-the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
-even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
-never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
-text properties.
+the colon after performing an operation. @xref{Positioning
+Point}. Nothing else is required---not even the group name. All
+displayed text is just window dressing, and is never examined by Gnus.
+Gnus stores all real information it needs using text properties.
(Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
@item R
Number of read articles.
+@item U
+Number of unseen articles.
+
@item t
Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
+Gnus uses this estimation because the @acronym{NNTP} protocol provides
+efficient access to @var{max-number} and @var{min-number} but getting
+the true unread message count is not possible efficiently. For
+hysterical raisins, even the mail back ends, where the true number of
+unread messages might be available efficiently, use the same limited
+interface. To remove this restriction from Gnus means that the back
+end interface has to be changed, which is not an easy job. If you
+want to work on this, please contact the Gnus mailing list.
+
@item y
Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
@item G
Group name.
+@item C
+Group comment (@pxref{Group Parameters}) or group name if there is no
+comment element in the group parameters.
+
@item D
-Newsgroup description.
+Newsgroup description. You need to read the group descriptions
+before these will appear, and to do that, you either have to set
+@code{gnus-read-active-file} or use the group buffer @kbd{M-d}
+command.
@item o
@samp{m} if moderated.
@item s
Select method.
+@item B
+If the summary buffer for the group is open or not.
+
@item n
Select from where.
A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
Timestamp}).
+@item F
+The disk space used by the articles fetched by both the cache and
+agent. The value is automatically scaled to bytes(B), kilobytes(K),
+megabytes(M), or gigabytes(G) to minimize the column width. A format
+of %7F is sufficient for a fixed-width column.
+
@item u
User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
be a letter. Gnus will call the function
group, or a bogus native group.
-@node Group Modeline Specification
-@subsection Group Modeline Specification
-@cindex group modeline
+@node Group Mode Line Specification
+@subsection Group Mode Line Specification
+@cindex group mode line
@vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
The mode line can be changed by setting
(cond (window-system
(setq custom-background-mode 'light)
(defface my-group-face-1
- '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
(defface my-group-face-2
- '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t)))
+ "Second group face")
(defface my-group-face-3
- '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
(defface my-group-face-4
- '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
+ '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
(defface my-group-face-5
- '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
+ '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
(setq gnus-group-highlight
'(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
@item ticked
The number of ticked articles in the group.
@item total
-The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
-MIN-NUMBER plus one.
+The total number of articles in the group. Or rather,
+@var{max-number} minus @var{min-number} plus one.
@item topic
When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
topic being inserted.
first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
-group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
-determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
-positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
-negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
+group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{n}, @var{n}
+determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{n} is
+positive, Gnus fetches the @var{n} newest articles, if @var{n} is
+negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{n})} oldest articles.
Thus, @kbd{SPC} enters the group normally, @kbd{C-u SPC} offers old
articles, @kbd{C-u 4 2 SPC} fetches the 42 newest articles, and @kbd{C-u
command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
(@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
-@item M-C-RET
-@kindex M-C-RET (Group)
+@item C-M-RET
+@kindex C-M-RET (Group)
@findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
doing any processing of its contents
@end table
@vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
-The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
-to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
+The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should
+consider to be a big group. If it is @code{nil}, no groups are
+considered big. The default value is 200. If the group has more
(unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
-before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
-should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
-number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
-is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
-be fetched.
+before entering the group. The user can then specify how many
+articles should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a
+negative number (@var{-n}), the @var{n} oldest articles will be
+fetched. If it is positive, the @var{n} articles that have arrived
+most recently will be fetched.
+
+@vindex gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup
+@code{gnus-large-ephemeral-newsgroup} is the same as
+@code{gnus-large-newsgroup}, but is only used for ephemeral
+newsgroups.
@vindex gnus-select-group-hook
@vindex gnus-auto-select-first
-@code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
+@vindex gnus-auto-select-subject
+If @code{gnus-auto-select-first} is non-@code{nil}, select an article
automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
+Which article this is is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-auto-select-subject} variable. Valid values for this
+variable is:
@table @code
-@item nil
-Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
-full summary buffer.
-
-@item t
-Select the first unread article when entering the group.
-
-@item best
-Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
-group.
+@item unread
+Place point on the subject line of the first unread article.
-@end table
+@item first
+Place point on the subject line of the first article.
-This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
-be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
-Useful functions include:
+@item unseen
+Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article.
-@table @code
-@item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
-Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
-don't select the article.
+@item unseen-or-unread
+Place point on the subject line of the first unseen article, and if
+there is no such article, place point on the subject line of the first
+unread article.
-@item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
-Select the first unread article.
+@item best
+Place point on the subject line of the highest-scored unread article.
-@item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Select the highest-scored unread article.
@end table
+This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function
+will be called to place point on a subject line.
If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
-binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
-in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
+binary group with Huge articles) you can set the
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} variable to @code{nil} in
+@code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
selected.
@item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
@kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
@findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
-If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
+If you have switched from one @acronym{NNTP} server to another, all your marks
and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
caution.
@cindex making groups
Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
-to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
+to subscribe to @acronym{NNTP} groups (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+
+@item G M
+@kindex G M (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group
+Make an ephemeral group (@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group}). Gnus
+will prompt you for a name, a method and an @dfn{address}.
@item G r
@kindex G r (Group)
Rename the current group to something else
(@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
-on some backends.
+on some back ends.
@item G c
@kindex G c (Group)
@findex gnus-group-enter-directory
@cindex nneething
Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
-@code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
+@code{nneething} back end (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
@xref{Anything Groups}.
@item G f
Make a group based on some file or other
(@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
-Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
-@code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
-@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
-If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
+Currently supported types are @code{mbox}, @code{babyl},
+@code{digest}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward},
+@code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts},
+@code{standard-digest}, @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs},
+@code{nsmail}, @code{outlook}, @code{oe-dbx}, and @code{mailman}. If
+you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
type. @xref{Document Groups}.
@item G u
@item G w
@kindex G w (Group)
@findex gnus-group-make-web-group
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
+@cindex Google
@cindex nnweb
+@cindex gmane
Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
(@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
-include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
+include @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}.
@xref{Web Searches}.
-If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
+If you use the @code{google} search engine, you can limit the search
to a particular group by using a match string like
-@samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
+@samp{shaving group:alt.sysadmin.recovery}.
+
+@item G R
+@kindex G R (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-make-rss-group
+Make a group based on an @acronym{RSS} feed
+(@code{gnus-group-make-rss-group}). You will be prompted for an URL.
+@xref{RSS}.
@item G DEL
@kindex G DEL (Group)
actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
-read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
+read-only groups (like @code{nntp} groups), though.
@item G V
@kindex G V (Group)
If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
-groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
+groups from different @acronym{NNTP} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
@code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
newsgroups.
(auto-expire . t))
@end example
-We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
+We see that each element consists of a ``dotted pair''---the thing before
the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
-Some parameters have correspondant customizable variables, each of which
+Some parameters have correspondent customizable variables, each of which
is an alist of regexps and values.
The following group parameters can be used:
sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
@vindex gnus-add-to-list
-If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
-@code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
-sending the message.
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-mode
+@cindex mail list groups
+If this variable is set, @code{gnus-mailing-list-mode} is turned on when
+entering summary buffer.
See also @code{gnus-parameter-to-list-alist}.
+@anchor{subscribed}
+@item subscribed
+@cindex subscribed
+@cindex Mail-Followup-To
+@findex gnus-find-subscribed-addresses
+If this parameter is set to @code{t}, Gnus will consider the
+to-address and to-list parameters for this group as addresses of
+mailing lists you are subscribed to. Giving Gnus this information is
+(only) a first step in getting it to generate correct Mail-Followup-To
+headers for your posts to these lists. The second step is to put the
+following in your @file{.gnus.el}
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-subscribed-address-functions
+ '(gnus-find-subscribed-addresses))
+@end lisp
+
+@xref{Mailing Lists, ,Mailing Lists, message, The Message Manual}, for
+a complete treatment of available MFT support.
+
@item visible
@cindex visible
If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
of whether it has any unread articles.
+This parameter cannot be set via @code{gnus-parameters}. See
+@code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.
+
@item broken-reply-to
@cindex broken-reply-to
Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
-headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
-reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
-@code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
-broken behavior. So there!
+headers in this group are to be ignored, and for the header to be hidden
+if @code{reply-to} is part of @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}. This
+can be useful if you're reading a mailing list group where the listserv
+has inserted @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv
+itself. That is broken behavior. So there!
@item to-group
@cindex to-group
precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+@strong{Caveat}: Adding @code{(gcc-self . t)} to the parameter list of
+@code{nntp} groups (or the like) isn't valid. An @code{nntp} server
+doesn't accept articles.
+
@item auto-expire
@cindex auto-expire
If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
@item expiry-wait
@cindex expiry-wait
@vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
-. 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
-@code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
-The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
-the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+If the group parameter has an element that looks like
+@code{(expiry-wait . 10)}, this value will override any
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function}
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}) when expiring expirable messages. The value
+can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or the
+symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
+
+@item expiry-target
+@cindex expiry-target
+Where expired messages end up. This parameter overrides
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target}.
@item score-file
@cindex score file group parameter
All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
@item admin-address
+@cindex admin-address
When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
put the admin address somewhere convenient.
@item display
+@cindex display
Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
display on entering the group. Valid values are:
@item all
Display all articles, both read and unread.
+@item an integer
+Display the last @var{integer} articles in the group. This is the same as
+entering the group with @kbd{C-u @var{integer}}.
+
@item default
Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
ticked articles.
+
+@item an array
+Display articles that satisfy a predicate.
+
+Here are some examples:
+
+@table @code
+@item [unread]
+Display only unread articles.
+
+@item [not expire]
+Display everything except expirable articles.
+
+@item [and (not reply) (not expire)]
+Display everything except expirable and articles you've already
+responded to.
+@end table
+
+The available operators are @code{not}, @code{and} and @code{or}.
+Predicates include @code{tick}, @code{unsend}, @code{undownload},
+@code{unread}, @code{dormant}, @code{expire}, @code{reply},
+@code{killed}, @code{bookmark}, @code{score}, @code{save},
+@code{cache}, @code{forward}, @code{unseen} and @code{recent}.
+
@end table
+The @code{display} parameter works by limiting the summary buffer to
+the subset specified. You can pop the limit by using the @kbd{/ w}
+command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
@item comment
-Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
-are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
-Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
-groups.
+@cindex comment
+Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")} are
+arbitrary comments on the group. You can display comments in the
+group line (@pxref{Group Line Specification}).
@item charset
+@cindex charset
Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
@code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
See also @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}.
@item ignored-charsets
-Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-known iso-8859-1)}
+@cindex ignored-charset
+Elements that look like @code{(ignored-charsets x-unknown iso-8859-1)}
will make @code{iso-8859-1} and @code{x-unknown} ignored; that is, the
default charset will be used for decoding articles.
See also @code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
@item posting-style
-You can store additional posting style information for this group only
+@cindex posting-style
+You can store additional posting style information for this group
here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
@code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
@example
(posting-style
(name "Funky Name")
+ ("X-My-Header" "Funky Value")
(signature "Funky Signature"))
@end example
+@item post-method
+@cindex post-method
+If it is set, the value is used as the method for posting message
+instead of @code{gnus-post-method}.
+
@item banner
-An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
-that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
-"regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
+@cindex banner
+An item like @code{(banner . @var{regexp})} causes any part of an article
+that matches the regular expression @var{regexp} to be stripped. Instead of
+@var{regexp}, you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
last signature or any of the elements of the alist
@code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
+@item sieve
+@cindex sieve
+This parameter contains a Sieve test that should match incoming mail
+that should be placed in this group. From this group parameter, a
+Sieve @samp{IF} control structure is generated, having the test as the
+condition and @samp{fileinto "group.name";} as the body.
+
+For example, if the @samp{INBOX.list.sieve} group has the @code{(sieve
+address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com")} group parameter, when
+translating the group parameter into a Sieve script (@pxref{Sieve
+Commands}) the following Sieve code is generated:
+
+@example
+if address "sender" "sieve-admin@@extundo.com" @{
+ fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
+@}
+@end example
+
+To generate tests for multiple email-addresses use a group parameter
+like @code{(sieve address "sender" ("name@@one.org" else@@two.org"))}.
+When generating a sieve script (@pxref{Sieve Commands}) Sieve code
+like the following is generated:
+
+@example
+if address "sender" ["name@@one.org", "else@@two.org"] @{
+ fileinto "INBOX.list.sieve";
+@}
+@end example
+
+See @pxref{Sieve Commands} for commands and variables that might be of
+interest in relation to the sieve parameter.
+
+The Sieve language is described in RFC 3028. @xref{Top, Emacs Sieve,
+Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
+
+@item (agent parameters)
+If the agent has been enabled, you can set any of the its parameters
+to control the behavior of the agent in individual groups. See Agent
+Parameters in @ref{Category Syntax}. Most users will choose to set
+agent parameters in either an agent category or group topic to
+minimize the configuration effort.
+
@item (@var{variable} @var{form})
You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
@code{eval}ed there.
-This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
-If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
-something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
-group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
-@code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
+Note that this feature sets the variable locally to the summary buffer.
+But some variables are evaluated in the article buffer, or in the
+message buffer (of a reply or followup or otherwise newly created
+message). As a workaround, it might help to add the variable in
+question to @code{gnus-newsgroup-variables}. @xref{Various Summary
+Stuff}. So if you want to set @code{message-from-style} via the group
+parameters, then you may need the following statement elsewhere in your
+@file{~/.gnus} file:
+
+@lisp
+(add-to-list 'gnus-newsgroup-variables 'message-from-style)
+@end lisp
+
+@vindex gnus-list-identifiers
+A use for this feature is to remove a mailing list identifier tag in
+the subject fields of articles. E.g. if the news group
+
+@example
+nntp+news.gnus.org:gmane.text.docbook.apps
+@end example
+
+has the tag @samp{DOC-BOOK-APPS:} in the subject of all articles, this
+tag can be removed from the article subjects in the summary buffer for
+the group by putting @code{(gnus-list-identifiers "DOCBOOK-APPS:")}
+into the group parameters for the group.
+
+This can also be used as a group-specific hook function. If you want to
+hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put something like
+@code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that group.
+@code{dummy-variable} will be set to the (meaningless) result of the
+@code{(ding)} form.
+
+Alternatively, since the VARIABLE becomes local to the group, this
+pattern can be used to temporarily change a hook. For example, if the
+following is added to a group parameter
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-summary-prepared-hook
+ '(lambda nil (local-set-key "d" (local-key-binding "n"))))
+@end lisp
+
+when the group is entered, the 'd' key will not mark the article as
+expired.
@end table
silly Lisp errors.) You might also be interested in reading about topic
parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}).
+@vindex gnus-parameters
+Group parameters can be set via the @code{gnus-parameters} variable too.
+But some variables, such as @code{visible}, have no effect (For this
+case see @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} as an alternative.).
+For example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("mail\\..*"
+ (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring nil)
+ (gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%d:%ub%-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
+ (gcc-self . t)
+ (display . all))
+
+ ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
+ (to-group . "\\1"))
+
+ ("mail\\.me"
+ (gnus-use-scoring t))
+
+ ("list\\..*"
+ (total-expire . t)
+ (broken-reply-to . t))))
+@end lisp
+
+String value of parameters will be subjected to regexp substitution, as
+the @code{to-group} example shows.
+
+@vindex gnus-parameters-case-fold-search
+By default, whether comparing the group name and one of those regexps
+specified in @code{gnus-parameters} is done in a case-sensitive manner
+or a case-insensitive manner depends on the value of
+@code{case-fold-search} at the time when the comparison is done. The
+value of @code{case-fold-search} is typically @code{t}; it means, for
+example, the element @code{("INBOX\\.FOO" (total-expire . t))} might be
+applied to both the @samp{INBOX.FOO} group and the @samp{INBOX.foo}
+group. If you want to make those regexps always case-sensitive, set the
+value of the @code{gnus-parameters-case-fold-search} variable to
+@code{nil}. Otherwise, set it to @code{t} if you want to compare them
+always in a case-insensitive manner.
+
+You can define different sorting to different groups via
+@code{gnus-parameters}. Here is an example to sort an @acronym{NNTP}
+group by reverse date to see the latest news at the top and an
+@acronym{RSS} group by subject. In this example, the first group is the
+Debian daily news group @code{gmane.linux.debian.user.news} from
+news.gmane.org. The @acronym{RSS} group corresponds to the Debian
+weekly news RSS feed
+@url{http://packages.debian.org/unstable/newpkg_main.en.rdf},
+@xref{RSS}.
+
+@lisp
+(setq
+ gnus-parameters
+ '(("nntp.*gmane\\.debian\\.user\\.news"
+ (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-article-sort-functions '((not gnus-article-sort-by-date)))
+ (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring nil))
+ ("nnrss.*debian"
+ (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-article-sort-functions 'gnus-article-sort-by-subject)
+ (gnus-use-adaptive-scoring nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring t)
+ (gnus-score-find-score-files-function 'gnus-score-find-single)
+ (gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%d %I%(%[ %s %]%)\n"))))
+@end lisp
+
@node Listing Groups
@section Listing Groups
List all groups that have unread articles
(@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
-only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
+only lists groups of level five (i.e.,
@code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
groups).
@item G S m
@kindex G S m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by back end name@*
(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item G S n
+@kindex G S n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name
+Sort the group buffer alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-real-name}).
+
@end table
All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
@item G P m
@kindex G P m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
-Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the groups alphabetically by back end name@*
(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
+@item G P n
+@kindex G P n (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name
+Sort the groups alphabetically by real (unprefixed) group name
+(@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-real-name}).
+
+@item G P s
+@kindex G P s (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups
+Sort the groups according to @code{gnus-group-sort-function}.
+
@end table
And finally, note that you can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} to manually
@kindex C-c C-x (Group)
@findex gnus-group-expire-articles
Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
-process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
+process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}). That is, delete
+all expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-@item C-c M-C-x
-@kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
+@item C-c C-M-x
+@kindex C-c C-M-x (Group)
@findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
-Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
+Run all expirable articles in all groups through the expiry process
(@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
@end table
@findex gnus-browse-exit
Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
+@item d
+@kindex d (Browse)
+@findex gnus-browse-describe-group
+Describe the current group (@code{gnus-browse-describe-group}).
+
@item ?
@kindex ? (Browse)
@findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
@vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
@vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
+@vindex gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook
@code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
@code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
@code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
exiting Gnus.
-@findex gnus-unload
-@cindex unloading
-If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
-the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
-trying to customize meta-variables.
-
Note:
@quotation
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
-\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
+\put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=ps/group-topic,height=9cm}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
is a toggling command.)
Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
-dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
-press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
-@samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
-bothered?
+dum@dots{} Nice tune, that@dots{} la la la@dots{} What, you're back?
+Yes, and now press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed
+under @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy?
+Hot and bothered?
If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
-the hook for the group mode:
+the hook for the group mode. Put the following line in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
@end lisp
@menu
-* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
-* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
-* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
-* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
-* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
+* Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
+* Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
+* Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
+* Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
+* Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
@end menu
-@node Topic Variables
-@subsection Topic Variables
-@cindex topic variables
+@node Topic Commands
+@subsection Topic Commands
+@cindex topic commands
-Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
-really neat, I think.
+When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
+available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
+definitions slightly.
-@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
-The topic lines themselves are created according to the
-@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
-Valid elements are:
+In general, the following kinds of operations are possible on topics.
+First of all, you want to create topics. Secondly, you want to put
+groups in topics and to move them around until you have an order you
+like. The third kind of operation is to show/hide parts of the whole
+shebang. You might want to hide a topic including its subtopics and
+groups, to get a better overview of the other groups.
-@table @samp
-@item i
-Indentation.
-@item n
-Topic name.
-@item v
-Visibility.
-@item l
-Level.
-@item g
-Number of groups in the topic.
-@item a
-Number of unread articles in the topic.
-@item A
-Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
-@end table
+Here is a list of the basic keys that you might need to set up topics
+the way you like.
-@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
-Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
-@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
-The default is 2.
+@table @kbd
-@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
-@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+@item T n
+@kindex T n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
+Prompt for a new topic name and create it
+(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
-@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
-The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
-topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
+@item T TAB
+@itemx TAB
+@kindex T TAB (Topic)
+@kindex TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-indent
+``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
+``un-indent'' the topic instead.
+@item M-TAB
+@kindex M-TAB (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-unindent
+``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
+parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
-@node Topic Commands
-@subsection Topic Commands
-@cindex topic commands
+@end table
-When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
-available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
-definitions slightly.
+The following two keys can be used to move groups and topics around.
+They work like the well-known cut and paste. @kbd{C-k} is like cut and
+@kbd{C-y} is like paste. Of course, this being Emacs, we use the terms
+kill and yank rather than cut and paste.
@table @kbd
-@item T n
-@kindex T n (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-create-topic
-Prompt for a new topic name and create it
-(@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
+@item C-k
+@kindex C-k (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
+Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
+topic will be removed along with the topic.
+
+@item C-y
+@kindex C-y (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
+Yank the previously killed group or topic
+(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
+before all groups.
+
+So, to move a topic to the beginning of the list of topics, just hit
+@kbd{C-k} on it. This is like the ``cut'' part of cut and paste. Then,
+move the cursor to the beginning of the buffer (just below the ``Gnus''
+topic) and hit @kbd{C-y}. This is like the ``paste'' part of cut and
+paste. Like I said -- E-Z.
+
+You can use @kbd{C-k} and @kbd{C-y} on groups as well as on topics. So
+you can move topics around as well as groups.
+
+@end table
+
+After setting up the topics the way you like them, you might wish to
+hide a topic, or to show it again. That's why we have the following
+key.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item RET
+@kindex RET (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-select-group
+@itemx SPACE
+Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
+When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
+usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
+visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
+toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
+prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+
+@end table
+
+Now for a list of other commands, in no particular order.
+
+@table @kbd
@item T m
@kindex T m (Topic)
@item T j
@kindex T j (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
-Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
+Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
@item T c
@kindex T c (Topic)
@kindex T # (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
-(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
+(@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}). This command works recursively on
+sub-topics unless given a prefix.
@item T M-#
@kindex T M-# (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
-
-@item T TAB
-@itemx TAB
-@kindex T TAB (Topic)
-@kindex TAB (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-indent
-``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
-previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
-``un-indent'' the topic instead.
-
-@item M-TAB
-@kindex M-TAB (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-unindent
-``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
-parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
-
-@item RET
-@kindex RET (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-select-group
-@itemx SPACE
-Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
-When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
-usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
-visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
-toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
-prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
+(@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}). This command works recursively on
+sub-topics unless given a prefix.
@item C-c C-x
@kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
-Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
-process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
-
-@item C-k
-@kindex C-k (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-kill-group
-Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
-topic will be removed along with the topic.
-
-@item C-y
-@kindex C-y (Topic)
-@findex gnus-topic-yank-group
-Yank the previously killed group or topic
-(@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
-before all groups.
+Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the
+expiry process (if any)
+(@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}). (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
@item T r
@kindex T r (Topic)
List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
(@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
+@item T M-n
+@kindex T M-n (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-goto-next-topic
+Go to the next topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-next-topic}).
+
+@item T M-p
+@kindex T M-p (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic
+Go to the previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-goto-previous-topic}).
+
@item G p
@kindex G p (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
@end table
+@node Topic Variables
+@subsection Topic Variables
+@cindex topic variables
+
+The previous section told you how to tell Gnus which topics to display.
+This section explains how to tell Gnus what to display about each topic.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-line-format
+The topic lines themselves are created according to the
+@code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
+Valid elements are:
+
+@table @samp
+@item i
+Indentation.
+@item n
+Topic name.
+@item v
+Visibility.
+@item l
+Level.
+@item g
+Number of groups in the topic.
+@item a
+Number of unread articles in the topic.
+@item A
+Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
+@end table
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
+Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
+@code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
+The default is 2.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
+@code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
+
+@vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
+The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
+topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
+
+
@node Topic Sorting
@subsection Topic Sorting
@cindex topic sorting
@item T S m
@kindex T S m (Topic)
@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
-Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by back end name
(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
+@item T S e
+@kindex T S e (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server
+Sort the current topic alphabetically by server name
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-server}).
+
+@item T S s
+@kindex T S s (Topic)
+@findex gnus-topic-sort-groups
+Sort the current topic according to the function(s) given by the
+@code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable
+(@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups}).
+
@end table
-@xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
+When given a prefix argument, all these commands will sort in reverse
+order. @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group
+sorting.
@node Topic Topology
So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
@example
+@group
Gnus
Emacs -- I wuw it!
3: comp.emacs
Misc
8: comp.binaries.fractals
13: comp.sources.unix
+@end group
@end example
So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
@subsection Topic Parameters
@cindex topic parameters
-All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
-ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
-parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent
+(and ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid
+topic parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}). When the agent is
+enabled, all agent parameters (See Agent Parameters in @ref{Category
+Syntax}) are also valid topic parameters.
In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
parameters:
@table @code
@item subscribe
-When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
-@code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
+When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
+@code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
-topic.
+topic.
+
+@item subscribe-level
+When subscribing new groups by topic (see the @code{subscribe} parameter),
+the group will be subscribed with the level specified in the
+@code{subscribe-level} instead of @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}.
@end table
verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
@example
+@group
Gnus
Emacs
3: comp.emacs
8: comp.binaries.fractals
13: comp.sources.unix
452: alt.sex.emacs
+@end group
@end example
The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
@section Misc Group Stuff
@menu
-* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
-* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
-* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
-* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+* Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
+* Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
+* Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
+* File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
+* Sieve Commands:: Managing Sieve scripts.
@end menu
@table @kbd
+@item v
+@kindex v (Group)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Group)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
+function or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
+
+@lisp
+(define-key gnus-group-mode-map (kbd "v j d")
+ (lambda ()
+ (interactive)
+ (gnus-group-jump-to-group "nndraft:drafts")))
+@end lisp
+
+On keys reserved for users in Emacs and on keybindings in general
+@xref{Keymaps, Keymaps, , emacs, The Emacs Editor}.
+
@item ^
@kindex ^ (Group)
@findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
@item a
@kindex a (Group)
@findex gnus-group-post-news
-Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
-prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
+Start composing a message (a news by default)
+(@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a prefix, post to the group
+under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+Contrary to what the name of this function suggests, the prepared
+article might be a mail instead of a news, if a mail group is specified
+with the prefix argument. @xref{Composing Messages}.
@item m
@kindex m (Group)
@findex gnus-group-mail
-Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
+Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}). If given a prefix,
+use the posting style of the group under the point. If the prefix is 1,
+prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+@xref{Composing Messages}.
+
+@item i
+@kindex i (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-news
+Start composing a news (@code{gnus-group-news}). If given a prefix,
+post to the group under the point. If the prefix is 1, prompt
+for group to post to. @xref{Composing Messages}.
+
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
@end table
@item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
@vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
-An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
-non-ASCII group names.
+An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
+non-@acronym{ASCII} group names.
For example:
@lisp
@end lisp
@item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
+@cindex UTF-8 group names
@vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
-An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
-It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
+An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names. It
+is used to show non-@acronym{ASCII} group names. @code{((".*"
+utf-8))} is the default value if UTF-8 is supported, otherwise the
+default is @code{nil}.
For example:
@lisp
this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
(@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
-backend(s).
+back end(s).
@item M-g
@kindex M-g (Group)
@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
@cindex FAQ
@cindex ange-ftp
-Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
-@code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
-remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
-that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
-for fetching the file.
+Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} for the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the @acronym{FAQ}
+from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on
+a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
+In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
+between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be
+used for fetching the file.
If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
+@item H c
+@kindex H c (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-charter
+@vindex gnus-group-charter-alist
+@cindex charter
+Try to open the charter for the current group in a web browser
+(@code{gnus-group-fetch-charter}). Query for a group if given a
+prefix argument.
+
+Gnus will use @code{gnus-group-charter-alist} to find the location of
+the charter. If no location is known, Gnus will fetch the control
+messages for the group, which in some cases includes the charter.
+
+@item H C
+@kindex H C (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-fetch-control
+@vindex gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url
+@cindex control message
+Fetch the control messages for the group from the archive at
+@code{ftp.isc.org} (@code{gnus-group-fetch-control}). Query for a
+group if given a prefix argument.
+
+If @code{gnus-group-fetch-control-use-browse-url} is non-@code{nil},
+Gnus will open the control messages in a browser using
+@code{browse-url}. Otherwise they are fetched using @code{ange-ftp}
+and displayed in an ephemeral group.
+
+Note that the control messages are compressed. To use this command
+you need to turn on @code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed
+Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
+
@item H d
@itemx C-c C-d
@c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
"%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
@end lisp
+If you would like greater control of the time format, you can use a
+user-defined format spec. Something like the following should do the
+trick:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-group-line-format
+ "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %ud\n")
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
+ (let ((time (gnus-group-timestamp gnus-tmp-group)))
+ (if time
+ (format-time-string "%b %d %H:%M" time)
+ "")))
+@end lisp
+
@node File Commands
@subsection File Commands
@vindex gnus-init-file
@cindex reading init file
Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
-@file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
+@file{~/.gnus.el}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
@item s
@kindex s (Group)
@end table
+@node Sieve Commands
+@subsection Sieve Commands
+@cindex group sieve commands
+
+Sieve is a server-side mail filtering language. In Gnus you can use
+the @code{sieve} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to specify
+sieve rules that should apply to each group. Gnus provides two
+commands to translate all these group parameters into a proper Sieve
+script that can be transfered to the server somehow.
+
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-start
+@vindex gnus-sieve-region-end
+The generated Sieve script is placed in @code{gnus-sieve-file} (by
+default @file{~/.sieve}). The Sieve code that Gnus generate is placed
+between two delimiters, @code{gnus-sieve-region-start} and
+@code{gnus-sieve-region-end}, so you may write additional Sieve code
+outside these delimiters that will not be removed the next time you
+regenerate the Sieve script.
+
+@vindex gnus-sieve-crosspost
+The variable @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} controls how the Sieve script
+is generated. If it is non-@code{nil} (the default) articles is
+placed in all groups that have matching rules, otherwise the article
+is only placed in the group with the first matching rule. For
+example, the group parameter @samp{(sieve address "sender"
+"owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu")} will generate the following piece of Sieve
+code if @code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is @code{nil}. (When
+@code{gnus-sieve-crosspost} is non-@code{nil}, it looks the same
+except that the line containing the call to @code{stop} is removed.)
+
+@example
+if address "sender" "owner-ding@@hpc.uh.edu" @{
+ fileinto "INBOX.ding";
+ stop;
+@}
+@end example
+
+@xref{Top, Emacs Sieve, Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item D g
+@kindex D g (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-generate
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex generating sieve script
+Regenerate a Sieve script from the @code{sieve} group parameters and
+put you into the @code{gnus-sieve-file} without saving it.
+
+@item D u
+@kindex D u (Group)
+@findex gnus-sieve-update
+@vindex gnus-sieve-file
+@cindex updating sieve script
+Regenerates the Gnus managed part of @code{gnus-sieve-file} using the
+@code{sieve} group parameters, save the file and upload it to the
+server using the @code{sieveshell} program.
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Summary Buffer
@chapter Summary Buffer
@cindex summary buffer
You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
+@kindex v (Summary)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Summary)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
+function or better use it as a prefix key. For example:
+@lisp
+(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map (kbd "v -") "LrS") ;; lower subthread
+@end lisp
+
@menu
* Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
* Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
* Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
* Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
* Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
+* Delayed Articles:: Send articles at a later time.
* Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
* Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
* Threading:: How threads are made.
* Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
* Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
* Security:: Decrypt and Verify.
+* Mailing List:: Mailing list minor mode.
@end menu
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-article,width=7.5cm}}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@menu
-* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
-* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
-* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
-* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
+* Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
+* To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
+* Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
+* Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
@end menu
@findex mail-extract-address-components
lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
(@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
-The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
+There should always be a colon or a point position marker on the line;
+the cursor always moves to the point position marker or the colon after
+performing an operation. (Of course, Gnus wouldn't be Gnus if it wasn't
+possible to change this. Just write a new function
+@code{gnus-goto-colon} which does whatever you like with the cursor.)
+@xref{Positioning Point}.
+
+The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n}.
-The following format specification characters are understood:
+The following format specification characters and extended format
+specification(s) are understood:
@table @samp
@item N
@item n
The name (from the @code{From} header).
@item f
-The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
-(@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
+The name, @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header (@pxref{To
+From Newsgroups}).
@item a
The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
spec in that it uses the function designated by the
@item L
Number of lines in the article.
@item c
-Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
-methods (like nnfolder).
+Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported
+in some methods (like nnfolder).
+@item k
+Pretty-printed version of the number of characters in the article;
+for example, @samp{1.2k} or @samp{0.4M}.
@item I
Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+@item B
+A complex trn-style thread tree, showing response-connecting trace
+lines. A thread could be drawn like this:
+
+@example
+>
++->
+| +->
+| | \->
+| | \->
+| \->
++->
+\->
+@end example
+
+You can customize the appearance with the following options. Note
+that it is possible to make the thread display look really neat by
+replacing the default @acronym{ASCII} characters with graphic
+line-drawing glyphs.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-root
+Used for the root of a thread. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{> }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-false-root
+Used for the false root of a thread (@pxref{Loose Threads}). If
+@code{nil}, use subject instead. The default is @samp{> }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-indent
+Used for a thread with just one message. If @code{nil}, use subject
+instead. The default is @samp{}.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-vertical
+Used for drawing a vertical line. The default is @samp{| }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-indent
+Used for indenting. The default is @samp{ }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-leaf-with-other
+Used for a leaf with brothers. The default is @samp{+-> }.
+
+@item gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+@vindex gnus-sum-thread-tree-single-leaf
+Used for a leaf without brothers. The default is @samp{\-> }
+
+@end table
+
@item T
Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
pushes everything after it off the screen).
@item <
Twenty minus thread level spaces.
@item U
-Unread.
+Unread. @xref{Read Articles}.
@item R
This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
-or has been saved.
+or has been saved. @xref{Other Marks}.
@item i
Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
The line number.
@item O
Download mark.
+@item *
+Desired cursor position (instead of after first colon).
+@item &user-date;
+Age sensitive date format. Various date format is defined in
+@code{gnus-user-date-format-alist}.
@item u
User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
be a letter. Gnus will call the function
-@code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{x}}, where @var{x} is the letter
following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
@end table
+Text between @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} will be highlighted with
+@code{gnus-mouse-face} when the mouse point is placed inside the area.
+There can only be one such area.
+
The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
@code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
headers are used instead.
+To distinguish regular articles from those where the @code{From} field
+has been swapped, a string is prefixed to the @code{To} or
+@code{Newsgroups} header in the summary line. By default the string is
+@samp{-> } for @code{To} and @samp{=> } for @code{Newsgroups}, you can
+customize these strings with @code{gnus-summary-to-prefix} and
+@code{gnus-summary-newsgroup-prefix}.
+
@end enumerate
@vindex nnmail-extra-headers
A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
-to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
-you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
-this variable.
+to include extra headers when generating overview (@acronym{NOV}) files.
+If you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after
+changing this variable, by entering the server buffer using @kbd{^},
+and then @kbd{g} on the appropriate mail server (e.g. nnml) to cause
+regeneration.
@vindex gnus-summary-line-format
You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
@code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
In summary, you'd typically put something like the following in
-@file{~/.gnus}:
+@file{~/.gnus.el}:
@lisp
(setq gnus-extra-headers
'(To Newsgroups))
(setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
(setq gnus-summary-line-format
- "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
+ "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%) %s\n")
(setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
"Your Name Here")
@end lisp
-Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
-the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
-nntp admin to add:
+(The values listed above are the default values in Gnus. Alter them
+to fit your needs.)
+
+A note for news server administrators, or for users who wish to try to
+convince their news server administrator to provide some additional
+support:
+
+The above is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
+the @acronym{NOV} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
+nntp admin to add (in the usual implementation, notably INN):
@example
Newsgroups:full
the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
-next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
-special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
-next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
-@code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
-the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
-@code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
-without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
+next group with unread articles. As a special case, if this variable
+is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the next group without asking for
+confirmation. If this variable is @code{almost-quietly}, the same
+will happen only if you are located on the last article in the group.
+Finally, if this variable is @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n}
+command will go to the next group without confirmation. Also
+@pxref{Group Levels}.
@item gnus-auto-select-same
@vindex gnus-auto-select-same
@cindex selecting articles
@menu
-* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
-* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
+* Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
+* Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
@end menu
Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+If you have an article window open already and you press @kbd{SPACE}
+again, the article will be scrolled. This lets you conveniently
+@kbd{SPACE} through an entire newsgroup. @xref{Paging the Article}.
+
@item G n
@itemx n
@kindex n (Summary)
@kindex G b (Summary)
@kindex , (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
-Go to the article with the highest score
-(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
+Go to the unread article with the highest score
+(@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}). If given a prefix argument,
+go to the first unread article that has a score over the default score.
@item G l
@itemx l
@item gnus-select-article-hook
@vindex gnus-select-article-hook
-This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
-exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
+This hook is called whenever an article is selected. The default is
+@code{nil}. If you would like each article to be saved in the Agent as
+you read it, putting @code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} on this
+hook will do so.
@item gnus-mark-article-hook
@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
@code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
-mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
-only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
+mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-read-mark}. The only
+articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
+@vindex gnus-article-boring-faces
+@vindex gnus-article-skip-boring
+If @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} is non-@code{nil} and the rest of
+the article consists only of citations and signature, then it will be
+skipped; the next article will be shown instead. You can customize
+what is considered uninteresting with
+@code{gnus-article-boring-faces}. You can manually view the article's
+pages, no matter how boring, using @kbd{C-M-v}.
+
@item DEL
@kindex DEL (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-page
encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
- '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
+(setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
+ '((1 . cn-gb-2312)
(2 . big5)))
@end lisp
* Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
* Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
* Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
-* Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
+* Canceling and Superseding::
@end menu
Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
(@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
-@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
+@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers. If @code{Mail-Followup-To} is
+present, that's used instead.
@item S W
@kindex S W (Summary)
@code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers in all the process/prefixed
articles. This command uses the process/prefix convention.
-@item S W
-@kindex S W (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
-Mail a very wide reply to the current article and include the original
-message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
-the process/prefix convention.
+@item S V
+@kindex S V (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original
+Mail a very wide reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message (@code{gnus-summary-very-wide-reply-with-original}). This
+command uses the process/prefix convention.
+
+@item S B r
+@kindex S B r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article but ignore the
+@code{Reply-To} field (@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to}).
+If you need this because a mailing list incorrectly sets a
+@code{Reply-To} header pointing to the list, you probably want to set
+the @code{broken-reply-to} group parameter instead, so things will work
+correctly. @xref{Group Parameters}.
+
+@item S B R
+@kindex S B R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original
+Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
+original message but ignore the @code{Reply-To} field
+(@code{gnus-summary-reply-broken-reply-to-with-original}).
@item S o m
@itemx C-c C-f
is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
-as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
-forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
+as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
+forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
-default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
+default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME}
+section.
@item S m
@itemx m
@kindex S m (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
-Send a mail to some other person
-(@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
+Prepare a mail (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}). By default, use
+the posting style of the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for a group name to find the posting style.
+
+@item S i
+@itemx i
+@kindex i (Summary)
+@kindex S i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-news-other-window
+Prepare a news (@code{gnus-summary-news-other-window}). By default,
+post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that. If the
+prefix is 1, prompt for a group to post to.
+
+This function actually prepares a news even when using mail groups.
+This is useful for ``posting'' messages to mail groups without actually
+sending them over the network: they're just saved directly to the group
+in question. The corresponding back end must have a request-post method
+for this to work though.
@item S D b
@kindex S D b (Summary)
ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
@code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
-@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
+@code{postmaster}. Ordnung muss sein!
This command understands the process/prefix convention
(@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+@item S D e
+@kindex S D e (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-resend-message-edit
+
+Like the previous command, but will allow you to edit the message as
+if it were a new message before resending.
+
@item S O m
@kindex S O m (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
@node Summary Post Commands
@kindex S p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-post-news
@c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
-Post an article to the current group
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
+Prepare for posting an article (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}). By
+default, post to the current group. If given a prefix, disable that.
+If the prefix is 1, prompt for another group instead.
@item S f
@itemx f
@c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
@findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
-(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
+(@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
process/prefix convention.
@item S n
@kindex S o p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-post-forward
Forward the current article to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
(@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
-as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
-forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
+as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
+forward as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
-default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
+default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 @acronym{MIME} section.
@item S O p
@kindex S O p (Summary)
@cindex digests
@cindex making digests
Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
-(@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
+(@code{gnus-uu-digest-post-forward}). This command uses the
process/prefix convention.
@item S u
(@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
@end table
-Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
+Also @xref{Header Commands, ,Header Commands, message, The Message
+Manual}, for more information.
@node Summary Message Commands
want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
+Gnus ensures that only you can cancel your own messages using a
+@code{Cancel-Lock} header (@pxref{Canceling News, Canceling News, ,
+message, Message Manual}).
+
If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
your original article.
Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
+@node Delayed Articles
+@section Delayed Articles
+@cindex delayed sending
+@cindex send delayed
+
+Sometimes, you might wish to delay the sending of a message. For
+example, you might wish to arrange for a message to turn up just in time
+to remind your about the birthday of your Significant Other. For this,
+there is the @code{gnus-delay} package. Setup is simple:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-delay-initialize)
+@end lisp
+
+@findex gnus-delay-article
+Normally, to send a message you use the @kbd{C-c C-c} command from
+Message mode. To delay a message, use @kbd{C-c C-j}
+(@code{gnus-delay-article}) instead. This will ask you for how long the
+message should be delayed. Possible answers are:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+A time span. Consists of an integer and a letter. For example,
+@code{42d} means to delay for 42 days. Available letters are @code{m}
+(minutes), @code{h} (hours), @code{d} (days), @code{w} (weeks), @code{M}
+(months) and @code{Y} (years).
+
+@item
+A specific date. Looks like @code{YYYY-MM-DD}. The message will be
+delayed until that day, at a specific time (eight o'clock by default).
+See also @code{gnus-delay-default-hour}.
+
+@item
+A specific time of day. Given in @code{hh:mm} format, 24h, no am/pm
+stuff. The deadline will be at that time today, except if that time has
+already passed, then it's at the given time tomorrow. So if it's ten
+o'clock in the morning and you specify @code{11:15}, then the deadline
+is one hour and fifteen minutes hence. But if you specify @code{9:20},
+that means a time tomorrow.
+@end itemize
+
+The action of the @code{gnus-delay-article} command is influenced by a
+couple of variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-delay-default-hour
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-hour
+When you specify a specific date, the message will be due on that hour
+on the given date. Possible values are integers 0 through 23.
+
+@item gnus-delay-default-delay
+@vindex gnus-delay-default-delay
+This is a string and gives the default delay. It can be of any of the
+formats described above.
+
+@item gnus-delay-group
+@vindex gnus-delay-group
+Delayed articles will be kept in this group on the drafts server until
+they are due. You probably don't need to change this. The default
+value is @code{"delayed"}.
+
+@item gnus-delay-header
+@vindex gnus-delay-header
+The deadline for each article will be stored in a header. This variable
+is a string and gives the header name. You probably don't need to
+change this. The default value is @code{"X-Gnus-Delayed"}.
+@end table
+
+The way delaying works is like this: when you use the
+@code{gnus-delay-article} command, you give a certain delay. Gnus
+calculates the deadline of the message and stores it in the
+@code{X-Gnus-Delayed} header and puts the message in the
+@code{nndraft:delayed} group.
+
+@findex gnus-delay-send-queue
+And whenever you get new news, Gnus looks through the group for articles
+which are due and sends them. It uses the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue}
+function for this. By default, this function is added to the hook
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But of course, you can change this.
+Maybe you want to use the demon to send drafts? Just tell the demon to
+execute the @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} function.
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-delay-initialize
+@findex gnus-delay-initialize
+By default, this function installs @code{gnus-delay-send-queue} in
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook}. But it accepts the optional second
+argument @code{no-check}. If it is non-@code{nil},
+@code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is not changed. The optional first
+argument is ignored.
+
+For example, @code{(gnus-delay-initialize nil t)} means to do nothing.
+Presumably, you want to use the demon for sending due delayed articles.
+Just don't forget to set that up :-)
+@end table
+
@node Marking Articles
@section Marking Articles
In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
-@menu
-* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
-* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
-* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
-@end menu
-
@ifinfo
-There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
+There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks.
@end ifinfo
@menu
-* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
-* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
-* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
+* Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
+* Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
+* Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
+* Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
+* Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
+* Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
@end menu
@dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
+Otherwise (except for the visibility issue), they are just like ticked
+messages.
@item SPACE
@vindex gnus-unread-mark
@item M
@vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
-(@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
+(@code{gnus-duplicate-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
@end table
answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
(@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
+@item
@vindex gnus-forwarded-mark
-All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{O} in
+All articles that you have forwarded will be marked with an @samp{F} in
the second column (@code{gnus-forwarded-mark}).
@item
(@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
@item
-@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
-@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
-If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
+@vindex gnus-recent-mark
+Articles that according to the server haven't been shown to the user
+before are marked with a @samp{N} in the second column
+(@code{gnus-recent-mark}). Note that not all servers support this
+mark, in which case it simply never appears. Compare with
+@code{gnus-unseen-mark}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-unseen-mark
+Articles that haven't been seen before in Gnus by the user are marked
+with a @samp{.} in the second column (@code{gnus-unseen-mark}).
+Compare with @code{gnus-recent-mark}.
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), articles may be
+downloaded for unplugged (offline) viewing. If you are using the
+@samp{%O} spec, these articles get the @samp{+} mark in that spec.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-undownloaded-mark
+When using the Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}), some articles might
+not have been downloaded. Such articles cannot be viewed while you
+are unplugged (offline). If you are using the @samp{%O} spec, these
+articles get the @samp{-} mark in that spec. (The variable
+@code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} controls which character to use.)
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-downloadable-mark
+The Gnus agent (@pxref{Agent Basics}) downloads some articles
+automatically, but it is also possible to explicitly mark articles for
+download, even if they would not be downloaded automatically. Such
+explicitly-marked articles get the @samp{%} mark in the first column.
+(The variable @code{gnus-downloadable-mark} controls which character to
+use.)
+
+@item
+@vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
+@vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
+If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
@code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
@item M H
@kindex M H (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
-Catchup the current group to point
+Catchup the current group to point (before the point)
(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
+@item M h
+@kindex M h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-from-here
+Catchup the current group from point (after the point)
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-from-here}).
+
@item C-w
@kindex C-w (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
article, you could say something like:
@lisp
+@group
(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
(defun my-alter-summary-map ()
(local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
+@end group
@end lisp
+@noindent
or
@lisp
@subsection Setting Process Marks
@cindex setting process marks
+Process marks are displayed as @code{#} in the summary buffer, and are
+used for marking articles in such a way that other commands will
+process these articles. For instance, if you process mark four
+articles and then use the @kbd{*} command, Gnus will enter these four
+commands into the cache. For more information,
+@pxref{Process/Prefix}.
+
@table @kbd
@item M P p
@findex gnus-uu-mark-region
Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
+@item M P g
+@kindex M P g (Summary)
+@findex gnus-uu-unmark-region
+Unmark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-region}).
+
@item M P t
@kindex M P t (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
@item M P a
@kindex M P a (Summary)
@findex gnus-uu-mark-all
-Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
+Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}).
@item M P b
@kindex M P b (Summary)
@end table
-Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
+Also see the @kbd{&} command in @ref{Searching for Articles}, for how to
set process marks based on article body contents.
@kindex / / (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@item / a
@kindex / a (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
+
+@item / R
+@kindex / R (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some recipient
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-recipient}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@item / x
@kindex / x (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}). If given a prefix, exclude
+matching articles.
@item / u
@itemx x
(@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
the stack.
+@item / .
+@kindex / . (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen
+Limit the summary buffer to the unseen articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unseen}).
+
@item / v
@kindex / v (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
+@item / p
+@kindex / p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate
+Limit the summary buffer to articles that satisfy the @code{display}
+group parameter predicate
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-display-predicate}). @xref{Group
+Parameters}, for more on this predicate.
+
+@item / r
+@kindex / r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-limit-to-replied
+Limit the summary buffer to replied articles
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-replied}). If given a prefix, exclude
+replied articles.
+
@item / E
@itemx M S
@kindex M S (Summary)
@item / c
@kindex / c (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
-Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
+Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit@*
(@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
@item / C
@kindex / C (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
Mark all excluded unread articles as read
-(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
+@item / N
+@kindex / N (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-new-articles
+Insert all new articles in the summary buffer. It scans for new emails
+if @var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} is non-@code{nil}.
+
+@item / o
+@kindex / o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-old-articles
+Insert all old articles in the summary buffer. If given a numbered
+prefix, fetch this number of articles.
+
@end table
or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
-@pxref{Customizing Threading}.
+@ref{Customizing Threading}.
First, a quick overview of the concepts:
@menu
-* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
-* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
+* Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
+* Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
@end menu
@cindex customizing threading
@menu
-* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
-* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
-* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
-* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
+* Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
+* Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
+* More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
+* Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over@dots{} but you were wrong!
@end menu
@iftex
@iflatex
\gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
-\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
-\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
-\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-adopt,width=7.5cm}}
+\put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-empty,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-none,width=7.5cm}}}
+\put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=ps/summary-dummy,width=7.5cm}}}
}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
@item dummy
@vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
+@vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root-always
Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
+If you want all threads to have a dummy root, even the non-gathered
+ones, set @code{gnus-summary-make-false-root-always} to @code{t}.
@item empty
Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
@item gnus-simplify-whitespace
@findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
Remove excessive whitespace.
+
+@item gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+@findex gnus-simplify-all-whitespace
+Remove all whitespace.
@end table
You may also write your own functions, of course.
@item gnus-fetch-old-headers
@vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
-more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
-would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
-connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
-to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
-that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
-fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
-overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
-@code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
-expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
+more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you would
+like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still connect as
+many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable to
+@code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than that
+number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case, fetching
+old headers only works if the back end you are using carries overview
+files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool},
+@code{nnml}, and @code{nnmaildir}. Also remember that if the root of
+the thread has been expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can
+do about that.
This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
(@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+@item gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
+@vindex gnus-fetch-old-ephemeral-headers
+Same as @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}, but only used for ephemeral
+newsgroups.
+
@item gnus-build-sparse-threads
@vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
@code{nil} by default.
+@item gnus-read-all-available-headers
+@vindex gnus-read-all-available-headers
+This is a rather obscure variable that few will find useful. It's
+intended for those non-news newsgroups where the back end has to fetch
+quite a lot to present the summary buffer, and where it's impossible to
+go back to parents of articles. This is mostly the case in the
+web-based groups, like the @code{nnultimate} groups.
+
+If you don't use those, then it's safe to leave this as the default
+@code{nil}. If you want to use this variable, it should be a regexp
+that matches the group name, or @code{t} for all groups.
+
@end table
If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
generated.
+This can also be a predicate specifier (@pxref{Predicate Specifiers}).
+Available predicates are @code{gnus-article-unread-p} and
+@code{gnus-article-unseen-p}.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-thread-hide-subtree
+ '(or gnus-article-unread-p
+ gnus-article-unseen-p))
+@end lisp
+
+(It's a pretty nonsensical example, since all unseen articles are also
+unread, but you get my drift.)
+
+
@item gnus-thread-expunge-below
@vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
All threads that have a total score (as defined by
@table @kbd
@item T k
-@itemx M-C-k
+@itemx C-M-k
@kindex T k (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-k (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-k (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
(@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
articles instead.
@item T l
-@itemx M-C-l
+@itemx C-M-l
@kindex T l (Summary)
-@kindex M-C-l (Summary)
+@kindex C-M-l (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
(@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
@item T s
@kindex T s (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-show-thread
-Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
+Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any@*
(@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
@item T h
@item T n
@kindex T n (Summary)
-@itemx M-C-n
-@kindex M-C-n (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-f
+@kindex C-M-n (Summary)
@itemx M-down
@kindex M-down (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-next-thread
@item T p
@kindex T p (Summary)
-@itemx M-C-p
-@kindex M-C-p (Summary)
+@itemx C-M-b
+@kindex C-M-p (Summary)
@itemx M-up
@kindex M-up (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
@vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
-a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
+a command like @kbd{T k} (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient
@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-random
@vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date
If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-recipient},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date-reverse},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-number},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-most-recent-date},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-random} and
@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
@lisp
(setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
- '((lambda (t1 t2)
- (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
+ '((not gnus-thread-sort-by-number)
gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
@end lisp
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-random
@findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
-If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
-you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
-It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
-it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
-sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
-@code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
+If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or
+other, you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions}
+variable. It is very similar to the
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that it uses slightly
+different functions for article comparison. Available sorting
+predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-author},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date},
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-random}, and
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
say something like:
gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
@end lisp
+You can define group specific sorting via @code{gnus-parameters},
+@xref{Group Parameters}.
@node Asynchronous Fetching
@cindex article pre-fetch
@cindex pre-fetch
-If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
+If you read your news from an @acronym{NNTP} server that's far away, the
network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
-the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
+the link between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server will become more
loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
extra connection.
-Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
+Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing@dots{} unless
you really want to.
@vindex gnus-asynchronous
@vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
@code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
-that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
-the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
+that when you read an article in the group, the back end will pre-fetch
+the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the back end will
pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
@code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
@vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
@findex gnus-async-read-p
There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
-articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
-return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
-pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
-@code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
-data structure as the only parameter.
+articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p}
+variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This
+function should return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is
+to be pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which
+returns @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an
+article data structure as the only parameter.
-If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
+If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter
+than 100 lines, you could say something like:
@lisp
(defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
@cindex article caching
@cindex caching
-If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
+If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @acronym{NNTP} connection, you may
consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
-command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
+command if 1) your connection to the @acronym{NNTP} server is really, really,
really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
-gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
+gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @acronym{NOV}
files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
file.
+@findex gnus-cache-move-cache
+@code{gnus-cache-move-cache} will move your whole
+@code{gnus-cache-directory} to some other location. You get asked to
+where, isn't that cool?
@node Persistent Articles
@section Persistent Articles
bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
-This variable is @code{nil} by default.
+The default value is 20.
@node Saving Articles
approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+For the commands listed here, the target is a file. If you want to
+save to a group, see the @kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article})
+command (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
+
@vindex gnus-save-all-headers
If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
unwanted headers before saving the article.
@item O r
@kindex O r (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
-Save the current article in rmail format
+Save the current article in Rmail format
(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
@item O f
(@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
@item O p
+@itemx |
@kindex O p (Summary)
+@kindex | (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
+If given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), include the
+complete headers in the piped output.
+
+@item O P
+@kindex O P (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-muttprint
+@vindex gnus-summary-muttprint-program
+Save the current article into muttprint. That is, print it using the
+external program @uref{http://muttprint.sourceforge.net/,
+Muttprint}. The program name and options to use is controlled by the
+variable @code{gnus-summary-muttprint-program}.
+(@code{gnus-summary-muttprint}).
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
@findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
@vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
@findex gnus-plain-save-name
-This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
+This is the default format, @dfn{Babyl}. Uses the function in the
@code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+@item gnus-summary-write-to-file
+@findex gnus-summary-write-to-file
+Write the article straight to an ordinary file. The file is
+overwritten if it exists. Uses the function in the
+@code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
+article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
+
@item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
@findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
@vindex gnus-article-save-directory
All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
-@code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
+@env{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
default.
As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
-related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
+related to VM in @file{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
like:
@lisp
a spool, you could
@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
-(setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
+(setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; @r{to get a hierarchy}
+(setq gnus-default-article-saver
+ 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; @r{no encoding}
@end lisp
Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
@menu
-* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
-* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
-* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
-* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
-* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
-* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
+* Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
+* Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
+* PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
+* Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
+* Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
+* Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
@end menu
@cindex series
Adjective, not verb.
@menu
-* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
-* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
-* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
+* Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
+* Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
+* Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
@end menu
@vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
@cindex sox
This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
-for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
+for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @file{.au} sound file, you could
say something like:
@lisp
(setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
@item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
@vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
-Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
+Files with a @acronym{MIME} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
-@code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
+@code{gnus-uu} is not a @acronym{MIME} package (yet), so this is slightly
kludgey.
@item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
@vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
@cindex metamail
Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
-commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
+commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @acronym{MIME}
content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
@code{metamail} for viewing.
thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
-think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
+think that counts@dots{}) Default is @code{nil}.
@item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
@vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
these articles easier.
@menu
-* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
-* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
-* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
-* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
-* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
-* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
-* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
-* Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
+* Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
+* Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
+* Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
+* Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
+* Article Header:: Doing various header transformations.
+* Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
+* Article Button Levels:: Controlling appearance of buttons.
+* Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
+* Article Display:: Display various stuff---X-Face, Picons, Smileys
+* Article Signature:: What is a signature?
+* Article Miscellanea:: Various other stuff.
@end menu
Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
cited text belonging to the attribution.
+@item gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
+@vindex gnus-cite-ignore-quoted-from
+If non-@code{nil}, no citation highlighting will be performed on lines
+beginning with @samp{>From }. Those lines may have been quoted by MTAs
+in order not to mix up with the envelope From line. The default value
+is @code{t}.
+
@end table
@findex gnus-article-hide
Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
(@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
-headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
+headers, @acronym{PGP}, cited text and the signature.
@item W W h
@kindex W W h (Summary)
Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
@code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
-@samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
+@samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
@table @code
@end table
-@item W W p
-@kindex W W p (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
-@vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
-Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
-@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
-signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
-articles that have signatures in them do:
-@lisp
-;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
-
-(setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
-
-;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
-;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
-
-(add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
- (lambda ()
- (save-excursion
- (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
- (mc-verify))))
-@end lisp
-
@item W W P
@kindex W W P (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-hide-pem
-Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
+Hide @acronym{PEM} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
(@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
@item W W B
@kindex W W B (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-strip-banner
+@vindex gnus-article-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
@cindex banner
@cindex OneList
@cindex stripping advertisements
corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
used.
+Regardless of a group, you can hide things like advertisements only when
+the sender of an article has a certain mail address specified in
+@code{gnus-article-address-banner-alist}.
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+@vindex gnus-article-address-banner-alist
+Alist of mail addresses and banners. Each element has the form
+@code{(@var{address} . @var{banner})}, where @var{address} is a regexp
+matching a mail address in the From header, @var{banner} is one of a
+symbol @code{signature}, an item in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist},
+a regexp and @code{nil}. If @var{address} matches author's mail
+address, it will remove things like advertisements. For example, if a
+sender has the mail address @samp{hail@@yoo-hoo.co.jp} and there is a
+banner something like @samp{Do You Yoo-hoo!?} in all articles he
+sends, you can use the following element to remove them:
+
+@lisp
+("@@yoo-hoo\\.co\\.jp\\'" .
+ "\n_+\nDo You Yoo-hoo!\\?\n.*\n.*\n")
+@end lisp
+
+@end table
+
@item W W c
@kindex W W c (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-hide-citation
@item gnus-cited-lines-visible
@vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
-shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
+shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
@end table
you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
the server.
+@item g
+Force redisplaying of the current article
+(@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). This is also not really washing.
+If you type this, you see the article without any previously applied
+interactive Washing functions but with all default treatments
+(@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
+
@item W l
@kindex W l (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
#15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
+@item W m
+@kindex W m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-morse-message
+Morse decode the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-morse-message}).
+
+@item W i
+@kindex W i (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-idna-message
+Decode IDNA encoded domain names in the current articles. IDNA
+encoded domain names looks like @samp{xn--bar}. If a string remain
+unencoded after running invoking this, it is likely an invalid IDNA
+string (@samp{xn--bar} is invalid). You must have GNU Libidn
+(@url{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/}) installed for this command
+to work.
+
@item W t
@item t
@kindex W t (Summary)
@item W v
@kindex W v (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
+@findex gnus-summary-verbose-headers
Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
-(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
+(@code{gnus-summary-verbose-headers}).
@item W o
@kindex W o (Summary)
like @code{\222} or @code{\264} where you're expecting some kind of
apostrophe or quotation mark, then try this wash.
+@item W Y f
+@kindex W Y f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article
+@cindex Outlook Express
+Full deuglify of broken Outlook (Express) articles: Treat dumbquotes,
+unwrap lines, repair attribution and rearrange citation.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article}).
+
+@item W Y u
+@kindex W Y u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min
+@vindex gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max
+Unwrap lines that appear to be wrapped citation lines. You can control
+what lines will be unwrapped by frobbing
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-min} and
+@code{gnus-outlook-deuglify-unwrap-max}, indicating the minimum and
+maximum length of an unwrapped citation line.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-unwrap-lines}).
+
+@item W Y a
+@kindex W Y a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution
+Repair a broken attribution line.@*
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-repair-attribution}).
+
+@item W Y c
+@kindex W Y c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation
+Repair broken citations by rearranging the text.
+(@code{gnus-article-outlook-rearrange-citation}).
+
@item W w
@kindex W w (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
@item W Q
@kindex W Q (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
+@findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
@item W C
@kindex W q (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
-Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
-non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
-@samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
-readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
-Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
-header that says that this encoding has been done.
+Quoted-Printable is one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when
+sending non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. It typically
+makes strings like @samp{d@'ej@`a vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu},
+which doesn't look very readable to me. Note that this is usually
+done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
+has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
@item W 6
@kindex W 6 (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
-Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
-Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
-(i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
-automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
-@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
-been done.
+Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}). Base64 is
+one common @acronym{MIME} encoding employed when sending
+non-@acronym{ASCII} (i.e., 8-bit) articles. Note that this is
+usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding
+has been done. If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for.
@item W Z
@kindex W Z (Summary)
common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
+@item W A
+@kindex W A (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences
+@cindex @acronym{ANSI} control sequences
+Translate @acronym{ANSI} SGR control sequences into overlays or
+extents (@code{gnus-article-treat-ansi-sequences}). @acronym{ANSI}
+sequences are used in some Chinese hierarchies for highlighting.
+
+@item W u
+@kindex W u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-unsplit-urls
+Remove newlines from within URLs. Some mailers insert newlines into
+outgoing email messages to keep lines short. This reformatting can
+split long URLs onto multiple lines. Repair those URLs by removing
+the newlines (@code{gnus-article-unsplit-urls}).
+
@item W h
@kindex W h (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-wash-html
-Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
-Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
-in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
-has been done.
+Treat @acronym{HTML} (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}). Note that this is
+usually done automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
+@code{Content-Type} header that says that the message is @acronym{HTML}.
+
+If a prefix is given, a charset will be asked for. If it is a number,
+the charset defined in @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist}
+(@pxref{Paging the Article}) will be used.
+
+@vindex gnus-article-wash-function
+The default is to use the function specified by
+@code{mm-text-html-renderer} (@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display
+Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) to convert the
+@acronym{HTML}, but this is controlled by the
+@code{gnus-article-wash-function} variable. Pre-defined functions you
+can use include:
-@item W f
-@kindex W f (Summary)
-@cindex x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
-@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{xface}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
-@c @anchor{X-Face}
-Look for and display any X-Face headers
-(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
-function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
-If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
-sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
-face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
-is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
-The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
-program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
-@code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
-like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
-to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
-support, the default action is to display the face before the
-@code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
-support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
-X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
-external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
-friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
-like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
-want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
-last.
+@table @code
+@item w3
+Use Emacs/W3.
+
+@item w3m
+Use @uref{http://emacs-w3m.namazu.org/, emacs-w3m}.
+
+@item w3m-standalone
+Use @uref{http://w3m.sourceforge.net/, w3m}.
+
+@item links
+Use @uref{http://links.sf.net/, Links}.
+
+@item lynx
+Use @uref{http://lynx.isc.org/, Lynx}.
+
+@item html2text
+Use html2text---a simple @acronym{HTML} converter included with Gnus.
+
+@end table
@item W b
@kindex W b (Summary)
Add clickable buttons to the article headers
(@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
-@item W W H
-@kindex W W H (Summary)
-@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
+@item W p
+@kindex W p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig
+Verify a signed control message
+(@code{gnus-article-verify-x-pgp-sig}). Control messages such as
+@code{newgroup} and @code{checkgroups} are usually signed by the
+hierarchy maintainer. You need to add the @acronym{PGP} public key of
+the maintainer to your keyring to verify the
+message.@footnote{@acronym{PGP} keys for many hierarchies are
+available at @uref{ftp://ftp.isc.org/pub/pgpcontrol/README.html}}
+
+@item W s
+@kindex W s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt
+Verify a signed (@acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME} or
+@acronym{S/MIME}) message
+(@code{gnus-summary-force-verify-and-decrypt}). @xref{Security}.
+
+@item W a
+@kindex W a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body
Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
-article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
+article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-in-body}).
@item W E l
@kindex W E l (Summary)
@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
+@node Article Header
+@subsection Article Header
+
+These commands perform various transformations of article header.
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item W G u
+@kindex W G u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers
+Unfold folded header lines (@code{gnus-article-treat-unfold-headers}).
+
+@item W G n
+@kindex W G n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups
+Fold the @code{Newsgroups} and @code{Followup-To} headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-newsgroups}).
+
+@item W G f
+@kindex W G f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-treat-fold-headers
+Fold all the message headers
+(@code{gnus-article-treat-fold-headers}).
+
+@item W E w
+@kindex W E w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace
+Remove excessive whitespace from all headers
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-leading-whitespace}).
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Article Buttons
@subsection Article Buttons
@cindex buttons
with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
button on these references.
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
-Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
-two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
-article heads:
+Well-formed URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man pages and
+Emacs or Gnus related references. This is controlled by two variables,
+one that handles article bodies and one that handles article heads:
@table @code
This is an alist where each entry has this form:
@lisp
-(REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+(@var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
@end lisp
@table @var
@item regexp
-All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
-external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
-@samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
+All text that match this regular expression (case insensitive) will be
+considered an external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches
+embedded URLs: @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}. This can also be a
+variable containing a regexp, useful variables to use include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp} and @code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp}.
@item button-par
Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
@item use-p
This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
-avoid false matches.
+avoid false matches. Often variables named
+@code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} are used here, @xref{Article Button
+Levels}, but any other form may be used too.
+
+@c @code{use-p} is @code{eval}ed only if @code{regexp} matches.
@item function
This function will be called when you click on this button.
used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
@lisp
-(HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
+(@var{header} @var{regexp} @var{button-par} @var{use-p} @var{function} @var{data-par})
@end lisp
@var{header} is a regular expression.
+@end table
+
+@subsubsection Related variables and functions
+
+@table @code
+@item gnus-button-@var{*}-level
+@xref{Article Button Levels}.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-browse-level
@item gnus-button-url-regexp
@vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
default values of the variables above.
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-man-level
+
+@item gnus-button-man-handler
+@vindex gnus-button-man-handler
+The function to use for displaying man pages. It must take at least one
+argument with a string naming the man page.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-message-level
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp
+Regular expression that matches a message ID or a mail address.
+
+@item gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+@vindex gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail
+This variable determines what to do when the button on a string as
+@samp{foo123@@bar.invalid} is pushed. Strings like this can be either a
+message ID or a mail address. If it is one of the symbols @code{mid} or
+@code{mail}, Gnus will always assume that the string is a message ID or
+a mail address, respectively. If this variable is set to the symbol
+@code{ask}, always query the user what do do. If it is a function, this
+function will be called with the string as its only argument. The
+function must return @code{mid}, @code{mail}, @code{invalid} or
+@code{ask}. The default value is the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+@findex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic
+Function that guesses whether its argument is a message ID or a mail
+address. Returns @code{mid} if it's a message IDs, @code{mail} if
+it's a mail address, @code{ask} if unsure and @code{invalid} if the
+string is invalid.
+
+@item gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+@vindex gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist
+An alist of @code{(RATE . REGEXP)} pairs used by the function
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}.
+
+@c Stuff related to gnus-button-tex-level
+
+@item gnus-button-ctan-handler
+@findex gnus-button-ctan-handler
+The function to use for displaying CTAN links. It must take one
+argument, the string naming the URL.
+
+@item gnus-ctan-url
+@vindex gnus-ctan-url
+Top directory of a CTAN (Comprehensive TeX Archive Network) archive used
+by @code{gnus-button-ctan-handler}.
+
+@c Misc stuff
+
@item gnus-article-button-face
@vindex gnus-article-button-face
Face used on buttons.
@xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
+@node Article Button Levels
+@subsection Article button levels
+@cindex button levels
+The higher the value of the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level},
+the more buttons will appear. If the level is zero, no corresponding
+buttons are displayed. With the default value (which is 5) you should
+already see quite a lot of buttons. With higher levels, you will see
+more buttons, but you may also get more false positives. To avoid them,
+you can set the variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} local to
+specific groups (@pxref{Group Parameters}). Here's an example for the
+variable @code{gnus-parameters}:
+
+@lisp
+;; @r{increase @code{gnus-button-*-level} in some groups:}
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("\\<\\(emacs\\|gnus\\)\\>" (gnus-button-emacs-level 10))
+ ("\\<unix\\>" (gnus-button-man-level 10))
+ ("\\<tex\\>" (gnus-button-tex-level 10))))
+@end lisp
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-button-browse-level
+@vindex gnus-button-browse-level
+Controls the display of references to message IDs, mail addresses and
+news URLs. Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-url-regexp}, @code{browse-url}, and
+@code{browse-url-browser-function}.
+
+@item gnus-button-emacs-level
+@vindex gnus-button-emacs-level
+Controls the display of Emacs or Gnus references. Related functions are
+@code{gnus-button-handle-custom},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-function},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-symbol},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-describe-key},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-command},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-variable},
+@code{gnus-button-handle-apropos-documentation}, and
+@code{gnus-button-handle-library}.
+
+@item gnus-button-man-level
+@vindex gnus-button-man-level
+Controls the display of references to (Unix) man pages.
+See @code{gnus-button-man-handler}.
+
+@item gnus-button-message-level
+@vindex gnus-button-message-level
+Controls the display of message IDs, mail addresses and news URLs.
+Related variables and functions include
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-regexp},
+@code{gnus-button-prefer-mid-or-mail},
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic}, and
+@code{gnus-button-mid-or-mail-heuristic-alist}.
+
+@item gnus-button-tex-level
+@vindex gnus-button-tex-level
+Controls the display of references to @TeX{} or LaTeX stuff, e.g. for CTAN
+URLs. See the variables @code{gnus-ctan-url},
+@code{gnus-button-ctan-handler},
+@code{gnus-button-ctan-directory-regexp}, and
+@code{gnus-button-handle-ctan-bogus-regexp}.
+
+@end table
+
+
@node Article Date
@subsection Article Date
(@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
@example
-X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
+X-Sent: 6 weeks, 4 days, 1 hour, 3 minutes, 8 seconds ago
@end example
+@vindex gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header
The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
replace it.
(gnus-start-date-timer)
@end lisp
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
+in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
command.
preferred format automatically.
+@node Article Display
+@subsection Article Display
+@cindex picons
+@cindex x-face
+@cindex smileys
+
+These commands add various frivolous display gimmicks to the article
+buffer in Emacs versions that support them.
+
+@code{X-Face} headers are small black-and-white images supplied by the
+message headers (@pxref{X-Face}).
+
+@code{Face} headers are small colored images supplied by the message
+headers (@pxref{Face}).
+
+Smileys are those little @samp{:-)} symbols that people like to litter
+their messages with (@pxref{Smileys}).
+
+Picons, on the other hand, reside on your own system, and Gnus will
+try to match the headers to what you have (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+All these functions are toggles---if the elements already exist,
+they'll be removed.
+
+@table @kbd
+@item W D x
+@kindex W D x (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+Display an @code{X-Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}).
+
+@item W D d
+@kindex W D d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-display-face
+Display a @code{Face} in the @code{From} header.
+(@code{gnus-article-display-face}).
+
+@item W D s
+@kindex W D s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-smiley
+Display smileys (@code{gnus-treat-smiley}).
+
+@item W D f
+@kindex W D f (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-from-picon
+Piconify the @code{From} header (@code{gnus-treat-from-picon}).
+
+@item W D m
+@kindex W D m (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-mail-picon
+Piconify all mail headers (i. e., @code{Cc}, @code{To})
+(@code{gnus-treat-mail-picon}).
+
+@item W D n
+@kindex W D n (Summary)
+@findex gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon
+Piconify all news headers (i. e., @code{Newsgroups} and
+@code{Followup-To}) (@code{gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon}).
+
+@item W D D
+@kindex W D D (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-remove-images
+Remove all images from the article buffer
+(@code{gnus-article-remove-images}).
+
+@end table
+
+
+
@node Article Signature
@subsection Article Signature
@cindex signatures
@lisp
(setq gnus-signature-separator
- '("^-- $" ; The standard
- "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
- "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
- ; line of dashes. Shame!
- "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
- "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
- "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
+ '("^-- $" ; @r{The standard}
+ "^-- *$" ; @r{A common mangling}
+ "^-------*$" ; @r{Many people just use a looong}
+ ; @r{line of dashes. Shame!}
+ "^ *--------*$" ; @r{Double-shame!}
+ "^________*$" ; @r{Underscores are also popular}
+ "^========*$")) ; @r{Pervert!}
@end lisp
The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
signature after all.
-@node Article Miscellania
-@subsection Article Miscellania
+@node Article Miscellanea
+@subsection Article Miscellanea
@table @kbd
@item A t
@kindex A t (Summary)
@findex gnus-article-babel
Translate the article from one language to another
-(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
+(@code{gnus-article-babel}).
@end table
@node MIME Commands
-@section @sc{mime} Commands
+@section MIME Commands
@cindex MIME decoding
@cindex attachments
@cindex viewing attachments
The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
-instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
+instance, @kbd{3 K v} means ``view the third @acronym{MIME} part''.
@table @kbd
@item b
@itemx K v
@kindex b (Summary)
@kindex K v (Summary)
-View the @sc{mime} part.
+View the @acronym{MIME} part.
@item K o
@kindex K o (Summary)
-Save the @sc{mime} part.
+Save the @acronym{MIME} part.
+
+@item K O
+@kindex K O (Summary)
+Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} part and strip it
+from the article. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred
+via the message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
+
+@item K r
+@kindex K r (Summary)
+Replace the @acronym{MIME} part with an external body.
+
+@item K d
+@kindex K d (Summary)
+Delete the @acronym{MIME} part and add some information about the
+removed part.
@item K c
@kindex K c (Summary)
-Copy the @sc{mime} part.
+Copy the @acronym{MIME} part.
@item K e
@kindex K e (Summary)
-View the @sc{mime} part externally.
+View the @acronym{MIME} part externally.
@item K i
@kindex K i (Summary)
-View the @sc{mime} part internally.
+View the @acronym{MIME} part internally.
@item K |
@kindex K | (Summary)
-Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
+Pipe the @acronym{MIME} part to an external command.
@end table
-The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
+The rest of these @acronym{MIME} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
the same manner:
@table @kbd
@item K b
@kindex K b (Summary)
-Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
+Make all the @acronym{MIME} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
parts.
@item X m
@kindex X m (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-save-parts
-Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
+Save all parts matching a @acronym{MIME} type to a directory
(@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
@item M-t
@kindex M-t (Summary)
-@findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
+@findex gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized
Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
(@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
@item W M w
@kindex W M w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-mime-words
Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
(@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
@item W M c
@kindex W M c (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-decode-charset
Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
(@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
-groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
-MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
-the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not
+include @acronym{MIME} headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic
+parameter to the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
@item W M v
@kindex W M v (Summary)
-View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
+@findex gnus-mime-view-all-parts
+View all the @acronym{MIME} parts in the current article
(@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
@end table
@table @code
@item gnus-ignored-mime-types
@vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
@code{nil}.
'("text/x-vcard"))
@end lisp
+@item gnus-article-loose-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-loose-mime
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus won't require the @samp{MIME-Version} header
+before interpreting the message as a @acronym{MIME} message. This helps
+when reading messages from certain broken mail user agents. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-article-emulate-mime
+@vindex gnus-article-emulate-mime
+There are other, non-@acronym{MIME} encoding methods used. The most common
+is @samp{uuencode}, but yEncode is also getting to be popular. If
+this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will look in message bodies to
+see if it finds these encodings, and if so, it'll run them through the
+Gnus @acronym{MIME} machinery. The default is @code{t}.
+
@item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
@vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
-This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
-this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
-displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
+this list won't have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed or this variable is overridden by
+@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types}. The default value is
+@code{(".*/.*")}. This variable is only used when
+@code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing} is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+@vindex gnus-buttonized-mime-types
+This is a list of regexps. @acronym{MIME} types that match a regexp from
+this list will have @acronym{MIME} buttons inserted unless they aren't
+displayed. This variable overrides
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types}. The default value is @code{nil}.
+This variable is only used when @code{gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing}
+is @code{nil}.
+
+To see e.g. security buttons but no other buttons, you could set this
+variable to @code{("multipart/signed")} and leave
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} at the default value.
+
+You could also add @code{"multipart/alternative"} to this list to
+display radio buttons that allow you to choose one of two media types
+those mails include. See also @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}
+(@pxref{Display Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The
+Emacs MIME Manual}).
+
+@item gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+@vindex gnus-inhibit-mime-unbuttonizing
+If this is non-@code{nil}, then all @acronym{MIME} parts get buttons. The
+default value is @code{nil}.
@item gnus-article-mime-part-function
@vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
-For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
+For each @acronym{MIME} part, this function will be called with the @acronym{MIME}
handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
@vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
@item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
-Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
+Alist of @acronym{MIME} multipart types and functions to handle them.
+
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed
+Display "multipart/alternative" parts as "multipart/mixed".
+
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed
+Display "multipart/related" parts as "multipart/mixed".
+
+If displaying "text/html" is discouraged, see
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}, images or other material inside a
+"multipart/related" part might be overlooked when this variable is
+@code{nil}. @ref{Display Customization, Display Customization, ,
+emacs-mime, Emacs-Mime Manual}.
+
+@vindex gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
+@item gnus-mime-display-multipart-as-mixed
+Display "multipart" parts as "multipart/mixed". If @code{t}, it
+overrides @code{nil} values of
+@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-alternative-as-mixed} and
+@code{gnus-mime-display-multipart-related-as-mixed}.
+
+@vindex mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+@item mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+List of functions used for rewriting file names of @acronym{MIME} parts.
+Each function takes a file name as input and returns a file name.
+
+Ready-made functions include@*
+@code{mm-file-name-delete-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-trim-whitespace},
+@code{mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace}, and
+@code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace}. The later uses the value of
+the variable @code{mm-file-name-replace-whitespace} to replace each
+whitespace character in a file name with that string; default value
+is @code{"_"} (a single underscore).
+@findex mm-file-name-delete-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+@findex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+@vindex mm-file-name-replace-whitespace
+
+The standard functions @code{capitalize}, @code{downcase},
+@code{upcase}, and @code{upcase-initials} may be useful, too.
+
+Everybody knows that whitespace characters in file names are evil,
+except those who don't know. If you receive lots of attachments from
+such unenlightened users, you can make live easier by adding
+
+@lisp
+(setq mm-file-name-rewrite-functions
+ '(mm-file-name-trim-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-collapse-whitespace
+ mm-file-name-replace-whitespace))
+@end lisp
+
+@noindent
+to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
@end table
@section Charsets
@cindex charsets
-People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
+People use different charsets, and we have @acronym{MIME} to let us know what
charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
-newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
+newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @acronym{MIME}, and
just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
-hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
+hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp}.
@vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
-variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match full group names) and
-default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
+variable, which is an alist of regexps (use the first item to match full
+group names) and default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
-In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
-aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
-if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets
+In addition, some people do use soi-disant @acronym{MIME}-aware agents that
+aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1}
+even if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
@code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
-charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
-on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
-Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
-something some agents insist on having in there.
+charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be
+set on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit x-unknown)},
+which includes values some agents insist on having in there.
@vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
-determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
+determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @acronym{MIME}
encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
quoted-printable header encoding.
@cindex coding system aliases
@cindex preferred charset
+@xref{Encoding Customization, , Encoding Customization, emacs-mime,
+The Emacs MIME Manual}, for additional variables that control which
+MIME charsets are used when sending messages.
+
Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
-If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
+If there are several @acronym{MIME} charsets that encode the same Emacs
charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
@lisp
@end lisp
This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
-the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
+the default @code{iso-8859-5} @acronym{MIME} charset.
If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
@vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
@findex gnus-summary-print-article
Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
-(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
-run just before printing the buffer.
+(@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will
+be run just before printing the buffer. An alternative way to print
+article is to use Muttprint (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
@end table
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
+@item C-c C-s C-t
+@kindex C-c C-s C-t (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient
+Sort by recipient (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-recipient}).
+
@item C-c C-s C-s
@kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
+@item C-c C-s C-r
+@kindex C-c C-s C-r (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-random
+Randomize (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-random}).
+
@item C-c C-s C-o
@kindex C-c C-s C-o (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-original
@findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
-if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
+if the current group is fetched by @acronym{NNTP}, the parent hasn't expired
and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
(@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
@kindex M-^ (Summary)
@cindex Message-ID
@cindex fetching by Message-ID
-You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
-matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
-(@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
-@code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
-that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
-have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+You can also ask Gnus for an arbitrary article, no matter what group it
+belongs to. @kbd{M-^} (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you
+for a @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read
+thingies that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}.
+You have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
+
+Gnus looks for the @code{Message-ID} in the headers that have already
+been fetched, but also tries all the select methods specified by
+@code{gnus-refer-article-method} if it is not found.
@end table
-The current select method will be used when fetching by
-@code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
-by giving this command a prefix.
-
@vindex gnus-refer-article-method
-If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
+If the group you are reading is located on a back end that does not
support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
-you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
-would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
+you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @acronym{NNTP} method. It
+would, perhaps, be best if the @acronym{NNTP} server you consult is the one
updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
necessary.
match.
Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
-then ask Deja if that fails:
+then ask Google if that fails:
@lisp
(setq gnus-refer-article-method
'(current
- (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
+ (nnweb "google" (nnweb-type google))))
@end lisp
-Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
-not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
-@code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
-@code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
-have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
-consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
+Most of the mail back ends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but
+do not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox},
+@code{nnbabyl}, @code{nnmaildir}, @code{nnml}, are able to locate
+articles from any groups, while @code{nnfolder}, and @code{nnimap} are
+only able to locate articles that have been posted to the current
+group. (Anything else would be too time consuming.) @code{nnmh} does
+not support this at all.
@node Alternative Approaches
@item gnus-tree-brackets
@vindex gnus-tree-brackets
This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
-``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
-(@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
-default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
+``sparse'' articles. The format is
+@example
+((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
+ (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close})
+ (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))
+@end example
+and the default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
@item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
@vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
other windows displayed next to it.
+You may also wish to add the following hook to keep the window minimized
+at all times:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-configure-windows-hook
+ 'gnus-tree-perhaps-minimize)
+@end lisp
+
@item gnus-generate-tree-function
@vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
@findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
@example
+@group
@{***@}
|--------------------------\-----\-----\
(***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
[Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
|
[Paa]
+@end group
@end example
If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
-following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
(setq gnus-use-trees t
(article 1.0))))
@end lisp
-@xref{Windows Configuration}.
+@xref{Window Layout}.
@node Mail Group Commands
@item B e
@kindex B e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
-Expire all expirable articles in the group
-(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
+Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
+process (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}). That is, delete all
+expirable articles in the group that have been around for a while.
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
-@item B M-C-e
-@kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
+@item B C-M-e
+@kindex B C-M-e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
Delete all the expirable articles in the group
(@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
@vindex gnus-preserve-marks
Move the article from one mail group to another
(@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
-@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
@item B c
@kindex B c (Summary)
@c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
(@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
-@var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
+@code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
@item B B
@kindex B B (Summary)
(@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+@item B I
+@kindex B I (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-create-article
+Create an empty article in the current mail newsgroups
+(@code{gnus-summary-create-article}). You will be prompted for a
+@code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
+
@item B r
@kindex B r (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-respool-article
+@vindex gnus-summary-respool-default-method
Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
@code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
-Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
+Marks will be preserved if @code{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
(which is the default).
@item B w
@kindex e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-edit-article
@kindex C-c C-c (Article)
+@findex gnus-summary-edit-article-done
Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
-(@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
+(@code{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
@kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
@item B q
@kindex B t (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
-when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
+when respooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
@item B p
@kindex B p (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
-Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
+Some people have a tendency to send you ``courtesy'' copies when they
follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
@code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
(@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
just not have arrived yet.
+@item K E
+@kindex K E (Summary)
+@findex gnus-article-encrypt-body
+@vindex gnus-article-encrypt-protocol
+Encrypt the body of an article (@code{gnus-article-encrypt-body}).
+The body is encrypted with the encryption protocol specified by the
+variable @code{gnus-article-encrypt-protocol}.
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-move-split-methods
@section Various Summary Stuff
@menu
-* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
-* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
-* Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
-* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
+* Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
+* Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
+* Summary Generation Commands::
+* Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
@end menu
@table @code
+@vindex gnus-summary-display-while-building
+@item gnus-summary-display-while-building
+If non-@code{nil}, show and update the summary buffer as it's being
+built. If @code{t}, update the buffer after every line is inserted.
+If the value is an integer, @var{n}, update the display every @var{n}
+lines. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@vindex gnus-summary-display-arrow
+@item gnus-summary-display-arrow
+If non-@code{nil}, display an arrow in the fringe to indicate the
+current article.
+
@vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
@item gnus-summary-mode-hook
This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
articles))
@end lisp
+@vindex gnus-newsgroup-variables
+@item gnus-newsgroup-variables
+A list of newsgroup (summary buffer) local variables, or cons of
+variables and their default expressions to be evalled (when the default
+values are not @code{nil}), that should be made global while the summary
+buffer is active.
+
+Note: The default expressions will be evaluated (using function
+@code{eval}) before assignment to the local variable rather than just
+assigned to it. If the default expression is the symbol @code{global},
+that symbol will not be evaluated but the global value of the local
+variable will be used instead.
+
+These variables can be used to set variables in the group parameters
+while still allowing them to affect operations done in other
+buffers. For example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-newsgroup-variables
+ '(message-use-followup-to
+ (gnus-visible-headers .
+ "^From:\\|^Newsgroups:\\|^Subject:\\|^Date:\\|^To:")))
+@end lisp
+
+Also @pxref{Group Parameters}.
@end table
@kindex H f (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
@vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
-Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
-current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
-FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
-on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
-In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
-between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
-be used for fetching the file.
+Try to fetch the @acronym{FAQ} (list of frequently asked questions)
+for the current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try
+to get the @acronym{FAQ} from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which
+is usually a directory on a remote machine. This variable can also be
+a list of directories. In that case, giving a prefix to this command
+will allow you to choose between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp}
+or @code{efs} will probably be used for fetching the file.
@item H d
@kindex H d (Summary)
@item M-s
@kindex M-s (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
-Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
+Search through all subsequent (raw) articles for a regexp
(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
@item M-r
@kindex M-r (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
-Search through all previous articles for a regexp
+Search through all previous (raw) articles for a regexp
(@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
@item &
string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
search backward instead.
-For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
+For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string RET #} will put the process mark on
all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
@item M-&
Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
+@item Y d
+@kindex Y d (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles
+Pull all dormant articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-dormant-articles}).
+
@end table
some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
fashion.
-@item M-C-d
-@kindex M-C-d (Summary)
+@item C-M-d
+@kindex C-M-d (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-read-document
This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
several documents into one biiig group
Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
-@item M-C-e
-@kindex M-C-e (Summary)
+@item C-M-e
+@kindex C-M-e (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
-@item M-C-a
-@kindex M-C-a (Summary)
+@item C-M-a
+@kindex C-M-a (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
@table @kbd
@item Z Z
+@itemx Z Q
@itemx q
@kindex Z Z (Summary)
+@kindex Z Q (Summary)
@kindex q (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-exit
@vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
@vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
+@vindex gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook
@c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
Exit the current group and update all information on the group
(@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
+@item Z p
+@kindex Z p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group
+Mark all articles as read and go to the previous group
+(@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-prev-group}).
+
@item Z R
+@itemx C-x C-s
@kindex Z R (Summary)
+@kindex C-x C-s (Summary)
@findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
Exit this group, and then enter it again
(@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
@cindex cross-posting
@cindex Xref
-@cindex @sc{nov}
+@cindex @acronym{NOV}
One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
-correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
+correctly is if you use an @acronym{NNTP} server that supports @sc{xover}
(which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
-does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
+does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @acronym{NOV} lines. This is
Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
@cindex LIST overview.fmt
@cindex overview.fmt
-To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
+To check whether your @acronym{NNTP} server includes the @code{Xref} header
in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
@samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
@enumerate
@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
+The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
is evil and not very common.
@item
-The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
+The @acronym{NNTP} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
@file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
@item
You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
-different @sc{nntp} servers.
+different @acronym{NNTP} servers.
@item
You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
@node Security
@section Security
-Gnus is able to verify PGP or S/MIME signed messages or decrypt PGP
-encrypted messages.
+Gnus is able to verify signed messages or decrypt encrypted messages.
+The formats that are supported are @acronym{PGP}, @acronym{PGP/MIME}
+and @acronym{S/MIME}, however you need some external programs to get
+things to work:
@enumerate
-@item
-To verify or decrypt PGP messages, you have to install mailcrypt or
-gpg.el.
+@item
+To handle @acronym{PGP} and @acronym{PGP/MIME} messages, you have to
+install an OpenPGP implementation such as GnuPG. The Lisp interface
+to GnuPG included with Gnus is called PGG (@pxref{Top, ,PGG, pgg, PGG
+Manual}), but Mailcrypt and gpg.el are also supported.
+
+@item
+To handle @acronym{S/MIME} message, you need to install OpenSSL. OpenSSL 0.9.6
+or newer is recommended.
@end enumerate
+The variables that control security functionality on reading messages
+include:
+
@table @code
@item mm-verify-option
@vindex mm-verify-option
Option of verifying signed parts. @code{never}, not verify;
@code{always}, always verify; @code{known}, only verify known
-protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
@item mm-decrypt-option
@vindex mm-decrypt-option
Option of decrypting encrypted parts. @code{never}, no decryption;
-@code{always}, always decrypt @code{known}, only decrypt known
-protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+@code{always}, always decrypt; @code{known}, only decrypt known
+protocols. Otherwise, ask user.
+
+@item mml1991-use
+@vindex mml1991-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
+@acronym{PGP} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
+@code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
+deprecated.
+
+@item mml2015-use
+@vindex mml2015-use
+Symbol indicating elisp interface to OpenPGP implementation for
+@acronym{PGP/MIME} messages. The default is @code{pgg}, but
+@code{mailcrypt} and @code{gpg} are also supported although
+deprecated.
+
+@end table
+
+By default the buttons that display security information are not
+shown, because they clutter reading the actual e-mail. You can type
+@kbd{K b} manually to display the information. Use the
+@code{gnus-buttonized-mime-types} and
+@code{gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types} variables to control this
+permanently. @ref{MIME Commands} for further details, and hints on
+how to customize these variables to always display security
+information.
+
+@cindex snarfing keys
+@cindex importing PGP keys
+@cindex PGP key ring import
+Snarfing OpenPGP keys (i.e., importing keys from articles into your
+key ring) is not supported explicitly through a menu item or command,
+rather Gnus do detect and label keys as @samp{application/pgp-keys},
+allowing you to specify whatever action you think is appropriate
+through the usual @acronym{MIME} infrastructure. You can use a
+@file{~/.mailcap} entry (@pxref{mailcap, , mailcap, emacs-mime, The
+Emacs MIME Manual}) such as the following to import keys using GNU
+Privacy Guard when you click on the @acronym{MIME} button
+(@pxref{Using MIME}).
+
+@example
+application/pgp-keys; gpg --import --interactive --verbose; needsterminal
+@end example
+@noindent
+This happens to also be the default action defined in
+@code{mailcap-mime-data}.
+
+More information on how to set things for sending outgoing signed and
+encrypted messages up can be found in the message manual
+(@pxref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}).
+
+@node Mailing List
+@section Mailing List
+@cindex mailing list
+@cindex RFC 2396
+
+@kindex A M (summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-insinuate
+Gnus understands some mailing list fields of RFC 2369. To enable it,
+add a @code{to-list} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}),
+possibly using @kbd{A M} (@code{gnus-mailing-list-insinuate}) in the
+summary buffer.
+
+That enables the following commands to the summary buffer:
+
+@table @kbd
+
+@item C-c C-n h
+@kindex C-c C-n h (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-help
+Send a message to fetch mailing list help, if List-Help field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n s
+@kindex C-c C-n s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-subscribe
+Send a message to subscribe the mailing list, if List-Subscribe field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n u
+@kindex C-c C-n u (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-unsubscribe
+Send a message to unsubscribe the mailing list, if List-Unsubscribe
+field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n p
+@kindex C-c C-n p (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-post
+Post to the mailing list, if List-Post field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n o
+@kindex C-c C-n o (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-owner
+Send a message to the mailing list owner, if List-Owner field exists.
+
+@item C-c C-n a
+@kindex C-c C-n a (Summary)
+@findex gnus-mailing-list-archive
+Browse the mailing list archive, if List-Archive field exists.
@end table
+
@node Article Buffer
@chapter Article Buffer
@cindex article buffer
tell Gnus otherwise.
@menu
-* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
-* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
-* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
-* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
-* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
+* Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
+* Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @acronym{MIME} before reading them.
+* Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
+* Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
+* Misc Article:: Other stuff.
@end menu
article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
-@code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
+@code{References}, etc. ad nauseam---and you'll probably want to get rid
of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
You can hide further boring headers by setting
@code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers} to @code{head}. What this function
does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
-list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
+list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead it
lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
from sight.
Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
@code{Newsgroups} header.
@item reply-to
-Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
-@code{From} header.
+Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same addresses as
+the @code{From} header, or if the @code{broken-reply-to} group
+parameter is set.
@item newsgroups
Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
name.
@item to-address
Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
-the current groups's @code{to-address} parameter.
+the current group's @code{to-address} parameter.
+@item to-list
+Remove the @code{To} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
+@item cc-list
+Remove the @code{CC} header if it only contains the address identical to
+the current group's @code{to-list} parameter.
@item date
Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
old.
Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
@end table
-To include these three elements, you could say something like;
+To include these three elements, you could say something like:
@lisp
(setq gnus-boring-article-headers
@node Using MIME
-@section Using @sc{mime}
-@cindex @sc{mime}
+@section Using MIME
+@cindex @acronym{MIME}
Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
while people stand around yawning.
-@sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
+@acronym{MIME}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
while all newsreaders die of fear.
-@sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
+@acronym{MIME} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
@vindex gnus-display-mime-function
@findex gnus-display-mime
-Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
-to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
+Gnus pushes @acronym{MIME} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
+to display the @acronym{MIME} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
-display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
+display, save and manipulate the @acronym{MIME} objects.
The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
-@sc{mime} button:
+@acronym{MIME} button:
@table @kbd
@findex gnus-article-press-button
@item RET (Article)
+@kindex RET (Article)
@itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
-Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
-(@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
+Toggle displaying of the @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-article-press-button}). If built-in viewers can not display
+the object, Gnus resorts to external viewers in the @file{mailcap}
+files. If a viewer has the @samp{copiousoutput} specification, the
+object is displayed inline.
@findex gnus-mime-view-part
@item M-RET (Article)
+@kindex M-RET (Article)
@itemx v (Article)
-Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
+Prompt for a method, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
+@item t (Article)
+@kindex t (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object as if it were a different @acronym{MIME} media type
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset
+@item C (Article)
+@kindex C (Article)
+Prompt for a charset, and then view the @acronym{MIME} object using this
+charset (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-charset}).
+
@findex gnus-mime-save-part
@item o (Article)
-Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
+@kindex o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, and then save the @acronym{MIME} object
(@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
+@findex gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip
+@item C-o (Article)
+@kindex C-o (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, then save the @acronym{MIME} object and strip it from
+the article. Then proceed to article editing, where a reasonable
+suggestion is being made on how the altered article should look
+like. The stripped @acronym{MIME} object will be referred via the
+message/external-body @acronym{MIME} type.
+(@code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-replace-part
+@item r (Article)
+@kindex r (Article)
+Prompt for a file name, replace the @acronym{MIME} object with an
+external body refering to the file via the message/external-body
+@acronym{MIME} type. (@code{gnus-mime-replace-part}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-delete-part
+@item d (Article)
+@kindex d (Article)
+Delete the @acronym{MIME} object from the article and replace it with some
+information about the removed @acronym{MIME} object
+(@code{gnus-mime-delete-part}).
+
+@c FIXME: gnus-auto-select-part should be documented here
+
@findex gnus-mime-copy-part
@item c (Article)
-Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
-(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
-
-@findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
-@item t (Article)
-View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
-(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
-
-@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
-@item | (Article)
-Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
+@kindex c (Article)
+Copy the @acronym{MIME} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
+(@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}). If given a prefix, copy the raw contents
+without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual
+charset stuff (see @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in
+@ref{Paging the Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and
+@file{.bz2} are automatically decompressed if
+@code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled (@pxref{Compressed Files,,
+Accessing Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-print-part
+@item p (Article)
+@kindex p (Article)
+Print the @acronym{MIME} object (@code{gnus-mime-print-part}). This
+command respects the @samp{print=} specifications in the
+@file{.mailcap} file.
@findex gnus-mime-inline-part
@item i (Article)
-Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
+@kindex i (Article)
+Insert the contents of the @acronym{MIME} object into the buffer
(@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
do semi-manual charset stuff (see
-@code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
-Article}).
+@code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @ref{Paging the
+Article}). Compressed files like @file{.gz} and @file{.bz2} are
+automatically decompressed depending on @code{jka-compr} regardless of
+@code{auto-compression-mode} (@pxref{Compressed Files,, Accessing
+Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Editor}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-internally
+@item E (Article)
+@kindex E (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object with an internal viewer. If no internal
+viewer is available, use an external viewer
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-internally}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-view-part-externally
+@item e (Article)
+@kindex e (Article)
+View the @acronym{MIME} object with an external viewer.
+(@code{gnus-mime-view-part-externally}).
+
+@findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
+@item | (Article)
+@kindex | (Article)
+Output the @acronym{MIME} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
@findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
@item . (Article)
-Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
+@kindex . (Article)
+Interactively run an action on the @acronym{MIME} object
(@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
@end table
-Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
-determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
-manual.
+Gnus will display some @acronym{MIME} objects automatically. The way Gnus
+determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs
+@acronym{MIME} manual.
It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
-group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
+group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @acronym{MIME} has
decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
-Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
+Also @pxref{MIME Commands}.
@node Customizing Articles
@cindex article customization
A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
-exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
+exist. You can call these functions interactively
+(@pxref{Article Washing}), or you can have them
called automatically when you select the articles.
To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
@code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
@item
-@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
+@code{first}: Do this treatment on the first body part.
+
+@item
+@code{last}: Do this treatment on the last body part.
@item
An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
@end enumerate
You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
-to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
+to the fact that some messages are @acronym{MIME} multipart articles that may
be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
considered to contain just a single part.
possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
@table @code
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
@item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
@item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
-@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
+
+@xref{Article Buttons}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
@item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
-@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
-@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
-@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, first, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
@item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-unsplit-urls (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-wash-html (t, integer)
+
+@xref{Article Washing}.
+
@item gnus-treat-date-english (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
-@item gnus-treat-date-iso8601 (head)
@item gnus-treat-date-user-defined (head)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
+@item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
+
+@xref{Article Date}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-from-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-mail-picon (head)
+@item gnus-treat-newsgroups-picon (head)
+
+@xref{Picons}.
+
@item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
-@item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
-@item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
+
+@item gnus-treat-body-boundary (head)
+
+@vindex gnus-body-boundary-delimiter
+Adds a delimiter between header and body, the string used as delimiter
+is controlled by @code{gnus-body-boundary-delimiter}.
+
+@xref{Smileys}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-display-x-face (head)
+
+@xref{X-Face}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-display-face (head)
+
+@xref{Face}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
@item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-citation-maybe (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-banner (t, last)
+@item gnus-treat-strip-list-identifiers (head)
+
+@xref{Article Hiding}.
+
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
+
+@xref{Article Highlighting}.
+
@item gnus-treat-play-sounds
@item gnus-treat-translate
+@item gnus-treat-ansi-sequences (t)
+@item gnus-treat-x-pgp-sig (head)
+
+@item gnus-treat-unfold-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-fold-headers (head)
+@item gnus-treat-fold-newsgroups (head)
+@item gnus-treat-leading-whitespace (head)
+
+@xref{Article Header}.
+
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-part-display-hook
@code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
-everything.
+everything.
@node Article Keymap
buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
buffer.
+@kindex v (Article)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Article)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
+function or better use it as a prefix key.
+
A few additional keystrokes are available:
@table @kbd
@kindex SPACE (Article)
@findex gnus-article-next-page
Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h SPACE h}.
@item DEL
@kindex DEL (Article)
@findex gnus-article-prev-page
Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
+This is exactly the same as @kbd{h DEL h}.
@item C-c ^
@kindex C-c ^ (Article)
@findex gnus-article-prev-button
Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
+@item R
+@kindex R (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-reply-with-original
+Send a reply to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}). If given a prefix, make a
+wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
+region.
+
+@item F
+@kindex F (Article)
+@findex gnus-article-followup-with-original
+Send a followup to the current article and yank the current article
+(@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}). If given a prefix, make
+a wide reply. If the region is active, only yank the text in the
+region.
+
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
@item gnus-article-decode-hook
-@cindex MIME
-Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
+@cindex @acronym{MIME}
+Hook used to decode @acronym{MIME} articles. The default value is
@code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
@vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
@code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
+@vindex gnus-article-over-scroll
+@item gnus-article-over-scroll
+If non-@code{nil}, allow scrolling the article buffer even when there
+no more new text to scroll in. The default is @code{nil}.
+
@vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
@item gnus-article-mode-line-format
This variable is a format string along the same lines as
-@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
-accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
-extensions:
+@code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Summary Buffer Mode
+Line}). It accepts the same format specifications as that variable,
+with two extensions:
@table @samp
+
@item w
The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
-performed.
+performed. The characters and their meaning:
+
+@table @samp
+
+@item c
+Displayed when cited text may be hidden in the article buffer.
+
+@item h
+Displayed when headers are hidden in the article buffer.
+
+@item p
+Displayed when article is digitally signed or encrypted, and Gnus has
+hidden the security headers. (N.B. does not tell anything about
+security status, i.e. good or bad signature.)
+
+@item s
+Displayed when the signature has been hidden in the Article buffer.
+
+@item o
+Displayed when Gnus has treated overstrike characters in the article buffer.
+
+@item e
+Displayed when Gnus has treated emphasised strings in the article buffer.
+
+@end table
+
@item m
-The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
+The number of @acronym{MIME} parts in the article.
+
@end table
@vindex gnus-break-pages
@vindex gnus-page-delimiter
This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
(formfeed).
+
+@cindex IDNA
+@cindex internationalized domain names
+@vindex gnus-use-idna
+@item gnus-use-idna
+This variable controls whether Gnus performs IDNA decoding of
+internationalized domain names inside @samp{From}, @samp{To} and
+@samp{Cc} headers. @xref{IDNA, ,IDNA,message, The Message Manual},
+for how to compose such messages. This requires
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/libidn/, GNU Libidn}, and this
+variable is only enabled if you have installed it.
+
@end table
@cindex followup
@cindex post
@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
@kindex C-c C-c (Post)
All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
-article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
+article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Overview, message,
Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
@menu
-* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
-* Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
-* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
-* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
-* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
-* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
-* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
-* Using GPG:: How to use GPG and MML to sign and encrypt messages
+* Mail:: Mailing and replying.
+* Posting Server:: What server should you post and mail via?
+* POP before SMTP:: You cannot send a mail unless you read a mail.
+* Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
+* Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
+* Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
+* Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
+* Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
+* Signing and encrypting:: How to compose secure messages.
@end menu
-Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
+Also @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
@item gnus-uu-digest-headers
@vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
-headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
+headers will be included in the sequence they are matched. If
+@code{nil} include all headers.
@item gnus-add-to-list
@vindex gnus-add-to-list
If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
+@item gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you for a confirmation when you are
+about to reply to news articles by mail. If it is @code{nil}, nothing
+interferes in what you want to do. This can also be a function
+receiving the group name as the only parameter which should return
+non-@code{nil} if a confirmation is needed, or a regular expression
+matching group names, where confirmation should be asked for.
+
+If you find yourself never wanting to reply to mail, but occasionally
+press @kbd{R} anyway, this variable might be for you.
+
+@item gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+@vindex gnus-confirm-treat-mail-like-news
+If non-@code{nil}, Gnus also requests confirmation according to
+@code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} when replying to mail. This is
+useful for treating mailing lists like newsgroups.
+
@end table
Thank you for asking. I hate you.
-@vindex gnus-post-method
+It can be quite complicated.
-It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will post using the same
-select method as you're reading from (which might be convenient if
-you're reading lots of groups from different private servers).
-However. If the server you're reading from doesn't allow posting,
-just reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
-(extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
-then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
+@vindex gnus-post-method
+When posting news, Message usually invokes @code{message-send-news}
+(@pxref{News Variables, , News Variables, message, Message Manual}).
+Normally, Gnus will post using the same select method as you're
+reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
+groups from different private servers). However. If the server
+you're reading from doesn't allow posting, just reading, you probably
+want to use some other server to post your (extremely intelligent and
+fabulously interesting) articles. You can then set the
+@code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
@lisp
(setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
-the ``current'' server, to get back the default behaviour, for posting.
+the ``current'' server, to get back the default behavior, for posting.
If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
for posting.
Finally, if you want to always post using the native select method,
-you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
+you can set this variable to @code{native}.
+
+When sending mail, Message invokes @code{message-send-mail-function}.
+The default function, @code{message-send-mail-with-sendmail}, pipes
+your article to the @code{sendmail} binary for further queuing and
+sending. When your local system is not configured for sending mail
+using @code{sendmail}, and you have access to a remote @acronym{SMTP}
+server, you can set @code{message-send-mail-function} to
+@code{smtpmail-send-it} and make sure to setup the @code{smtpmail}
+package correctly. An example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'smtpmail-send-it
+ smtpmail-default-smtp-server "YOUR SMTP HOST")
+@end lisp
+To the thing similar to this, there is
+@code{message-smtpmail-send-it}. It is useful if your @acronym{ISP}
+requires the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication.
+@xref{POP before SMTP}.
+
+Other possible choices for @code{message-send-mail-function} includes
+@code{message-send-mail-with-mh}, @code{message-send-mail-with-qmail},
+and @code{feedmail-send-it}.
+
+@node POP before SMTP
+@section POP before SMTP
+@cindex pop before smtp
+@findex message-smtpmail-send-it
+@findex mail-source-touch-pop
+
+Does your @acronym{ISP} require the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP}
+authentication? It is whether you need to connect to the @acronym{POP}
+mail server within a certain time before sending mails. If so, there is
+a convenient way. To do that, put the following lines in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'message-smtpmail-send-it)
+(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook 'mail-source-touch-pop)
+@end lisp
+
+@noindent
+It means to let Gnus connect to the @acronym{POP} mail server in advance
+whenever you send a mail. The @code{mail-source-touch-pop} function
+does only a @acronym{POP} authentication according to the value of
+@code{mail-sources} without fetching mails, just before sending a mail.
+Note that you have to use @code{message-smtpmail-send-it} which runs
+@code{message-send-mail-hook} rather than @code{smtpmail-send-it} and
+set the value of @code{mail-sources} for a @acronym{POP} connection
+correctly. @xref{Mail Sources}.
+
+If you have two or more @acronym{POP} mail servers set in
+@code{mail-sources}, you may want to specify one of them to
+@code{mail-source-primary-source} as the @acronym{POP} mail server to be
+used for the @acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication. If it
+is your primary @acronym{POP} mail server (i.e., you are fetching mails
+mainly from that server), you can set it permanently as follows:
+
+@lisp
+(setq mail-source-primary-source
+ '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret"))
+@end lisp
+
+@noindent
+Otherwise, bind it dynamically only when performing the
+@acronym{POP}-before-@acronym{SMTP} authentication as follows:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'message-send-mail-hook
+ (lambda ()
+ (let ((mail-source-primary-source
+ '(pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
+ :password "secret")))
+ (mail-source-touch-pop))))
+@end lisp
@node Mail and Post
@section Mail and Post
@cindex mailing lists
If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
-gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
+gatewayed to the @acronym{NNTP} server, you can read those groups without
problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
(@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
still a pain, though.
+@item gnus-user-agent
+@vindex gnus-user-agent
+@cindex User-Agent
+
+This variable controls which information should be exposed in the
+User-Agent header. It can be one of the symbols @code{gnus} (show only
+Gnus version), @code{emacs-gnus} (show only Emacs and Gnus versions),
+@code{emacs-gnus-config} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus system
+configuration), @code{emacs-gnus-type} (same as @code{emacs-gnus} plus
+system type) or a custom string. If you set it to a string, be sure to
+use a valid format, see RFC 2616.
+
@end table
You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
(add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
(lambda ()
(cond
- ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
+ ((string-match
+ "^de\\." (gnus-group-real-name gnus-newsgroup-name))
(ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
(t
(ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
@code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
is the default.
+For archiving interesting messages in a group you read, see the
+@kbd{B c} (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}) command (@pxref{Mail
+Group Commands}).
+
@vindex gnus-message-archive-method
@code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
use to store sent messages. The default is:
This variable can be used to do the following:
-@itemize @bullet
+@table @asis
@item a string
Messages will be saved in that group.
messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
@samp{nnml:foo}.
+
@item a list of strings
Messages will be saved in all those groups.
+
@item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
+
@item @code{nil}
No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
-@end itemize
+@end table
Let's illustrate:
(concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
@end lisp
-(XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
-use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
+@c (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
+@c use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
but the latter is the preferred method.
-@item gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
-@vindex gnus-inews-mark-gcc-as-read
+@item gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
+@vindex gnus-gcc-mark-as-read
If non-@code{nil}, automatically mark @code{Gcc} articles as read.
+@item gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+@vindex gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments
+If @code{nil}, attach files as normal parts in Gcc copies; if a regexp
+and matches the Gcc group name, attach files as external parts; if it is
+@code{all}, attach local files as external parts; if it is other
+non-@code{nil}, the behavior is the same as @code{all}, but it may be
+changed in the future.
+
@end table
The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
-If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header (the
-next element in the match) in the original article , and compare that to
-the last regexp in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function
-will be called with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the
-variable will be referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be
-@code{eval}ed. In any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value,
-then the style is said to @dfn{match}.
-
-Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
-attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. The
-attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
-@code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
-attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
-a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
-article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
-If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
-result is thrown away.
+If it is the form @code{(header @var{match} @var{regexp})}, then Gnus
+will look in the original article for a header whose name is
+@var{match} and compare that @var{regexp}. @var{match} and
+@var{regexp} are strings. (The original article is the one you are
+replying or following up to. If you are not composing a reply or a
+followup, then there is nothing to match against.) If the
+@code{match} is a function symbol, that function will be called with
+no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
+referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
+any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is
+said to @dfn{match}.
+
+Each style may contain an arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
+attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} @var{value})} pair. In
+addition, you can also use the @code{(@var{name} :file @var{value})}
+form or the @code{(@var{name} :value @var{value})} form. Where
+@code{:file} signifies @var{value} represents a file name and its
+contents should be used as the attribute value, @code{:value} signifies
+@var{value} does not represent a file name explicitly. The attribute
+name can be one of:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item @code{signature}
+@item @code{signature-file}
+@item @code{x-face-file}
+@item @code{address}, overriding @code{user-mail-address}
+@item @code{name}, overriding @code{(user-full-name)}
+@item @code{body}
+@end itemize
+
+The attribute name can also be a string or a symbol. In that case,
+this will be used as a header name, and the value will be inserted in
+the headers of the article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header
+name will be removed. If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form
+is evaluated, and the result is thrown away.
The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
-are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
+are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable, which
+is a vector of the following headers: number subject from date id
+references chars lines xref extra.
+
+@vindex message-reply-headers
If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
'((".*"
(signature-file "~/.signature")
(name "User Name")
- ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
+ (x-face-file "~/.xface")
+ (x-url (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
(organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
("^rec.humor"
(signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
- ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
+ ((equal (system-name) "gnarly") ;; @r{A form}
(signature my-quote-randomizer))
- ((message-news-p)
+ (message-news-p ;; @r{A function symbol}
(signature my-news-signature))
- (header "to" "larsi.*org"
- (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
- ((posting-from-work-p)
+ (window-system ;; @r{A value symbol}
+ ("X-Window-System" (format "%s" window-system)))
+ ;; @r{If I'm replying to Larsi, set the Organization header.}
+ ((header "from" "larsi.*org")
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+ ((posting-from-work-p) ;; @r{A user defined function}
(signature-file "~/.work-signature")
(address "user@@bar.foo")
(body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
-unsubscribe it.
+unsubscribe it. The special properties of the draft group comes from
+a group property (@pxref{Group Parameters}), and if lost the group
+behaves like any other group. This means the commands below will not
+be available. To restore the special properties of the group, the
+simplest way is to kill the group, using @kbd{C-k}, and restart
+Gnus. The group is automatically created again with the
+correct parameters. The content of the group is not lost.
@c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
@c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
Articles}).
@findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
+@kindex D s (Draft)
@findex gnus-draft-send-message
+@kindex D S (Draft)
If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
(@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
in the buffer.
+@findex gnus-draft-toggle-sending
+@kindex D t (Draft)
If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
@kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
(@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
-@node Using GPG
-@section Using GPG
+@node Signing and encrypting
+@section Signing and encrypting
@cindex using gpg
+@cindex using s/mime
+@cindex using smime
+
+Gnus can digitally sign and encrypt your messages, using vanilla
+@acronym{PGP} format or @acronym{PGP/MIME} or @acronym{S/MIME}. For
+decoding such messages, see the @code{mm-verify-option} and
+@code{mm-decrypt-option} options (@pxref{Security}).
+
+@vindex gnus-message-replysign
+@vindex gnus-message-replyencrypt
+@vindex gnus-message-replysignencrypted
+Often, you would like to sign replies to people who send you signed
+messages. Even more often, you might want to encrypt messages which
+are in reply to encrypted messages. Gnus offers
+@code{gnus-message-replysign} to enable the former, and
+@code{gnus-message-replyencrypt} for the latter. In addition, setting
+@code{gnus-message-replysignencrypted} (on by default) will sign
+automatically encrypted messages.
+
+Instructing @acronym{MML} to perform security operations on a
+@acronym{MIME} part is done using the @kbd{C-c C-m s} key map for
+signing and the @kbd{C-c C-m c} key map for encryption, as follows.
-Gnus has an ALPHA support to GPG that's provided by @file{gpg.el}. See
-@code{mm-verify-option} and @code{mm-decrypt-option} to enable Gnus to
-verify or decrypt messages accordingly.
+@table @kbd
-To use this correctly with GPG, you'll need the following lisp code in your
-@file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
+@item C-c C-m s s
+@kindex C-c C-m s s (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-smime
-@lisp
-(require 'gpg)
-(setq mml2015-use 'gpg)
-(setq gpg-temp-directory (expand-file-name "~/.gnupg/tmp"))
-@end lisp
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
-The @code{gpg-temp-directory} need to point to a directory with permissions set
-to 700, for your own safety.
+@item C-c C-m s o
+@kindex C-c C-m s o (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
-If you want to benefit of PGP2.6 compatibility, you might create a script named
-@file{gpg-2comp} with these instructions:
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP}.
-@code{
-#!/bin/sh
-exec gpg --rfc1991 "$@@"
-}
+@item C-c C-m s p
+@kindex C-c C-m s p (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-sign-pgp
-If you don't want to use such compatibility, you can add the following line to
-your @file{~/.emacs} or @file{~/.gnus}:
+Digitally sign current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
-@lisp
-(setq gpg-command-default-alist (quote ((gpg . "gpg") (gpg-2comp . "gpg"))))
-@end lisp
+@item C-c C-m c s
+@kindex C-c C-m c s (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-smime
+
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{S/MIME}.
+
+@item C-c C-m c o
+@kindex C-c C-m c o (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgp
+
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP}.
-To sign or encrypt your message you may choose to use the MML Security
-menu or @kbd{C-c C-m s p} to sign your message using PGP/MIME, @kbd{C-c
-C-m s s} to sign your message using S/MIME. There's also @kbd{C-c C-m c
-p} to encrypt your message with PGP/MIME and @kbd{C-c C-m c s} to
-encrypt using S/MIME.
+@item C-c C-m c p
+@kindex C-c C-m c p (Message)
+@findex mml-secure-message-encrypt-pgpmime
-Gnus will ask for your passphrase and then it will send your message, if
-you've typed it correctly.
+Digitally encrypt current message using @acronym{PGP/MIME}.
+
+@item C-c C-m C-n
+@kindex C-c C-m C-n (Message)
+@findex mml-unsecure-message
+Remove security related @acronym{MML} tags from message.
+
+@end table
+
+@xref{Security, ,Security, message, Message Manual}, for more information.
@node Select Methods
@chapter Select Methods
A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
-@sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
+@acronym{NNTP} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
personal mail group.
A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
-list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
+list where the first element says what back end to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
@code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
-value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
+value may have special meaning for the back end in question.
One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
we do just that (@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
+The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the back end will recognize the
group as.
-For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
+For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @acronym{NNTP} server
@samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
@samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
-backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
+back end just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
@menu
-* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
-* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
-* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
-* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
-* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
-* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
-* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
+* Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
+* Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
+* Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
+* Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
+* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @acronym{IMAP} client.
+* Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
+* Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
+* Email Based Diary:: Using mails to manage diary events in Gnus.
+* Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
@end menu
Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
-one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
+one back end or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
-backend represents a virtual server.
+back end represents a virtual server.
-For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
-different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
-on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
+For instance, the @code{nntp} back end may be used to connect to several
+different actual @acronym{NNTP} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
+on the same actual @acronym{NNTP} server. You tell Gnus which back end to
use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
-@sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
-hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
+@acronym{NNTP} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
+hangs if queried for @acronym{NOV} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
@menu
-* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
-* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
-* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
-* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
-* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
-* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
-* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
+* Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
+* Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
+* Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
+* Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
+* Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
+* Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
+* Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
@end menu
@vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
@table @samp
@item h
-How the news is fetched---the backend name.
+How the news is fetched---the back end name.
@item n
The name of this server.
@item s
The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
+
+@item a
+Whether this server is agentized.
@end table
@vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
@table @kbd
+@item v
+@kindex v (Server)
+@cindex keys, reserved for users (Server)
+The key @kbd{v} is reserved for users. You can bind it key to some
+function or better use it as a prefix key.
+
@item a
@kindex a (Server)
@findex gnus-server-add-server
@findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
(@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
-a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
+a mail back end that has gotten out of sync.
@end table
@end lisp
As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
-backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
+back end, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
will.
After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
(nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
@end lisp
-You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
+You should read the documentation to each back end to find out what
variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
-@code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
+@code{nnmh} is a mail back end that reads a spool-like structure. Say
you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
your private mail:
@cindex proxy
@cindex firewall
-If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
+If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @acronym{NNTP}
server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
-on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
+on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
should probably look something like this:
@lisp
(nntp "firewall"
- (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)
+ (nntp-via-address "the.firewall.machine")
+ (nntp-address "the.real.nntp.host")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
@end lisp
If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
-compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
-server that would look something like this:
+compressed connection over the modem line, you could add the following
+configuration to the example above:
@lisp
-(nntp "news"
- (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
- (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
- (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
- (nntp-rlogin-parameters
- ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+@end lisp
+
+See also @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches}. Here's an example for
+an indirect connection:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-select-method
+ '(nntp "indirect"
+ (nntp-address "news.server.example")
+ (nntp-via-user-name "intermediate_user_name")
+ (nntp-via-address "intermediate.host.example")
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command "ssh")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
+ (nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches ("-C" "-t" "-e" "none"))
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet)))
+@end lisp
+
+If you're behind a firewall, but have direct access to the outside world
+through a wrapper command like "runsocks", you could open a socksified
+telnet connection to the news server as follows:
+
+@lisp
+(nntp "outside"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-via-telnet)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server")
+ (nntp-end-of-line "\n"))
@end lisp
This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
-would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
-could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
+would probably be best to use @code{nnml} to read the cache. You
+could also use @code{nnspool} or @code{nnmh}, though.
-Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
+Type @kbd{a nnml RET cache RET}.
-You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
+You should now have a brand new @code{nnml} virtual server called
@samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
will contain the following:
@lisp
-(nnspool "cache")
+(nnml "cache")
@end lisp
Change that to:
@lisp
-(nnspool "cache"
- (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
- (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
+(nnml "cache"
+ (nnml-directory "~/News/cache/")
+ (nnml-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
@end lisp
Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
@node Server Variables
@subsection Server Variables
+@cindex server variables
+@cindex server parameters
-One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
+One sticky point when defining variables (both on back ends and in Emacs
in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
-change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
-won't change the "derived" variables.
+change the ``base'' variable after the variables have been loaded, you
+won't change the ``derived'' variables.
This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
@code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
@code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
-variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
+variables for each back end, see each back end's section later in this
manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
@lisp
(nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
@end lisp
+Server variables are often called @dfn{server parameters}.
@node Servers and Methods
@subsection Servers and Methods
Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
(@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
+@item L
+@kindex L (Server)
+@findex gnus-server-offline-server
+Set server status to offline (@code{gnus-server-offline-server}).
+
@end table
@node Getting News
@section Getting News
@cindex reading news
-@cindex news backends
+@cindex news back ends
A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
-only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
+only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @acronym{NNTP} server,
or it can read from a local spool.
@menu
-* NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
-* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
+* NNTP:: Reading news from an @acronym{NNTP} server.
+* News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
@end menu
@node NNTP
-@subsection @sc{nntp}
+@subsection NNTP
@cindex nntp
-Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
-You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
+Subscribing to a foreign group from an @acronym{NNTP} server is rather easy.
+You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @acronym{NNTP}
server as the, uhm, address.
-If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
@findex nntp-send-authinfo
@findex nntp-send-mode-reader
is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
-commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
+commands to the @acronym{NNTP} server after it has been contacted. By
default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
@code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
present in this hook.
@vindex nntp-authinfo-function
@findex nntp-send-authinfo
@vindex nntp-authinfo-file
-This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
+This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @acronym{NNTP}
server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
@code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
@item
-Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
+Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
@samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
@lisp
'(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
- (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
+ (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook
+ 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
@end lisp
This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
@item nntp-maximum-request
@vindex nntp-maximum-request
-If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server doesn't support @acronym{NOV} headers, this back end
will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
-speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
+speed things up, the back end sends lots of these commands without
waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
@item nntp-connection-timeout
@vindex nntp-connection-timeout
If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
-regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
+regularly, you're sure to have problems with @acronym{NNTP} servers not
responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
-that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
+that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} back end should wait for a
connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
no timeouts are done.
-@c @item nntp-command-timeout
-@c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
-@c @cindex PPP connections
-@c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
-@c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
-@c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
-@c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
-@c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
-@c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
-@c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
-@c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
-@c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
-@c likely number is 30 seconds.
-@c
-@c @item nntp-retry-on-break
-@c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
-@c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
-@c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
-@c described above.
-
-@item nntp-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-server-hook
-This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
-server.
+@item nntp-nov-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
+If the @acronym{NNTP} server does not support @acronym{NOV}, you could set this
+variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @acronym{NOV}
+can be used.
+
+@item nntp-xover-commands
+@vindex nntp-xover-commands
+@cindex @acronym{NOV}
+@cindex XOVER
+List of strings used as commands to fetch @acronym{NOV} lines from a
+server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
+"XOVERVIEW")}.
+
+@item nntp-nov-gap
+@vindex nntp-nov-gap
+@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @acronym{NOV} lines to
+the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
+if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
+article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @acronym{NOV}
+lines that you will not need. This variable says how
+big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
+@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
+network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
+that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
+@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+
+@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
+A hook run before attempting to connect to an @acronym{NNTP} server.
+
+@item nntp-record-commands
+@vindex nntp-record-commands
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
+@acronym{NNTP} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
+buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@acronym{NNTP} connection
+that doesn't seem to work.
-@findex nntp-open-rlogin
-@findex nntp-open-telnet
-@findex nntp-open-network-stream
@item nntp-open-connection-function
@vindex nntp-open-connection-function
-This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
-functions are supplied:
+It is possible to customize how the connection to the nntp server will
+be opened. If you specify an @code{nntp-open-connection-function}
+parameter, Gnus will use that function to establish the connection.
+Seven pre-made functions are supplied. These functions can be grouped
+in two categories: direct connection functions (four pre-made), and
+indirect ones (three pre-made).
+
+@item nntp-prepare-post-hook
+@vindex nntp-prepare-post-hook
+A hook run just before posting an article. If there is no
+@code{Message-ID} header in the article and the news server provides the
+recommended ID, it will be added to the article before running this
+hook. It is useful to make @code{Cancel-Lock} headers even if you
+inhibit Gnus to add a @code{Message-ID} header, you could say:
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'nntp-prepare-post-hook 'canlock-insert-header)
+@end lisp
+
+Note that not all servers support the recommended ID. This works for
+INN versions 2.3.0 and later, for instance.
+
+@end table
+
+@menu
+* Direct Functions:: Connecting directly to the server.
+* Indirect Functions:: Connecting indirectly to the server.
+* Common Variables:: Understood by several connection functions.
+* NNTP marks:: Storing marks for @acronym{NNTP} servers.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Direct Functions
+@subsubsection Direct Functions
+@cindex direct connection functions
+
+These functions are called direct because they open a direct connection
+between your machine and the @acronym{NNTP} server. The behavior of these
+functions is also affected by commonly understood variables
+(@pxref{Common Variables}).
@table @code
+@findex nntp-open-network-stream
@item nntp-open-network-stream
This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
remote system.
-@item nntp-open-rlogin
-Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
-remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
-available there.
+@findex nntp-open-tls-stream
+@item nntp-open-tls-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
+this you must have @uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/, GNUTLS}
+installed. You then define a server as follows:
-@code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
+@lisp
+;; @r{"nntps" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
+;; @r{however, @samp{gnutls-cli -p} doesn't like named ports.}
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-tls-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number )
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
+@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
+@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
+Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use
+this you must have @uref{http://www.openssl.org, OpenSSL} or
+@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL, SSLeay} installed. You
+then define a server as follows:
-@item nntp-rlogin-program
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-program
-Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
-but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+@lisp
+;; @r{"snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our @file{/etc/services}}
+;; @r{however, @samp{openssl s_client -port} doesn't like named ports.}
+;;
+(nntp "snews.bar.com"
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
+ (nntp-port-number 563)
+ (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
+@end lisp
-@item nntp-rlogin-parameters
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
-This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
+@findex nntp-open-telnet-stream
+@item nntp-open-telnet-stream
+Opens a connection to an @acronym{NNTP} server by simply @samp{telnet}'ing
+it. You might wonder why this function exists, since we have the
+default @code{nntp-open-network-stream} which would do the job. (One
+of) the reason(s) is that if you are behind a firewall but have direct
+connections to the outside world thanks to a command wrapper like
+@code{runsocks}, you can use it like this:
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system.
+@lisp
+(nntp "socksified"
+ (nntp-pre-command "runsocks")
+ (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-telnet-stream)
+ (nntp-address "the.news.server"))
+@end lisp
+With the default method, you would need to wrap your whole Emacs
+session, which is not a good idea.
@end table
-@item nntp-open-telnet
-Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
-to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
-@code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
+@node Indirect Functions
+@subsubsection Indirect Functions
+@cindex indirect connection functions
+
+These functions are called indirect because they connect to an
+intermediate host before actually connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server.
+All of these functions and related variables are also said to belong to
+the ``via'' family of connection: they're all prefixed with ``via'' to make
+things cleaner. The behavior of these functions is also affected by
+commonly understood variables (@pxref{Common Variables}).
@table @code
-@item nntp-telnet-command
-@vindex nntp-telnet-command
-Command used to start @code{telnet}.
+@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet
+Does an @samp{rlogin} on a remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet}
+to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from there. This is useful for instance if
+you need to connect to a firewall machine first.
-@item nntp-telnet-switches
-@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
-List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-telnet}-specific variables:
+
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
+Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to
+@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}. If you use
+@samp{ssh} for @code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}, you may set this to
+@samp{("-C")} in order to compress all data connections, otherwise set
+this to @samp{("-t" "-e" "none")} or @samp{("-C" "-t" "-e" "none")} if
+the telnet command requires a pseudo-tty allocation on an intermediate
+host.
+@end table
+
+Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
+to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
+
+@item nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
+@findex nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat
+Does essentially the same, but uses
+@uref{http://netcat.sourceforge.net/, netcat} instead of @samp{telnet}
+to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the intermediate host.
+
+@code{nntp-open-via-rlogin-and-netcat}-specific variables:
-@item nntp-telnet-user-name
-@vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
-User name for log in on the remote system.
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-netcat-command
+@vindex nntp-via-netcat-command
+Command used to connect to the real @acronym{NNTP} server from the
+intermediate host. The default is @samp{nc}. You can also use other
+programs like @uref{http://www.imasy.or.jp/~gotoh/ssh/connect.html,
+connect} instead.
+
+@item nntp-via-netcat-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-netcat-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the
+@code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command
+Command used to log in on the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{rsh}, but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
+
+@item nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-rlogin-command-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to
+@code{nntp-via-rlogin-command}. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
-@item nntp-telnet-passwd
-@vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
-Password to use when logging in.
+@item nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+@findex nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet
+Does essentially the same, but uses @samp{telnet} instead of
+@samp{rlogin} to connect to the intermediate host.
-@item nntp-telnet-parameters
-@vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
-A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
-via @code{telnet}.
+@code{nntp-open-via-telnet-and-telnet}-specific variables:
-@item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
-@vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
-Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
-@samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
+@table @code
+@item nntp-via-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-command
+Command used to @code{telnet} the intermediate host. The default is
+@samp{telnet}.
+
+@item nntp-via-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-via-telnet-switches
+List of strings to be used as the switches to the
+@code{nntp-via-telnet-command} command. The default is @samp{("-8")}.
+
+@item nntp-via-user-password
+@vindex nntp-via-user-password
+Password to use when logging in on the intermediate host.
+
+@item nntp-via-envuser
+@vindex nntp-via-envuser
+If non-@code{nil}, the intermediate @code{telnet} session (client and
+server both) will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for
+login name. This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+
+@item nntp-via-shell-prompt
+@vindex nntp-via-shell-prompt
+Regexp matching the shell prompt on the intermediate host. The default
+is @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
-@item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
-@vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
-If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
-will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
-This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
+@end table
+Note that you may want to change the value for @code{nntp-end-of-line}
+to @samp{\n} (@pxref{Common Variables}).
@end table
-@findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
-@item nntp-open-ssl-stream
-Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
-you must have SSLay installed
-(@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
-@file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
-define a server as follows:
-@lisp
-;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
-;;
-;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
-;;
-(nntp "snews.bar.com"
- (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
- (nntp-port-number "snews")
- (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
-@end lisp
+Here are some additional variables that are understood by all the above
+functions:
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-via-user-name
+@vindex nntp-via-user-name
+User name to use when connecting to the intermediate host.
+
+@item nntp-via-address
+@vindex nntp-via-address
+Address of the intermediate host to connect to.
@end table
-@item nntp-end-of-line
-@vindex nntp-end-of-line
-String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
-server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
-using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
-@item nntp-rlogin-user-name
-@vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
-User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
-function.
+@node Common Variables
+@subsubsection Common Variables
+
+The following variables affect the behavior of all, or several of the
+pre-made connection functions. When not specified, all functions are
+affected (the values of the following variables will be used as the
+default if each virtual @code{nntp} server doesn't specify those server
+variables individually).
+
+@table @code
+
+@item nntp-pre-command
+@vindex nntp-pre-command
+A command wrapper to use when connecting through a non native
+connection function (all except @code{nntp-open-network-stream},
+@code{nntp-open-tls-stream}, and @code{nntp-open-ssl-stream}). This is
+where you would put a @samp{SOCKS} wrapper for instance.
@item nntp-address
@vindex nntp-address
-The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
+The address of the @acronym{NNTP} server.
@item nntp-port-number
@vindex nntp-port-number
-Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
-connect function.
+Port number to connect to the @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
+@samp{nntp}. If you use @acronym{NNTP} over
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you may want to use integer ports rather
+than named ports (i.e, use @samp{563} instead of @samp{snews} or
+@samp{nntps}), because external @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} tools may
+not work with named ports.
-@item nntp-buggy-select
-@vindex nntp-buggy-select
-Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
+@item nntp-end-of-line
+@vindex nntp-end-of-line
+String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @acronym{NNTP}
+server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
+using a non native telnet connection function.
-@item nntp-nov-is-evil
-@vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
-If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
-variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
-can be used.
+@item nntp-telnet-command
+@vindex nntp-telnet-command
+Command to use when connecting to the @acronym{NNTP} server through
+@samp{telnet}. This is @emph{not} for an intermediate host. This is
+just for the real @acronym{NNTP} server. The default is
+@samp{telnet}.
-@item nntp-xover-commands
-@vindex nntp-xover-commands
-@cindex nov
-@cindex XOVER
-List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
-server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
-"XOVERVIEW")}.
+@item nntp-telnet-switches
+@vindex nntp-telnet-switches
+A list of switches to pass to @code{nntp-telnet-command}. The default
+is @samp{("-8")}.
-@item nntp-nov-gap
-@vindex nntp-nov-gap
-@code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
-the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
-if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
-article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
-lines that you will not need. This variable says how
-big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
-@code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
-network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
-that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
-@code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
+@end table
-@item nntp-prepare-server-hook
-@vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
-A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
+@node NNTP marks
+@subsubsection NNTP marks
+@cindex storing NNTP marks
+
+Gnus stores marks (@pxref{Marking Articles}) for @acronym{NNTP}
+servers in marks files. A marks file records what marks you have set
+in a group and each file is specific to the corresponding server.
+Marks files are stored in @file{~/News/marks}
+(@code{nntp-marks-directory}) under a classic hierarchy resembling
+that of a news server, for example marks for the group
+@samp{gmane.discuss} on the news.gmane.org server will be stored in
+the file @file{~/News/marks/news.gmane.org/gmane/discuss/.marks}.
+
+Marks files are useful because you can copy the @file{~/News/marks}
+directory (using rsync, scp or whatever) to another Gnus installation,
+and it will realize what articles you have read and marked. The data
+in @file{~/News/marks} has priority over the same data in
+@file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+
+Note that marks files are very much server-specific: Gnus remembers
+the article numbers so if you don't use the same servers on both
+installations things are most likely to break (most @acronym{NNTP}
+servers do not use the same article numbers as any other server).
+However, if you use servers A, B, C on one installation and servers A,
+D, E on the other, you can sync the marks files for A and then you'll
+get synchronization for that server between the two installations.
+
+Using @acronym{NNTP} marks can possibly incur a performance penalty so
+if Gnus feels sluggish, try setting the @code{nntp-marks-is-evil}
+variable to @code{t}. Marks will then be stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+
+Related variables:
-@item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
-@vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
-server closes connection.
+@table @code
-@item nntp-record-commands
-@vindex nntp-record-commands
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
-@sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
-buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
-that doesn't seem to work.
+@item nntp-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nntp-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any marks files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nntp-marks-directory
+@vindex nntp-marks-directory
+The directory where marks for nntp groups will be stored.
@end table
@item nnspool-nov-directory
@vindex nnspool-nov-directory
-Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
+Where @code{nnspool} will look for @acronym{NOV} files. This is normally@*
@file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
@item nnspool-lib-dir
@item nnspool-active-file
@vindex nnspool-active-file
-The path to the active file.
+The name of the active file.
@item nnspool-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
-The path to the group descriptions file.
+The name of the group descriptions file.
@item nnspool-history-file
@vindex nnspool-history-file
-The path to the news history file.
+The name of the news history file.
@item nnspool-active-times-file
@vindex nnspool-active-times-file
-The path to the active date file.
+The name of the active date file.
@item nnspool-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @acronym{NOV} files
that it finds.
@item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
@vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
@cindex sed
If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
-relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
-load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
+relevant portion from the overview file. If @code{nil},
+@code{nnspool} will load the entire file into a buffer and process it
+there.
@end table
course.
@menu
-* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
-* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
-* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
-* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
-* Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
-* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
-* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
-* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
-* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
-* Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
-* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
-* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
-* Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
+* Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
+* Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
+* Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
+* Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
+* Mail Back End Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
+* Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
+* Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
+* Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
+* Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
+* Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
+* Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
+* Not Reading Mail:: Using mail back ends for reading other files.
+* Choosing a Mail Back End:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
@end menu
@node Mail in a Newsreader
@subsection Mail in a Newsreader
-If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
+If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
of a culture shock.
-Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
+Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
deleted? How awful!
But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
-scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
+scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
-you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
+you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @ref{Expiring
Mail}.
What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
they want to treat a message.
Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
-via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
+via @acronym{SMTP}, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
archived somewhere else.
Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
-These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
+These are transported via @acronym{NNTP}, and are therefore news. But we may need
to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
@subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
-mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
+mail back end of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
and things will happen automatically.
-For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
-mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
+For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a ``one file per
+mail'' back end), you could put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnml "private")))
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
@end lisp
-Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
+Now, the next time you start Gnus, this back end will be queried for new
articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
-directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
+directory, which is @file{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
like any other group.
This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
-Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
+Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Back End} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
@node Splitting Mail
@subsection Splitting Mail
@cindex splitting mail
@cindex mail splitting
+@cindex mail filtering (splitting)
@vindex nnmail-split-methods
The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
@end lisp
+@noindent
+In that case, @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether
+the inserted text should be made lowercase. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
+
The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
mail belongs in that group.
+@cindex @samp{bogus} group
The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
-expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
+expression should @emph{always} be @samp{""} so that it matches any mails
that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
-processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
-rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
-In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
+processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first rule
+to make a match will ``win'', unless you have crossposting enabled. In
+that case, all matching rules will ``win''.) If no rule matched, the mail
+will end up in the @samp{bogus} group. When new groups are created by
+splitting mail, you may want to run @code{gnus-group-find-new-groups} to
+see the new groups. This also applies to the @samp{bogus} group.
If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
function of your choice. This function will be called without any
message. The function should return a list of group names that it
thinks should carry this mail message.
-Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
+Note that the mail back ends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
@code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
@vindex nnmail-crosspost
-The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
+The mail back ends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
@code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
-that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
+that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{""}) group.
@vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
@cindex crosspost
variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
@kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
-@kindex nnmail-split-history
+@findex nnmail-split-history
If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
-Group Commands}).
+Group Commands}).
+
+@vindex nnmail-split-header-length-limit
+Header lines longer than the value of
+@code{nnmail-split-header-length-limit} are excluded from the split
+function.
+
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-charset
+@vindex nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes
+By default the splitting codes @acronym{MIME} decodes headers so you
+can match on non-@acronym{ASCII} strings. The
+@code{nnmail-mail-splitting-charset} variable specifies the default
+charset for decoding. The behavior can be turned off completely by
+binding @code{nnmail-mail-splitting-decodes} to @code{nil}, which is
+useful if you want to match articles based on the raw header data.
+
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+By default, splitting is performed on all incoming messages. If you
+specify a @code{directory} entry for the variable @code{mail-sources}
+(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}), however, then splitting does
+@emph{not} happen by default. You can set the variable
+@code{nnmail-resplit-incoming} to a non-@code{nil} value to make
+splitting happen even in this case. (This variable has no effect on
+other kinds of entries.)
Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
@node Mail Sources
@subsection Mail Sources
-Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
-POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
-instance.
+Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from
+a @acronym{POP} mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a
+maildir, for instance.
@menu
-* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
-* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
-* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
+* Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
+* Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
+* Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
@end menu
@table @code
@item :path
-The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
-environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
+The file name. Defaults to the value of the @env{MAIL}
+environment variable or the value of @code{rmail-spool-directory}
+(usually something like @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}).
+
+@item :prescript
+@itemx :postscript
+Script run before/after fetching mail.
@end table
An example file mail source:
(file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
@end lisp
-Or using the default path:
+Or using the default file name:
@lisp
(file)
@end lisp
-If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
-use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
-file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
-mail.
+If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best
+to use @acronym{POP} or @acronym{IMAP} or the like to fetch the mail.
+You can not use ange-ftp file names here---it has no way to lock the
+mail spool while moving the mail.
If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
@item directory
-Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
-you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
-@code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil forces Gnus to
-scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful if you want
-to scan mail groups at a specified level.
+@vindex nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once
+Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used
+when you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files.
+That is, there is a one-to-one correspondence between files in that
+directory and groups, so that mail from the file @file{foo.bar.spool}
+will be put in the group @code{foo.bar}. (You can change the suffix
+to be used instead of @code{.spool}.) Setting
+@code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-@code{nil} forces
+Gnus to scan the mail source only once. This is particularly useful
+if you want to scan mail groups at a specified level.
+
+@vindex nnmail-resplit-incoming
+There is also the variable @code{nnmail-resplit-incoming}, if you set
+that to a non-@code{nil} value, then the normal splitting process is
+applied to all the files from the directory, @ref{Splitting Mail}.
Keywords:
@table @code
@item :path
-The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
+The name of the directory where the files are. There is no default
value.
@item :suffix
@end lisp
@item pop
-Get mail from a POP server.
+Get mail from a @acronym{POP} server.
Keywords:
@table @code
@item :server
-The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
-@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+The name of the @acronym{POP} server. The default is taken from the
+@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
@item :port
-The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (eg,
+The port number of the @acronym{POP} server. This can be a number (eg,
@samp{:port 1234}) or a string (eg, @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
@item :user
-The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
+The user name to give to the @acronym{POP} server. The default is the login
name.
@item :password
-The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
-prompted.
+The password to give to the @acronym{POP} server. If not specified,
+the user is prompted.
@item :program
-The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This should be
-a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
+The program to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. This
+should be a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
@example
fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
@item :function
-The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
-called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
-be moved to.
+The function to use to fetch mail from the @acronym{POP} server. The
+function is called with one parameter---the name of the file where the
+mail should be moved to.
@item :authentication
This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
@end table
+@vindex pop3-movemail
+@vindex pop3-leave-mail-on-server
If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
-@code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
+@code{pop3-movemail} will be used. If the
+@code{pop3-leave-mail-on-server} is non-@code{nil} the mail is to be
+left on the @acronym{POP} server after fetching when using
+@code{pop3-movemail}. Note that POP servers maintain no state
+information between sessions, so what the client believes is there and
+what is actually there may not match up. If they do not, then the whole
+thing can fall apart and leave you with a corrupt mailbox.
-Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
-default user name, and default fetcher:
+Here are some examples. Fetch from the default @acronym{POP} server,
+using the default user name, and default fetcher:
@lisp
(pop)
@table @code
@item :path
-The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
-taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
-@samp{~/Maildir/}.
+The name of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
+taken from the @env{MAILDIR} environment variable or
+@file{~/Maildir/}.
@item :subdirs
The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
@samp{("new" "cur")}.
Two example maildir mail sources:
@lisp
-(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
+(maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
@end lisp
@lisp
-(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
+(maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/"
+ :subdirs ("new"))
@end lisp
@item imap
-Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap}
-as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for
-some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server
-and fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for
-more information.
+Get mail from a @acronym{IMAP} server. If you don't want to use
+@acronym{IMAP} as intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie
+with nnimap), for some reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar
+to a @acronym{POP} server and fetches articles from a given
+@acronym{IMAP} mailbox. @xref{IMAP}, for more information.
+
+Note that for the Kerberos, GSSAPI, @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} and STARTTLS support you
+may need external programs and libraries, @xref{IMAP}.
Keywords:
@table @code
@item :server
-The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
-@code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
+The name of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is taken from the
+@env{MAILHOST} environment variable.
@item :port
-The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
-@samp{993} for SSL connections.
+The port number of the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
+@samp{993} for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} connections.
@item :user
-The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
+The user name to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. The default is the login
name.
@item :password
-The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
+The password to give to the @acronym{IMAP} server. If not specified, the user is
prompted.
@item :stream
What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
-@samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
+@samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{starttls}, @samp{tls},
+@samp{ssl}, @samp{shell} or the default @samp{network}.
@item :authentication
-Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
-of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
-means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
-@samp{login}.
+Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is
+one of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now,
+this means @samp{gssapi}, @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{digest-md5},
+@samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default @samp{login}.
@item :program
When using the `shell' :stream, the contents of this variable is
-mapped into the `imap-shell-program' variable. This should be a
+mapped into the @code{imap-shell-program} variable. This should be a
@code{format}-like string (or list of strings). Here's an example:
@example
The name of the server.
@item l
-User name from `imap-default-user'.
+User name from @code{imap-default-user}.
@item p
The port number of the server.
@item :predicate
The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
-sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
-articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
+sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @acronym{IMAP} client and mark some
+articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{1:*}.
Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
-complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
+complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 section 6.4.4.
@item :fetchflag
How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
-but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
+but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 section 2.3.2.
@item :dontexpunge
-If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
-after finishing the fetch.
+If non-@code{nil}, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the
+mailbox after finishing the fetch.
@end table
-An example @sc{imap} mail source:
+An example @acronym{IMAP} mail source:
@lisp
-(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
+(imap :server "mail.mycorp.com"
+ :stream kerberos4
+ :fetchflag "\\Seen")
@end lisp
@item webmail
-Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
-webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
+Get mail from a webmail server, such as @uref{http://www.hotmail.com/},
+@uref{http://webmail.netscape.com/}, @uref{http://www.netaddress.com/},
+@uref{http://mail.yahoo.com/}.
-NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
-is suggested.
-
-NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
+NOTE: Webmail largely depends on cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
required for url "4.0pre.46".
-WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
+WARNING: Mails may be lost. NO WARRANTY.
Keywords:
prompted.
@item :dontexpunge
-If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
-folder after finishing the fetch.
+If non-@code{nil}, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to
+trash folder after finishing the fetch.
@end table
An example webmail source:
@lisp
-(webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
+(webmail :subtype 'hotmail
+ :user "user-name"
+ :password "secret")
@end lisp
@end table
@table @code
@item :plugged
-If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
-directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
+If non-@code{nil}, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you
+use directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this
+example:
@lisp
(setq mail-sources
- '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
+ '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
:suffix ""
:plugged t)))
@end lisp
@table @code
@item mail-source-crash-box
@vindex mail-source-crash-box
-File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
+File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is@*
@file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
@item mail-source-delete-incoming
@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
-If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
+If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them. If
+@code{t}, delete the files immediately, if @code{nil}, never delete any
+files. If a positive number, delete files older than number of days
+(This will only happen, when receiving new mail). You may also set
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} to @code{nil} and call
+@code{mail-source-delete-old-incoming} from a hook or interactively.
+
+@item mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+@vindex mail-source-delete-old-incoming-confirm
+If non-@code{nil}, ask for for confirmation before deleting old incoming
+files. This variable only applies when
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is a positive number.
+
+@item mail-source-ignore-errors
+@vindex mail-source-ignore-errors
+If non-@code{nil}, ignore errors when reading mail from a mail source.
@item mail-source-directory
@vindex mail-source-directory
-Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
-@file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
-where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
-@code{nil}.
+Directory where incoming mail source files (if any) will be stored. The
+default is @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for
+is to say where the incoming files will be stored if the variable
+@code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a number.
@item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
@vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
@file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
@file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
-relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
+relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil} or a
+number.
@item mail-source-default-file-modes
@vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
+@item mail-source-movemail-program
+@vindex mail-source-movemail-program
+If non-@code{nil}, name of program for fetching new mail. If
+@code{nil}, @code{movemail} in @var{exec-directory}.
+
@end table
(@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
-@code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
+@code{nil}, the mail back ends will never attempt to fetch mail by
themselves.
-If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
-mail server, you'd say something like:
+If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a
+@acronym{POP} mail server, you'd say something like:
@lisp
(setq mail-sources
@end lisp
-When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
+When you use a mail back end, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
-mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
+mail if you're not using a mail back end---you have to do a lot of magic
invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
-@node Mail Backend Variables
-@subsection Mail Backend Variables
+@node Mail Back End Variables
+@subsection Mail Back End Variables
These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
-mail backends.
+mail back ends.
@table @code
@vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
@item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
-The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
+The mail back ends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
@vindex nnmail-split-hook
@item nnmail-split-hook
-@findex article-decode-encoded-words
-@findex RFC 1522 decoding
-@findex RFC 2047 decoding
+@findex gnus-article-decode-encoded-words
+@cindex RFC 1522 decoding
+@cindex RFC 2047 decoding
Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
default file modes the new mail files get:
@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
+(add-hook 'nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
(lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
-(add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
+(add-hook 'nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
(lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
@end lisp
@item nnmail-use-long-file-names
@vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
-If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
+If non-@code{nil}, the mail back ends will use long file and directory
names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
-(assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
-@code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
+(assuming use of @code{nnml} back end) or files (assuming use of
+@code{nnfolder} back end) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
@item nnmail-delete-file-function
@item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
-the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
+the back end (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
+@item nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+@vindex nnmail-cache-ignore-groups
+This can be a regular expression or a list of regular expressions.
+Group names that match any of the regular expressions will never be
+recorded in the @code{Message-ID} cache.
+
+This can be useful, for example, when using Fancy Splitting
+(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}) together with the function
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}.
+
@end table
Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
@lisp
-;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
-;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
-;; from real errors.
+;; @r{Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of}
+;; @r{the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group}
+;; @r{from real errors.}
(| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
"mail.misc"))
- ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
- ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
- ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
+ ;; @r{Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant}
+ ;; @r{groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the}
+ ;; @r{(ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.}
(& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
- ;; Other mailing lists...
+ ;; @r{Other mailing lists@dots{}}
(any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
(any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
- ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
- ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
- ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
- ;; message was really cross-posted.
+ ;; @r{Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent}
+ ;; @r{cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to}
+ ;; @r{the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the}
+ ;; @r{message was really cross-posted.}
(any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
- (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
- ;; People...
+ (any "mypackage@@somewhere" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
+ ;; @r{People@dots{}}
(any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
- ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
+ ;; @r{Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.}
"misc.misc")
@end lisp
-This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
-recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
-the five possible split syntaxes:
+This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a
+(possibly) recursive structure where each split may contain other
+splits. Here are the possible split syntaxes:
-@enumerate
-
-@item
-@samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
-name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
-examples.
-
-@item
-@code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
-@code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
-first element of which is a string, then store the message as
-specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
-@var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
-matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
-matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
-@var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
-
-@item
-@code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
-element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
-one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
-the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
-
-@item
-@code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
-element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
+@table @code
-@item
-@code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
+@item group
+If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group name. Normal
+regexp match expansion will be done. See below for examples.
+
+@c Don't fold this line.
+@item (@var{field} @var{value} [- @var{restrict} [@dots{}] ] @var{split} [@var{invert-partial}])
+The split can be a list containing at least three elements. If the
+first element @var{field} (a regexp matching a header) contains
+@var{value} (also a regexp) then store the message as specified by
+@var{split}.
+
+If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp) matches some string after
+@var{field} and before the end of the matched @var{value}, the
+@var{split} is ignored. If none of the @var{restrict} clauses match,
+@var{split} is processed.
+
+The last element @var{invert-partial} is optional. If it is
+non-@code{nil}, the match-partial-words behavior controlled by the
+variable @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} (see below) is
+be inverted. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
+
+@item (| @var{split} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{|} (vertical
+bar), then process each @var{split} until one of them matches. A
+@var{split} is said to match if it will cause the mail message to be
+stored in one or more groups.
+
+@item (& @var{split} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{&}, then
+process all @var{split}s in the list.
+
+@item junk
+If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save (i.e., delete)
this message. Use with extreme caution.
-@item
-@code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
-a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
-be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
-function should return a @var{split}.
+@item (: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @samp{:}, then the
+second element will be called as a function with @var{args} given as
+arguments. The function should return a @var{split}.
@cindex body split
For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
@lisp
(defun split-on-body ()
(save-excursion
- (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
- (goto-char (point-min))
- (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
- "string.group")))
+ (save-restriction
+ (widen)
+ (goto-char (point-min))
+ (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
+ "string.group"))))
@end lisp
-The @samp{" *nnmail incoming*"} is narrowed to the message in question
-when the @code{:} function is run.
+The buffer is narrowed to the message in question when @var{function}
+is run. That's why @code{(widen)} needs to be called after
+@code{save-excursion} and @code{save-restriction} in the example
+above. Also note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will
+not be downloaded by default. You need to set
+@code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
+(@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
-@item
-@code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
-element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
-called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
-return a split.
+@item (! @var{func} @var{split})
+If the split is a list, and the first element is @code{!}, then
+@var{split} will be processed, and @var{func} will be called as a
+function with the result of @var{split} as argument. @var{func}
+should return a split.
-@item
-@code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
+@item nil
+If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
-@end enumerate
+@end table
In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
-@var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
-syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
-field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
-@samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
+
+Normally, @var{value} in these splits must match a complete @emph{word}
+according to the fundamental mode syntax table. In other words, all
+@var{value}'s will be implicitly surrounded by @code{\<...\>} markers,
+which are word delimiters. Therefore, if you use the following split,
+for example,
+
+@example
+(any "joe" "joemail")
+@end example
+
+@noindent
+messages sent from @samp{joedavis@@foo.org} will normally not be filed
+in @samp{joemail}. If you want to alter this behavior, you can use any
+of the following three ways:
+
+@enumerate
+@item
+@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words
+You can set the @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} variable
+to non-@code{nil} in order to ignore word boundaries and instead the
+match becomes more like a grep. This variable controls whether partial
+words are matched during fancy splitting. The default value is
+@code{nil}.
+
+Note that it influences all @var{value}'s in your split rules.
+
+@item
+@var{value} beginning with @code{.*} ignores word boundaries in front of
+a word. Similarly, if @var{value} ends with @code{.*}, word boundaries
+in the rear of a word will be ignored. For example, the @var{value}
+@code{"@@example\\.com"} does not match @samp{foo@@example.com} but
+@code{".*@@example\\.com"} does.
+
+@item
+You can set the @var{invert-partial} flag in your split rules of the
+@samp{(@var{field} @var{value} @dots{})} types, aforementioned in this
+section. If the flag is set, word boundaries on both sides of a word
+are ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
+@code{nil}. Contrarily, if the flag is set, word boundaries are not
+ignored even if @code{nnmail-split-fancy-match-partial-words} is
+non-@code{nil}. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
+@end enumerate
@vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
-@var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
-are expanded as specified by the variable
-@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
-the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
-value.
+@var{field} and @var{value} can also be Lisp symbols, in that case
+they are expanded as specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells,
+where the @sc{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @sc{cdr}
+contains the associated value. Predefined entries in
+@code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist} include:
+
+@table @code
+@item from
+Matches the @samp{From}, @samp{Sender} and @samp{Resent-From} fields.
+@item to
+Matches the @samp{To}, @samp{Cc}, @samp{Apparently-To},
+@samp{Resent-To} and @samp{Resent-Cc} fields.
+@item any
+Is the union of the @code{from} and @code{to} entries.
+@end table
@vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
@code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
groupings 1 through 9.
+@vindex nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded
+Where @code{nnmail-split-lowercase-expanded} controls whether the
+lowercase of the matched string should be used for the substitution.
+Setting it as non-@code{nil} is useful to avoid the creation of multiple
+groups when users send to an address using different case
+(i.e. mailing-list@@domain vs Mailing-List@@Domain). The default value
+is @code{t}.
+
@findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
it once per thread.
-To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
-non-nil value. And then you can include
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
+To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates}
+and @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} to a non-@code{nil}
+value. And then you can include @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent}
+using the colon feature, like so:
@lisp
-(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+(setq nnmail-treat-duplicates 'warn ; @r{or @code{delete}}
+ nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids t
+ nnmail-split-fancy
'(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
- ;; other splits go here
+ ;; @r{other splits go here}
))
@end lisp
This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
-non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
-file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
-together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
-messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
-In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
-specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
-When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
-is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
+non-@code{nil}, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees
+in the file specified by the variable
+@code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, together with the group it is in
+(the group is omitted for non-mail messages). When mail splitting is
+invoked, the function @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks
+at the References (and In-Reply-To) header of each message to split
+and searches the file specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}
+for the message ids. When it has found a parent, it returns the
+corresponding group name unless the group name matches the regexp
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent-ignore-groups}. It is
+recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
-still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
-kBytes in size.)
+still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some
+300 kBytes in size.)
@vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
messages goes into the new group.
+Also see the variable @code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} if you don't
+want certain groups to be recorded in the cache. For example, if all
+outgoing messages are written to an ``outgoing'' group, you could set
+@code{nnmail-cache-ignore-groups} to match that group name.
+Otherwise, answers to all your messages would end up in the
+``outgoing'' group.
+
@node Group Mail Splitting
@subsection Group Mail Splitting
@findex gnus-group-split
If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
-You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
+You just have to set @code{to-list} and/or @code{to-address} in group
parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
@code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
-from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
-@var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
+from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @code{to-list} or
+@code{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
-splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
+splitting to recognize them all: just set the @code{extra-aliases} group
parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
-rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
+rather use a regular expression, set @code{split-regexp}.
All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
@code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
-@var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
-matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
+@code{to-list}, @code{to-address}, all of @code{extra-aliases} and all
+matches of @code{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
-@var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
+@code{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
-parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
+parameter @code{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
-@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
+@code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @code{split-spec} may be set to
@code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
@code{gnus-group-split}.
by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
-some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
+some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
splits like this:
@lisp
-(: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
+(: gnus-group-split-fancy @var{groups} @var{no-crosspost} @var{catch-all})
@end lisp
@var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
@var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
-single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
-fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
-If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
+single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fall back
+fancy split, used like @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
+If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @code{split-regexp} matches the
empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
-Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
+Otherwise, if some group has @code{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
@findex gnus-group-split-setup
@code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
@code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
-you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
+you. For example, add to your @file{~/.gnus.el}:
@lisp
-(gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
+(gnus-group-split-setup @var{auto-update} @var{catch-all})
@end lisp
If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
@node Incorporating Old Mail
@subsection Incorporating Old Mail
+@cindex incorporating old mail
+@cindex import old mail
Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
-backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
+back ends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
your mail groups.
Doing so can be quite easy.
Go to the group buffer.
@item
-Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
+Type @kbd{G f} and give the file name to the mbox file when prompted to create an
@code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
@item
-Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
+Type @kbd{SPACE} to enter the newly created group.
@item
-Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
+Type @kbd{M P b} to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
(@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
@item
-Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
+Type @kbd{B r} to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
@samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
@end enumerate
sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
-backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
-using the new mail backend.
+back end to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
+using the new mail back end.
@node Expiring Mail
course.
To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
-articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
-disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
+articles as @dfn{expirable}. (With the default key bindings, this means
+that you have to type @kbd{E}.) This does not mean that the articles
+will disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
+You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Gnus provides
+two features, called ``auto-expire'' and ``total-expire'', that can help you
+with this. In a nutshell, ``auto-expire'' means that Gnus hits @kbd{E}
+for you when you select an article. And ``total-expire'' means that Gnus
+considers all articles as expirable that are read. So, in addition to
+the articles marked @samp{E}, also the articles marked @samp{r},
+@samp{R}, @samp{O}, @samp{K}, @samp{Y} and so on are considered
+expirable.
+
+When should either auto-expire or total-expire be used? Most people
+who are subscribed to mailing lists split each list into its own group
+and then turn on auto-expire or total-expire for those groups.
+(@xref{Splitting Mail}, for more information on splitting each list
+into its own group.)
+
+Which one is better, auto-expire or total-expire? It's not easy to
+answer. Generally speaking, auto-expire is probably faster. Another
+advantage of auto-expire is that you get more marks to work with: for
+the articles that are supposed to stick around, you can still choose
+between tick and dormant and read marks. But with total-expire, you
+only have dormant and ticked to choose from. The advantage of
+total-expire is that it works well with adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive
+Scoring}). Auto-expire works with normal scoring but not with adaptive
+scoring.
+
@vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
-You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
-match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
-have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
-articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
-column in the summary buffer.
+Groups that match the regular expression
+@code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will have all articles that you
+read marked as expirable automatically. All articles marked as
+expirable have an @samp{E} in the first column in the summary buffer.
By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
automatically, you can put something like the following in your
-@file{.gnus} file:
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
@lisp
Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
-groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
+articles expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
@vindex nnmail-expiry-target
The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
-However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
-other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
-(and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
-variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
-overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
-default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
-should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
-function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
-question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
-parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
-@code{delete}.
+However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them
+to other groups instead of deleting them. The variable
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} (and the @code{expiry-target} group
+parameter) controls this. The variable supplies a default value for
+all groups, which can be overridden for specific groups by the group
+parameter. default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a
+string (which should be the name of the group the message should be
+moved to), or a function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to
+the message in question, and with the name of the group being moved
+from as its parameter) which should return a target---either a group
+name or @code{delete}.
Here's an example for specifying a group name:
@lisp
(setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
@end lisp
+@findex nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+@vindex nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+Gnus provides a function @code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-target} which will
+expire mail to groups according to the variable
+@code{nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets}. Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+ (setq nnmail-expiry-target 'nnmail-fancy-expiry-target
+ nnmail-fancy-expiry-targets
+ '((to-from "boss" "nnfolder:Work")
+ ("subject" "IMPORTANT" "nnfolder:IMPORTANT.%Y.%b")
+ ("from" ".*" "nnfolder:Archive-%Y")))
+@end lisp
+
+With this setup, any mail that has @code{IMPORTANT} in its Subject
+header and was sent in the year @code{YYYY} and month @code{MMM}, will
+get expired to the group @code{nnfolder:IMPORTANT.YYYY.MMM}. If its
+From or To header contains the string @code{boss}, it will get expired
+to @code{nnfolder:Work}. All other mail will get expired to
+@code{nnfolder:Archive-YYYY}.
@vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
-storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
+storing the mail to disk. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
various functions that can be put in these hooks.
@table @code
Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
+(Note that this function works on both the header on the body of all
+messages, so it is a potentially dangerous function to use (if a body
+of a message contains something that looks like a header line). So
+rather than fix the bug, it is of course the right solution to make it
+into a feature by documenting it.)
+
@item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
@findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
@lisp
(setq nnmail-split-fancy
- '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
- ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
- ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
- (any mail "mail.misc")
- ;; Other rules.
- [ ... ] ))
+ '(| ;; @r{Messages duplicates go to a separate group.}
+ ("gnus-warning" "duplicat\\(e\\|ion\\) of message" "duplicate")
+ ;; @r{Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.}
+ (any mail "mail.misc")
+ ;; @r{Other rules.}
+ [...] ))
@end lisp
-
+@noindent
Or something like:
@lisp
(setq nnmail-split-methods
- '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
- ;; Other rules.
+ '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:.*duplicate")
+ ;; @r{Other rules.}
[...]))
@end lisp
@node Not Reading Mail
@subsection Not Reading Mail
-If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
+If you start using any of the mail back ends, they have the annoying
habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
-@code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
+@code{nil}, none of the back ends will ever attempt to read incoming
mail, which should help.
@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
-happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
-file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
-variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
+happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old Rmail
+file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All back ends have
+variables called back-end-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
-All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
+All the mail back ends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
incoming mail.
-@node Choosing a Mail Backend
-@subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
+@node Choosing a Mail Back End
+@subsection Choosing a Mail Back End
Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
-There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
-backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
-(because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
-(@pxref{Mail Spool}).
+There are six different mail back ends in the standard Gnus, and more
+back ends are available separately. The mail back end most people use
+(because it is possibly the fastest) is @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
+Spool}).
@menu
* Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
-* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
+* Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the Rmail Babyl format.
* Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
-* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
+* MH Spool:: An mhspool-like back end.
+* Maildir:: Another one-file-per-message format.
* Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
-* Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
+* Comparing Mail Back Ends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
@end menu
@vindex nnmbox-active-file
@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
+The @dfn{nnmbox} back end will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
which group it belongs in.
@table @code
@item nnmbox-mbox-file
@vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
-The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
+The name of the mail box in the user's home directory. Default is
+@file{~/mbox}.
@item nnmbox-active-file
@vindex nnmbox-active-file
-The name of the active file for the mail box.
+The name of the active file for the mail box. Default is
+@file{~/.mbox-active}.
@item nnmbox-get-new-mail
@vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
-into groups.
+into groups. Default is @code{t}.
@end table
@node Rmail Babyl
@subsubsection Rmail Babyl
@cindex nnbabyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+@cindex Rmail mbox
@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
+The @dfn{nnbabyl} back end will use a Babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{Rmail
mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
mail article to say which group it belongs in.
@table @code
@item nnbabyl-mbox-file
@vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
-The name of the rmail mbox file.
+The name of the Rmail mbox file. The default is @file{~/RMAIL}
@item nnbabyl-active-file
@vindex nnbabyl-active-file
-The name of the active file for the rmail box.
+The name of the active file for the rmail box. The default is
+@file{~/.rmail-active}
@item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
@vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail. Default is
+@code{t}
@end table
@node Mail Spool
@subsubsection Mail Spool
@cindex nnml
-@cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
+@cindex mail @acronym{NOV} spool
The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
format. It should be used with some caution.
@vindex nnml-directory
-If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
+If you use this back end, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
care of all that.
If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
-in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
+in your account, you should not use this back end. As each mail gets its
own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
-@code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
+@code{nnml} is probably the slowest back end when it comes to article
splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
-@sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
-backend when it comes to reading mail.
+@acronym{NOV} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it possibly the
+fastest back end when it comes to reading mail.
+
+@cindex self contained nnml servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnml}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnml} server) and have all your marks be preserved. Marks
+for a group are usually stored in the @code{.marks} file (but see
+@code{nnml-marks-file-name}) within each @code{nnml} group's directory.
+Individual @code{nnml} groups are also possible to backup, use @kbd{G m}
+to restore the group (after restoring the backup into the nnml
+directory).
+
+If for some reason you believe your @file{.marks} files are screwed
+up, you can just delete them all. Gnus will then correctly regenerate
+them next time it starts.
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnml-directory
@vindex nnml-directory
-All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
+All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default value
+is @file{~/Mail}).
@item nnml-active-file
@vindex nnml-active-file
-The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
+The active file for the @code{nnml} server. The default is
+@file{~/Mail/active}.
@item nnml-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
-Format}.
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}.
@item nnml-get-new-mail
@vindex nnml-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
@item nnml-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
@item nnml-nov-file-name
@vindex nnml-nov-file-name
-The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
+The name of the @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
@item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
@vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
+@item nnml-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnml-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnml-marks-file-name
+@vindex nnml-marks-file-name
+The name of the @dfn{marks} files. The default is @file{.marks}.
+
+@item nnml-use-compressed-files
+@vindex nnml-use-compressed-files
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will allow using compressed message
+files. This requires @code{auto-compression-mode} to be enabled
+(@pxref{Compressed Files, ,Compressed Files, emacs, The Emacs Manual}).
+If the value of @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is a string, it is used
+as the file extension specifying the comression program. You can set it
+to @samp{.bz2} if your Emacs supports it. A value of @code{t} is
+equivalent to @samp{.gz}.
+
+@item nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
+@vindex nnml-compressed-files-size-threshold
+Default size threshold for compressed message files. Message files with
+bodies larger than that many characters will be automatically compressed
+if @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil}.
+
@end table
@findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
-If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
-you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
+If your @code{nnml} groups and @acronym{NOV} files get totally out of
+whack, you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
@cindex mh-e mail spool
@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
-@sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
-@code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
-makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
+@acronym{NOV} databases and it doesn't keep an active file or marks
+file. This makes @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower back end than
+@code{nnml}, but it also makes it easier to write procmail scripts
+for.
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnmh-directory
@vindex nnmh-directory
-All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
+All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory. The
+default is the value of @code{message-directory} (whose default is
+@file{~/Mail})
@item nnmh-get-new-mail
@vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail. The default is
+@code{t}.
@item nnmh-be-safe
@vindex nnmh-be-safe
If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
-sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
-are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
+sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks
+they are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
-use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
-to set this variable to @code{t}.
+use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not
+have to set this variable to @code{t}. The default is @code{nil}.
+@end table
+
+
+@node Maildir
+@subsubsection Maildir
+@cindex nnmaildir
+@cindex maildir
+
+@code{nnmaildir} stores mail in the maildir format, with each maildir
+corresponding to a group in Gnus. This format is documented here:
+@uref{http://cr.yp.to/proto/maildir.html} and here:
+@uref{http://www.qmail.org/man/man5/maildir.html}. @code{nnmaildir}
+also stores extra information in the @file{.nnmaildir/} directory
+within a maildir.
+
+Maildir format was designed to allow concurrent deliveries and
+reading, without needing locks. With other back ends, you would have
+your mail delivered to a spool of some kind, and then you would
+configure Gnus to split mail from that spool into your groups. You
+can still do that with @code{nnmaildir}, but the more common
+configuration is to have your mail delivered directly to the maildirs
+that appear as group in Gnus.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} is designed to be perfectly reliable: @kbd{C-g} will
+never corrupt its data in memory, and @code{SIGKILL} will never
+corrupt its data in the filesystem.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks and @acronym{NOV} data in each
+maildir. So you can copy a whole maildir from one Gnus setup to
+another, and you will keep your marks.
+
+Virtual server settings:
+
+@table @code
+@item directory
+For each of your @code{nnmaildir} servers (it's very unlikely that
+you'd need more than one), you need to create a directory and populate
+it with maildirs or symlinks to maildirs (and nothing else; do not
+choose a directory already used for other purposes). Each maildir
+will be represented in Gnus as a newsgroup on that server; the
+filename of the symlink will be the name of the group. Any filenames
+in the directory starting with @samp{.} are ignored. The directory is
+scanned when you first start Gnus, and each time you type @kbd{g} in
+the group buffer; if any maildirs have been removed or added,
+@code{nnmaildir} notices at these times.
+
+The value of the @code{directory} parameter should be a Lisp form
+which is processed by @code{eval} and @code{expand-file-name} to get
+the path of the directory for this server. The form is @code{eval}ed
+only when the server is opened; the resulting string is used until the
+server is closed. (If you don't know about forms and @code{eval},
+don't worry---a simple string will work.) This parameter is not
+optional; you must specify it. I don't recommend using
+@code{"~/Mail"} or a subdirectory of it; several other parts of Gnus
+use that directory by default for various things, and may get confused
+if @code{nnmaildir} uses it too. @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} is a typical
+value.
+
+@item target-prefix
+This should be a Lisp form which is processed by @code{eval} and
+@code{expand-file-name}. The form is @code{eval}ed only when the
+server is opened; the resulting string is used until the server is
+closed.
+
+When you create a group on an @code{nnmaildir} server, the maildir is
+created with @code{target-prefix} prepended to its name, and a symlink
+pointing to that maildir is created, named with the plain group name.
+So if @code{directory} is @code{"~/.nnmaildir"} and
+@code{target-prefix} is @code{"../maildirs/"}, then when you create
+the group @code{foo}, @code{nnmaildir} will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/../maildirs/foo} as a maildir, and will create
+@file{~/.nnmaildir/foo} as a symlink pointing to
+@file{../maildirs/foo}.
+
+You can set @code{target-prefix} to a string without any slashes to
+create both maildirs and symlinks in the same @code{directory}; in
+this case, any maildirs found in @code{directory} whose names start
+with @code{target-prefix} will not be listed as groups (but the
+symlinks pointing to them will be).
+
+As a special case, if @code{target-prefix} is @code{""} (the default),
+then when you create a group, the maildir will be created in
+@code{directory} without a corresponding symlink. Beware that you
+cannot use @code{gnus-group-delete-group} on such groups without the
+@code{force} argument.
+
+@item directory-files
+This should be a function with the same interface as
+@code{directory-files} (such as @code{directory-files} itself). It is
+used to scan the server's @code{directory} for maildirs. This
+parameter is optional; the default is
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-safe} if
+@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is @code{nil}, and
+@code{directory-files} otherwise.
+(@code{nnheader-directory-files-is-safe} is checked only once when the
+server is opened; if you want to check it each time the directory is
+scanned, you'll have to provide your own function that does that.)
+
+@item get-new-mail
+If non-@code{nil}, then after scanning for new mail in the group
+maildirs themselves as usual, this server will also incorporate mail
+the conventional Gnus way, from @code{mail-sources} according to
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} or @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. The default
+value is @code{nil}.
+
+Do @emph{not} use the same maildir both in @code{mail-sources} and as
+an @code{nnmaildir} group. The results might happen to be useful, but
+that would be by chance, not by design, and the results might be
+different in the future. If your split rules create new groups,
+remember to supply a @code{create-directory} server parameter.
+@end table
+
+@subsubsection Group parameters
+
+@code{nnmaildir} uses several group parameters. It's safe to ignore
+all this; the default behavior for @code{nnmaildir} is the same as the
+default behavior for other mail back ends: articles are deleted after
+one week, etc. Except for the expiry parameters, all this
+functionality is unique to @code{nnmaildir}, so you can ignore it if
+you're just trying to duplicate the behavior you already have with
+another back end.
+
+If the value of any of these parameters is a vector, the first element
+is evaluated as a Lisp form and the result is used, rather than the
+original value. If the value is not a vector, the value itself is
+evaluated as a Lisp form. (This is why these parameters use names
+different from those of other, similar parameters supported by other
+back ends: they have different, though similar, meanings.) (For
+numbers, strings, @code{nil}, and @code{t}, you can ignore the
+@code{eval} business again; for other values, remember to use an extra
+quote and wrap the value in a vector when appropriate.)
+
+@table @code
+@item expire-age
+An integer specifying the minimum age, in seconds, of an article
+before it will be expired, or the symbol @code{never} to specify that
+articles should never be expired. If this parameter is not set,
+@code{nnmaildir} falls back to the usual
+@code{nnmail-expiry-wait}(@code{-function}) variables (the
+@code{expiry-wait} group parameter overrides @code{nnmail-expiry-wait}
+and makes @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} ineffective). If you
+wanted a value of 3 days, you could use something like @code{[(* 3 24
+60 60)]}; @code{nnmaildir} will evaluate the form and use the result.
+An article's age is measured starting from the article file's
+modification time. Normally, this is the same as the article's
+delivery time, but editing an article makes it younger. Moving an
+article (other than via expiry) may also make an article younger.
+
+@item expire-group
+If this is set to a string such as a full Gnus group name, like
+@example
+"backend+server.address.string:group.name"
+@end example
+and if it is not the name of the same group that the parameter belongs
+to, then articles will be moved to the specified group during expiry
+before being deleted. @emph{If this is set to an @code{nnmaildir}
+group, the article will be just as old in the destination group as it
+was in the source group.} So be careful with @code{expire-age} in the
+destination group. If this is set to the name of the same group that
+the parameter belongs to, then the article is not expired at all. If
+you use the vector form, the first element is evaluated once for each
+article. So that form can refer to
+@code{nnmaildir-article-file-name}, etc., to decide where to put the
+article. @emph{Even if this parameter is not set, @code{nnmaildir}
+does not fall back to the @code{expiry-target} group parameter or the
+@code{nnmail-expiry-target} variable.}
+
+@item read-only
+If this is set to @code{t}, @code{nnmaildir} will treat the articles
+in this maildir as read-only. This means: articles are not renamed
+from @file{new/} into @file{cur/}; articles are only found in
+@file{new/}, not @file{cur/}; articles are never deleted; articles
+cannot be edited. @file{new/} is expected to be a symlink to the
+@file{new/} directory of another maildir---e.g., a system-wide mailbox
+containing a mailing list of common interest. Everything in the
+maildir outside @file{new/} is @emph{not} treated as read-only, so for
+a shared mailbox, you do still need to set up your own maildir (or
+have write permission to the shared mailbox); your maildir just won't
+contain extra copies of the articles.
+
+@item directory-files
+A function with the same interface as @code{directory-files}. It is
+used to scan the directories in the maildir corresponding to this
+group to find articles. The default is the function specified by the
+server's @code{directory-files} parameter.
+
+@item distrust-Lines:
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmaildir} will always count the lines of an
+article, rather than use the @code{Lines:} header field. If
+@code{nil}, the header field will be used if present.
+
+@item always-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(read expire)]}. Whenever
+Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
+say that all articles have these marks, regardless of whether the
+marks stored in the filesystem say so. This is a proof-of-concept
+feature that will probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done
+in Gnus proper, or abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+
+@item never-marks
+A list of mark symbols, such as @code{['(tick expire)]}. Whenever
+Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for article marks, @code{nnmaildir} will
+say that no articles have these marks, regardless of whether the marks
+stored in the filesystem say so. @code{never-marks} overrides
+@code{always-marks}. This is a proof-of-concept feature that will
+probably be removed eventually; it ought to be done in Gnus proper, or
+abandoned if it's not worthwhile.
+
+@item nov-cache-size
+An integer specifying the size of the @acronym{NOV} memory cache. To
+speed things up, @code{nnmaildir} keeps @acronym{NOV} data in memory
+for a limited number of articles in each group. (This is probably not
+worthwhile, and will probably be removed in the future.) This
+parameter's value is noticed only the first time a group is seen after
+the server is opened---i.e., when you first start Gnus, typically.
+The @acronym{NOV} cache is never resized until the server is closed
+and reopened. The default is an estimate of the number of articles
+that would be displayed in the summary buffer: a count of articles
+that are either marked with @code{tick} or not marked with
+@code{read}, plus a little extra.
@end table
+@subsubsection Article identification
+Articles are stored in the @file{cur/} subdirectory of each maildir.
+Each article file is named like @code{uniq:info}, where @code{uniq}
+contains no colons. @code{nnmaildir} ignores, but preserves, the
+@code{:info} part. (Other maildir readers typically use this part of
+the filename to store marks.) The @code{uniq} part uniquely
+identifies the article, and is used in various places in the
+@file{.nnmaildir/} subdirectory of the maildir to store information
+about the corresponding article. The full pathname of an article is
+available in the variable @code{nnmaildir-article-file-name} after you
+request the article in the summary buffer.
+
+@subsubsection NOV data
+An article identified by @code{uniq} has its @acronym{NOV} data (used
+to generate lines in the summary buffer) stored in
+@code{.nnmaildir/nov/uniq}. There is no
+@code{nnmaildir-generate-nov-databases} function. (There isn't much
+need for it---an article's @acronym{NOV} data is updated automatically
+when the article or @code{nnmail-extra-headers} has changed.) You can
+force @code{nnmaildir} to regenerate the @acronym{NOV} data for a
+single article simply by deleting the corresponding @acronym{NOV}
+file, but @emph{beware}: this will also cause @code{nnmaildir} to
+assign a new article number for this article, which may cause trouble
+with @code{seen} marks, the Agent, and the cache.
+
+@subsubsection Article marks
+An article identified by @code{uniq} is considered to have the mark
+@code{flag} when the file @file{.nnmaildir/marks/flag/uniq} exists.
+When Gnus asks @code{nnmaildir} for a group's marks, @code{nnmaildir}
+looks for such files and reports the set of marks it finds. When Gnus
+asks @code{nnmaildir} to store a new set of marks, @code{nnmaildir}
+creates and deletes the corresponding files as needed. (Actually,
+rather than create a new file for each mark, it just creates hard
+links to @file{.nnmaildir/markfile}, to save inodes.)
+
+You can invent new marks by creating a new directory in
+@file{.nnmaildir/marks/}. You can tar up a maildir and remove it from
+your server, untar it later, and keep your marks. You can add and
+remove marks yourself by creating and deleting mark files. If you do
+this while Gnus is running and your @code{nnmaildir} server is open,
+it's best to exit all summary buffers for @code{nnmaildir} groups and
+type @kbd{s} in the group buffer first, and to type @kbd{g} or
+@kbd{M-g} in the group buffer afterwards. Otherwise, Gnus might not
+pick up the changes, and might undo them.
+
@node Mail Folders
@subsubsection Mail Folders
@cindex mbox folders
@cindex mail folders
-@code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
-file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
-will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
-dates.
+@code{nnfolder} is a back end for storing each mail group in a
+separate file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format.
+@code{nnfolder} will add extra headers to keep track of article
+numbers and arrival dates.
+
+@cindex self contained nnfolder servers
+@cindex marks
+When the marks file is used (which it is by default), @code{nnfolder}
+servers have the property that you may backup them using @code{tar} or
+similar, and later be able to restore them into Gnus (by adding the
+proper @code{nnfolder} server) and have all your marks be preserved.
+Marks for a group are usually stored in a file named as the mbox file
+with @code{.mrk} concatenated to it (but see
+@code{nnfolder-marks-file-suffix}) within the @code{nnfolder}
+directory. Individual @code{nnfolder} groups are also possible to
+backup, use @kbd{G m} to restore the group (after restoring the backup
+into the @code{nnfolder} directory).
Virtual server settings:
@table @code
@item nnfolder-directory
@vindex nnfolder-directory
-All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
+All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this
+directory. The default is the value of @code{message-directory}
+(whose default is @file{~/Mail})
@item nnfolder-active-file
@vindex nnfolder-active-file
-The name of the active file.
+The name of the active file. The default is @file{~/Mail/active}.
@item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
@vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
-The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
+The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
+Format}. The default is @file{~/Mail/newsgroups}
@item nnfolder-get-new-mail
@vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
-If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
+If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail. The
+default is @code{t}
@item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
@vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
@cindex backup files
Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
-backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
-wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
-your @file{.emacs} file:
+backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If
+you wish to switch this off, you could say something like the
+following in your @file{.emacs} file:
@lisp
(defun turn-off-backup ()
@item nnfolder-nov-is-evil
@vindex nnfolder-nov-is-evil
-If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @acronym{NOV} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-file-suffix
+The extension for @acronym{NOV} files. The default is @file{.nov}.
+
+@item nnfolder-nov-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-nov-directory
+The directory where the @acronym{NOV} files should be stored. If
+@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-is-evil
+If non-@code{nil}, this back end will ignore any @sc{marks} files. The
+default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-file-suffix
+The extension for @sc{marks} files. The default is @file{.mrk}.
+
+@item nnfolder-marks-directory
+@vindex nnfolder-marks-directory
+The directory where the @sc{marks} files should be stored. If
+@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder-directory} is used.
@end table
@code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
though.
-@node Comparing Mail Backends
-@subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
+@node Comparing Mail Back Ends
+@subsubsection Comparing Mail Back Ends
-First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
+First, just for terminology, the @dfn{back end} is the common word for a
low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
-and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
+and so selection of a suitable back end is required in order to get that
mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
-typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
+typically done by @acronym{NNTP} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
-articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
+articles lay (the machine which today we call an @acronym{NNTP} server), and
access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
-@code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
+@code{nnspool} back ends, to select between these methods, if one happens
actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
via NFS).
-The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
+The goal in selecting a mail back end is to pick one which
simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
future. Here are some high and low points on each:
@samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
-this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
+this back end, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
(appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
-RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
-and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
+Rmail was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
+and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote Rmail
to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
-headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
+headers/status bits stuff. Rmail itself still exists as well, of
course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
-filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
+file system, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
look at your mail.
@item nnml
-@code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
+@code{nnml} is the back end which smells the most as though you were
actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
@dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
-@sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
+@acronym{NNTP} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
provided by the active file and overviews.
@code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
-resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
+resource which defines available places in the file system to put new
files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
-tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
-the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
+tight, shared file systems. But if you live on a personal machine where
+the file system is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
wins big.
-It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
+It is also problematic using this back end if you are living in a
FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
tiny files.
The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
-individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
+individual files, but with little or no indexing support---@code{nnmh}
is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
-itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
+itself puts @emph{all} one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
-format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
-it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
+format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
+it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
out how many messages there are in each separate group.
If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
-friendly mail backend all over.
+friendly mail back end all over.
+
+@item nnmaildir
+
+For configuring expiry and other things, @code{nnmaildir} uses
+incompatible group parameters, slightly different from those of other
+mail back ends.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} is largely similar to @code{nnml}, with some notable
+differences. Each message is stored in a separate file, but the
+filename is unrelated to the article number in Gnus. @code{nnmaildir}
+also stores the equivalent of @code{nnml}'s overview files in one file
+per article, so it uses about twice as many inodes as @code{nnml}. (Use
+@code{df -i} to see how plentiful your inode supply is.) If this slows
+you down or takes up very much space, consider switching to
+@uref{http://www.namesys.com/, ReiserFS} or another non-block-structured
+file system.
+
+Since maildirs don't require locking for delivery, the maildirs you use
+as groups can also be the maildirs your mail is directly delivered to.
+This means you can skip Gnus' mail splitting if your mail is already
+organized into different mailboxes during delivery. A @code{directory}
+entry in @code{mail-sources} would have a similar effect, but would
+require one set of mailboxes for spooling deliveries (in mbox format,
+thus damaging message bodies), and another set to be used as groups (in
+whatever format you like). A maildir has a built-in spool, in the
+@code{new/} subdirectory. Beware that currently, mail moved from
+@code{new/} to @code{cur/} instead of via mail splitting will not
+undergo treatment such as duplicate checking.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} stores article marks for a given group in the
+corresponding maildir, in a way designed so that it's easy to manipulate
+them from outside Gnus. You can tar up a maildir, unpack it somewhere
+else, and still have your marks. @code{nnml} also stores marks, but
+it's not as easy to work with them from outside Gnus as with
+@code{nnmaildir}.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} uses a significant amount of memory to speed things up.
+(It keeps in memory some of the things that @code{nnml} stores in files
+and that @code{nnmh} repeatedly parses out of message files.) If this
+is a problem for you, you can set the @code{nov-cache-size} group
+parameter to something small (0 would probably not work, but 1 probably
+would) to make it use less memory. This caching will probably be
+removed in the future.
+
+Startup is likely to be slower with @code{nnmaildir} than with other
+back ends. Everything else is likely to be faster, depending in part
+on your file system.
+
+@code{nnmaildir} does not use @code{nnoo}, so you cannot use @code{nnoo}
+to write an @code{nnmaildir}-derived back end.
@end table
go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
even know what a news group is.
-The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
-being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
-they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
+The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
+being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
+they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
you mad in the end.
-So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
+So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
to do it instead?
-Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
+Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of back ends for providing
interfaces to these sources.
@menu
-* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
-* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
-* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
-* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
-* Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
+* Archiving Mail::
+* Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
+* Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
+* Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
+* Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
+* RSS:: Reading RDF site summary.
+* Customizing W3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/W3 from Gnus.
@end menu
-All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
+All the web sources require Emacs/W3 and the url library or those
+alternatives to work.
The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
-work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
-is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
-will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
+work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @acronym{HTML} data
+is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus back end
+will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these back ends,
though, you should be ok.
One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
+@node Archiving Mail
+@subsection Archiving Mail
+@cindex archiving mail
+@cindex backup of mail
+
+Some of the back ends, notably @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, and
+@code{nnmaildir}, now actually store the article marks with each group.
+For these servers, archiving and restoring a group while preserving
+marks is fairly simple.
+
+(Preserving the group level and group parameters as well still
+requires ritual dancing and sacrifices to the @file{.newsrc.eld} deity
+though.)
+
+To archive an entire @code{nnml}, @code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir}
+server, take a recursive copy of the server directory. There is no need
+to shut down Gnus, so archiving may be invoked by @code{cron} or
+similar. You restore the data by restoring the directory tree, and
+adding a server definition pointing to that directory in Gnus. The
+@ref{Article Backlog}, @ref{Asynchronous Fetching} and other things
+might interfere with overwriting data, so you may want to shut down Gnus
+before you restore the data.
+
+It is also possible to archive individual @code{nnml},
+@code{nnfolder}, or @code{nnmaildir} groups, while preserving marks.
+For @code{nnml} or @code{nnmaildir}, you copy all files in the group's
+directory. For @code{nnfolder} you need to copy both the base folder
+file itself (@file{FOO}, say), and the marks file (@file{FOO.mrk} in
+this example). Restoring the group is done with @kbd{G m} from the Group
+buffer. The last step makes Gnus notice the new directory.
+@code{nnmaildir} notices the new directory automatically, so @kbd{G m}
+is unnecessary in that case.
@node Web Searches
@subsection Web Searches
@cindex nnweb
-@cindex DejaNews
-@cindex Alta Vista
-@cindex InReference
+@cindex Google
+@cindex dejanews
+@cindex gmane
@cindex Usenet searches
@cindex searching the Usenet
the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
searches without having to use a browser.
-The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
+The @code{nnweb} back end allows an easy interface to the mighty search
engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
@code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
-engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
+engines (Google, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
group as read.
If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
-providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
+providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'@^etre} is to
make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
-You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
-to use @code{nnweb}.
+You must have the @code{url} and @code{W3} package or those alternatives
+(try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{mm-url} variable group)
+installed to be able to use @code{nnweb}.
Virtual server variables:
@item nnweb-type
@vindex nnweb-type
What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
-are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
-@code{reference}.
+are @code{google}, @code{dejanews}, and @code{gmane}. Note that
+@code{dejanews} is an alias to @code{google}.
@item nnweb-search
@vindex nnweb-search
@item nnweb-max-hits
@vindex nnweb-max-hits
Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
-100.
+999.
@item nnweb-type-definition
@vindex nnweb-type-definition
@cindex Slashdot
@cindex nnslashdot
-Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
+@uref{http://slashdot.org/, Slashdot} is a popular news site, with
lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
-following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
+following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
'((nnslashdot "")))
@end lisp
-This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
+This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} back end for new comments
and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
-comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
+comments), some light @acronym{HTML}izations will be performed. In
particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
-@code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
-the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
+@samp{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @samp{br} added to
+the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @acronym{HTML}
directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
-@sc{html} forms.
+@acronym{HTML} forms.
The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
-but much, much slower than untreaded.
+but much, much slower than unthreaded.
@item nnslashdot-login-name
@vindex nnslashdot-login-name
@item nnslashdot-directory
@vindex nnslashdot-directory
-Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
-@samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
+Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/slashdot/}.
@item nnslashdot-active-url
@vindex nnslashdot-active-url
-The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
-news articles and comments. The default is
+The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the
+information on news articles and comments. The default is@*
@samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
@item nnslashdot-comments-url
@vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
-The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
-default is
-@samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
+The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch comments.
@item nnslashdot-article-url
@vindex nnslashdot-article-url
-The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
-default is
+The @acronym{URL} format string that will be used to fetch the news
+article. The default is
@samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
@item nnslashdot-threshold
@cindex nnultimate
@cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
-The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
+@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/, The Ultimate Bulletin Board} is
probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
-something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
-http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
+something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
+http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @acronym{URL}
(not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
@table @code
@item nnultimate-directory
@vindex nnultimate-directory
-The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
-@samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
+The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is@*
+@file{~/News/ultimate/}.
@end table
interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
groups updated.
+@findex gnus-group-make-warchive-group
The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
-gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
-www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
-@sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
-@sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
-backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
+gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET @var{an_egroup} RET egroups RET
+www.egroups.com RET @var{your@@email.address} RET}. (Substitute the
+@var{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
+@var{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
+back end by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
@table @code
@item nnwarchive-directory
@vindex nnwarchive-directory
-The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
-@samp{~/News/warchive/}.
+The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is@*
+@file{~/News/warchive/}.
@item nnwarchive-login
@vindex nnwarchive-login
The password for your account on the web server.
@end table
+@node RSS
+@subsection RSS
+@cindex nnrss
+@cindex RSS
+
+Some web sites have an RDF Site Summary (@acronym{RSS}).
+@acronym{RSS} is a format for summarizing headlines from news related
+sites (such as BBC or CNN). But basically anything list-like can be
+presented as an @acronym{RSS} feed: weblogs, changelogs or recent
+changes to a wiki (e.g. @url{http://cliki.net/recent-changes.rdf}).
+
+@acronym{RSS} has a quite regular and nice interface, and it's
+possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
+
+Note: you had better use Emacs which supports the @code{utf-8} coding
+system because @acronym{RSS} uses UTF-8 for encoding non-@acronym{ASCII}
+text by default. It is also used by default for non-@acronym{ASCII}
+group names.
+
+@kindex G R (Group)
+Use @kbd{G R} from the group buffer to subscribe to a feed---you will be
+prompted for the location, the title and the description of the feed.
+The title, which allows any characters, will be used for the group name
+and the name of the group data file. The description can be omitted.
+
+An easy way to get started with @code{nnrss} is to say something like
+the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnrss RET RET y}, then
+subscribe to groups.
+
+The @code{nnrss} back end saves the group data file in
+@code{nnrss-directory} (see below) for each @code{nnrss} group. File
+names containing non-@acronym{ASCII} characters will be encoded by the
+coding system specified with the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system}
+variable. If it is @code{nil}, in Emacs the coding system defaults to
+the value of @code{default-file-name-coding-system}. If you are using
+XEmacs and want to use non-@acronym{ASCII} group names, you should set
+the value for the @code{nnmail-pathname-coding-system} variable properly.
+
+The @code{nnrss} back end generates @samp{multipart/alternative}
+@acronym{MIME} articles in which each contains a @samp{text/plain} part
+and a @samp{text/html} part.
+
+@cindex OPML
+You can also use the following commands to import and export your
+subscriptions from a file in @acronym{OPML} format (Outline Processor
+Markup Language).
+
+@defun nnrss-opml-import file
+Prompt for an @acronym{OPML} file, and subscribe to each feed in the
+file.
+@end defun
+
+@defun nnrss-opml-export
+Write your current @acronym{RSS} subscriptions to a buffer in
+@acronym{OPML} format.
+@end defun
+
+The following @code{nnrss} variables can be altered:
+
+@table @code
+@item nnrss-directory
+@vindex nnrss-directory
+The directory where @code{nnrss} stores its files. The default is
+@file{~/News/rss/}.
+
+@item nnrss-file-coding-system
+@vindex nnrss-file-coding-system
+The coding system used when reading and writing the @code{nnrss} groups
+data files. The default is the value of
+@code{mm-universal-coding-system} (which defaults to @code{emacs-mule}
+in Emacs or @code{escape-quoted} in XEmacs).
+
+@item nnrss-use-local
+@vindex nnrss-use-local
+@findex nnrss-generate-download-script
+If you set @code{nnrss-use-local} to @code{t}, @code{nnrss} will read
+the feeds from local files in @code{nnrss-directory}. You can use
+the command @code{nnrss-generate-download-script} to generate a
+download script using @command{wget}.
+
+@item nnrss-wash-html-in-text-plain-parts
+Non-@code{nil} means that @code{nnrss} renders text in @samp{text/plain}
+parts as @acronym{HTML}. The function specified by the
+@code{mm-text-html-renderer} variable (@pxref{Display Customization,
+,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME Manual}) will be used
+to render text. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default, text will
+simply be folded. Leave it @code{nil} if you prefer to see
+@samp{text/html} parts.
+@end table
+
+The following code may be helpful, if you want to show the description in
+the summary buffer.
+
+@lisp
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-description-field)
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-15,15f%]%) %s%uX\n")
+
+(defun gnus-user-format-function-X (header)
+ (let ((descr
+ (assq nnrss-description-field (mail-header-extra header))))
+ (if descr (concat "\n\t" (cdr descr)) "")))
+@end lisp
+
+The following code may be useful to open an nnrss url directly from the
+summary buffer.
+
+@lisp
+(require 'browse-url)
+
+(defun browse-nnrss-url( arg )
+ (interactive "p")
+ (let ((url (assq nnrss-url-field
+ (mail-header-extra
+ (gnus-data-header
+ (assq (gnus-summary-article-number)
+ gnus-newsgroup-data))))))
+ (if url
+ (progn
+ (browse-url (cdr url))
+ (gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward 1))
+ (gnus-summary-scroll-up arg))))
+
+(eval-after-load "gnus"
+ #'(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map
+ (kbd "<RET>") 'browse-nnrss-url))
+(add-to-list 'nnmail-extra-headers nnrss-url-field)
+@end lisp
+
+Even if you have added @code{"text/html"} to the
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} variable (@pxref{Display
+Customization, ,Display Customization, emacs-mime, The Emacs MIME
+Manual}) since you don't want to see @acronym{HTML} parts, it might be
+more useful especially in @code{nnrss} groups to display
+@samp{text/html} parts. Here's an example of setting
+@code{mm-discouraged-alternatives} as a group parameter (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}) in order to display @samp{text/html} parts only in
+@code{nnrss} groups:
+
+@lisp
+;; @r{Set the default value of @code{mm-discouraged-alternatives}.}
+(eval-after-load "gnus-sum"
+ '(add-to-list
+ 'gnus-newsgroup-variables
+ '(mm-discouraged-alternatives
+ . '("text/html" "image/.*"))))
+
+;; @r{Display @samp{text/html} parts in @code{nnrss} groups.}
+(add-to-list
+ 'gnus-parameters
+ '("\\`nnrss:" (mm-discouraged-alternatives nil)))
+@end lisp
+
-@node Customizing w3
-@subsection Customizing w3
-@cindex w3
+@node Customizing W3
+@subsection Customizing W3
+@cindex W3
@cindex html
@cindex url
@cindex Netscape
-Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
-pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
-things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
+Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/W3 (or those
+alternatives) to display web pages. Emacs/W3 is documented in its own
+manual, but there are some things that may be more relevant for Gnus
+users.
-For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
-using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
+For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/W3 follow links
+using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
@lisp
(w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
@end lisp
-Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
-@sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
+Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in W3-rendered
+@acronym{HTML} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
follow the link.
-@node Other Sources
-@section Other Sources
-
-Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
-below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
-newsgroups.
+@node IMAP
+@section IMAP
+@cindex nnimap
+@cindex @acronym{IMAP}
-@menu
-* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
-* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
-* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
-* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
-* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
-* IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
-@end menu
+@acronym{IMAP} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or @dots{}),
+think of it as a modernized @acronym{NNTP}. Connecting to a @acronym{IMAP}
+server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
+specify the network address of the server.
+@acronym{IMAP} has two properties. First, @acronym{IMAP} can do
+everything that @acronym{POP} can, it can hence be viewed as a
+@acronym{POP++}. Secondly, @acronym{IMAP} is a mail storage protocol,
+similar to @acronym{NNTP} being a news storage protocol---however,
+@acronym{IMAP} offers more features than @acronym{NNTP} because news
+is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.
+
+If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a @acronym{POP++}, use an imap
+entry in @code{mail-sources}. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from
+the @acronym{IMAP} server and store them on the local disk. This is
+not the usage described in this section---@xref{Mail Sources}.
+
+If you want to use @acronym{IMAP} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
+entry in @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}. With this, Gnus will
+manipulate mails stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server. This is the kind of
+usage explained in this section.
-@node Directory Groups
-@subsection Directory Groups
-@cindex nndir
-@cindex directory groups
+A server configuration in @file{~/.gnus.el} with a few @acronym{IMAP}
+servers might look something like the following. (Note that for
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}, you need external programs and libraries,
+see below.)
-If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
-it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
-names, of course.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
+ '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; @r{no special configuration}
+ ; @r{perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:}
+ (nnimap "dolk"
+ (nnimap-address "localhost")
+ (nnimap-server-port 1430))
+ ; @r{a UW server running on localhost}
+ (nnimap "barbar"
+ (nnimap-server-port 143)
+ (nnimap-address "localhost")
+ (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
+ ; @r{anonymous public cyrus server:}
+ (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
+ (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
+ (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
+ (nnimap-stream network))
+ ; @r{a ssl server on a non-standard port:}
+ (nnimap "vic20"
+ (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
+ (nnimap-server-port 9930)
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))))
+@end lisp
-This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
-successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
-packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
-backend to read directories. Big deal.
+After defining the new server, you can subscribe to groups on the
+server using normal Gnus commands such as @kbd{U} in the Group Buffer
+(@pxref{Subscription Commands}) or via the Server Buffer
+(@pxref{Server Buffer}).
-@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
-enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
-@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
-@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
-directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
+The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
+server:
-@code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
+@table @code
-@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
-articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
-whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
-methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
+@item nnimap-address
+@vindex nnimap-address
+The address of the remote @acronym{IMAP} server. Defaults to the virtual
+server name if not specified.
-@node Anything Groups
-@subsection Anything Groups
-@cindex nneething
+@item nnimap-server-port
+@vindex nnimap-server-port
+Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}.
-From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
-directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
-pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
-true.
+Note that this should be an integer, example server specification:
-When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
-directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
-a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
-After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
-@code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
-file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
-few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
-just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
-@code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
-file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
-elements.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-server-port 4711))
+@end lisp
-All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
-with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
-newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
-in the article buffer, just as usual.
+@item nnimap-list-pattern
+@vindex nnimap-list-pattern
+String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
+This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
+interested in a few---some servers export your home directory via
+@acronym{IMAP}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
+@file{~/Mail/*} then.
-If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
-a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
-traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
-Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
+The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
+REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
+Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
+mailbox.
-There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
-doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
-will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
-are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
-normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
-article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
-other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
-be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
+Example server specification:
-Some variables:
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
+ ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
+@end lisp
-@table @code
-@item nneething-map-file-directory
-@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
-All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
-in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+@item nnimap-stream
+@vindex nnimap-stream
+The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
+will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
+of @acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}. (@acronym{IMAP} over
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can
+be automatically detected, but it's not widely deployed yet.)
-@item nneething-exclude-files
-@vindex nneething-exclude-files
-All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
-auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
+Example server specification:
-@item nneething-include-files
-@vindex nneething-include-files
-Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
-non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-stream ssl))
+@end lisp
-@item nneething-map-file
-@vindex nneething-map-file
-Name of the map files.
-@end table
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually Kerberos 5). Requires the
+@samp{gsasl} or @samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with Kerberos 4. Requires the @samp{imtest} program.
+@item
+@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL}). Requires the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
+@samp{starttls}.
+@item
+@dfn{tls:} Connect through @acronym{TLS}. Requires GNUTLS (the program
+@samp{gnutls-cli}).
+@item
+@dfn{ssl:} Connect through @acronym{SSL}. Requires OpenSSL (the program
+@samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
+@item
+@dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @acronym{IMAP} connection.
+@item
+@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
+@end itemize
-@node Document Groups
-@subsection Document Groups
-@cindex nndoc
-@cindex documentation group
-@cindex help group
+@vindex imap-kerberos4-program
+The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD. If you're
+using @samp{imtest} from Cyrus IMAPD < 2.0.14 (which includes version
+1.5.x and 1.6.x) you need to frob @code{imap-process-connection-type}
+to make @code{imap.el} use a pty instead of a pipe when communicating
+with @samp{imtest}. You will then suffer from a line length
+restrictions on @acronym{IMAP} commands, which might make Gnus seem to hang
+indefinitely if you have many articles in a mailbox. The variable
+@code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
+program.
-@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
-as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
+For @acronym{TLS} connection, the @code{gnutls-cli} program from GNUTLS is
+needed. It is available from
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gnutls/}.
-@table @code
-@cindex babyl
-@cindex rmail mbox
+@vindex imap-gssapi-program
+This parameter specifies a list of command lines that invoke a GSSAPI
+authenticated @acronym{IMAP} stream in a subshell. They are tried
+sequentially until a connection is made, or the list has been
+exhausted. By default, @samp{gsasl} from GNU SASL, available from
+@uref{http://www.gnu.org/software/gsasl/}, and the @samp{imtest}
+program from Cyrus IMAPD (see @code{imap-kerberos4-program}), are
+tried.
-@item babyl
-The babyl (rmail) mail box.
-@cindex mbox
-@cindex Unix mbox
-
-@item mbox
-The standard Unix mbox file.
-
-@cindex MMDF mail box
-@item mmdf
-The MMDF mail box format.
+@vindex imap-ssl-program
+For @acronym{SSL} connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
+@uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
+and nnimap support it too---although the most recent versions of
+SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
+useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
+work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
+to OpenSSL/SSLeay.
-@item news
-Several news articles appended into a file.
+@vindex imap-shell-program
+@vindex imap-shell-host
+For @acronym{IMAP} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
+@code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
-@item rnews
-@cindex rnews batch files
-The rnews batch transport format.
-@cindex forwarded messages
+@item nnimap-authenticator
+@vindex nnimap-authenticator
-@item forward
-Forwarded articles.
+The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
+will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
-@item nsmail
-Netscape mail boxes.
+Example server specification:
-@item mime-parts
-MIME multipart messages.
+@lisp
+(nnimap "mail.server.com"
+ (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
+@end lisp
-@item standard-digest
-The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
+Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
-@item slack-digest
-Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
-@end table
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Requires
+external program @code{gsasl} or @code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos 4 authentication. Requires external program
+@code{imtest}.
+@item
+@dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Requires
+external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
+@item
+@dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
+@item
+@dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
+@item
+@dfn{anonymous:} Login as ``anonymous'', supplying your email address as password.
+@end itemize
-You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
-that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
-@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
-file is.
+@item nnimap-expunge-on-close
+@cindex expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
+Unlike Parmenides the @acronym{IMAP} designers have decided things that
+don't exist actually do exist. More specifically, @acronym{IMAP} has
+this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
+delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
+nnimap does when you delete an article in Gnus (with @kbd{B DEL} or
+similar).
-@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
-it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
-group. And that's it.
+Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
+@code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
+running in circles yet?
-If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
-new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
-that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
-to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
-@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
-(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
-the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
-using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
-file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
-delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
+when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
+variable.
-Virtual server variables:
+The possible options are:
@table @code
-@item nndoc-article-type
-@vindex nndoc-article-type
-This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
-@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
-@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
-@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
-@item nndoc-post-type
-@vindex nndoc-post-type
-This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
-a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
-and @code{news}.
+@item always
+The default behavior, delete all articles marked as ``Deleted'' when
+closing a mailbox.
+@item never
+Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
+the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @acronym{IMAP} clients
+may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
+manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
+@item ask
+When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
+articles or not.
+
@end table
-@menu
-* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
-@end menu
+@item nnimap-importantize-dormant
+@vindex nnimap-importantize-dormant
+If non-@code{nil} (the default), marks dormant articles as ticked (as
+well), for other @acronym{IMAP} clients. Within Gnus, dormant articles will
+naturally still (only) be marked as dormant. This is to make dormant
+articles stand out, just like ticked articles, in other @acronym{IMAP}
+clients. (In other words, Gnus has two ``Tick'' marks and @acronym{IMAP}
+has only one.)
-@node Document Server Internals
-@subsubsection Document Server Internals
+Probably the only reason for frobing this would be if you're trying
+enable per-user persistent dormant flags, using something like:
-Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
-difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
-looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
-and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
+@lisp
+(setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-flag-alist)
+ (format "gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
+(setcdr (assq 'dormant nnimap-mark-to-predicate-alist)
+ (format "KEYWORD gnus-dormant-%s" (user-login-name)))
+@end lisp
-First, here's an example document type definition:
+In this case, you would not want the per-user dormant flag showing up
+as ticked for other users.
+
+@item nnimap-expunge-search-string
+@cindex expunging
+@vindex nnimap-expunge-search-string
+
+This variable contain the @acronym{IMAP} search command sent to server when
+searching for articles eligible for expiring. The default is
+@code{"UID %s NOT SINCE %s"}, where the first @code{%s} is replaced by
+UID set and the second @code{%s} is replaced by a date.
+
+Probably the only useful value to change this to is
+@code{"UID %s NOT SENTSINCE %s"}, which makes nnimap use the Date: in
+messages instead of the internal article date. See section 6.4.4 of
+RFC 2060 for more information on valid strings.
+
+@item nnimap-authinfo-file
+@vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
+
+A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
+(almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
+variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
+@ref{NNTP}. An example of an .authinfo line for an IMAP server, is:
@example
-(mmdf
- (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
- (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+machine students.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis port imap
@end example
-The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
-regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
-variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
-types can be defined with very few settings:
-
-@table @code
-@item first-article
-If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
-something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
-totally ignored.
+Note that it should be @code{port imap}, or @code{port 143}, if you
+use a @code{nnimap-stream} of @code{tls} or @code{ssl}, even if the
+actual port number used is port 993 for secured IMAP. For
+convenience, Gnus will accept @code{port imaps} as a synonym of
+@code{port imap}.
-@item article-begin
-This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
-says what the beginning of each article looks like.
+@item nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
+@vindex nnimap-need-unselect-to-notice-new-mail
-@item head-begin-function
-If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
-the article.
+Unselect mailboxes before looking for new mail in them. Some servers
+seem to need this under some circumstances; it was reported that
+Courier 1.7.1 did.
-@item nndoc-head-begin
-If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
-article.
+@end table
-@item nndoc-head-end
-This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
-@samp{^$}---the empty line.
+@menu
+* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
+* Expiring in IMAP:: Expiring mail with nnimap.
+* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
+* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a ``compress mailbox'' button.
+* A note on namespaces:: How to (not) use @acronym{IMAP} namespace in Gnus.
+* Debugging IMAP:: What to do when things don't work.
+@end menu
-@item body-begin-function
-If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
-of the article.
-@item body-begin
-This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
-to @samp{^\n}.
-@item body-end-function
-If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
-the article.
+@node Splitting in IMAP
+@subsection Splitting in IMAP
+@cindex splitting imap mail
-@item body-end
-If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
+Splitting is something Gnus users have loved and used for years, and now
+the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
+@acronym{IMAP} servers have server side splitting and those that have
+splitting seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that
+@acronym{IMAP} support for Gnus has to do its own splitting.
-@item file-end
-If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
-regexp will be totally ignored.
+And it does.
-@end table
+(Incidentally, people seem to have been dreaming on, and Sieve has
+gaining a market share and is supported by several IMAP servers.
+Fortunately, Gnus support it too, @xref{Sieve Commands}.)
-So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
-file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
-few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
-news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
-something that's palatable for Gnus:
+Here are the variables of interest:
@table @code
-@item prepare-body-function
-If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
-will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
-document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-@item article-transform-function
-If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
-meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
-body of the article.
+@item nnimap-split-crosspost
+@cindex splitting, crosspost
+@cindex crosspost
+@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
-@item generate-head-function
-If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
-understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
-expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
-called when requesting the headers of all articles.
+If non-@code{nil}, do crossposting if several split methods match the
+mail. If @code{nil}, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule}
+found will be used.
-@end table
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
-Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
-digests:
+@item nnimap-split-inbox
+@cindex splitting, inbox
+@cindex inbox
+@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
-@example
-(standard-digest
- (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
- (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
- (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
- (head-end . "^ ?$")
- (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
- (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
- (subtype digest guess))
-@end example
+A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @acronym{IMAP}
+mailboxes to split from. Defaults to @code{nil}, which means that
+splitting is disabled!
-We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
-text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
-each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
-the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
-run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-inbox
+ '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
+@end lisp
-To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
-@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
-the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
-the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
-traversed sequentially, and @code{nndoc-TYPE-type-p} is called for a given type @code{TYPE}. So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document
-is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
-@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
-of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
-correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
-low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
+No nnmail equivalent.
+@item nnimap-split-rule
+@cindex splitting, rules
+@vindex nnimap-split-rule
-@node SOUP
-@subsection SOUP
-@cindex SOUP
-@cindex offline
+New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
+this variable.
-In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
-are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
-With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
+This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
+sublist gives the name of the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox to move articles
+matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
+Neither did I, we need examples.
-Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
-@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
-transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
-newsreaders.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("INBOX.nnimap"
+ "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
+ ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
+ ("INBOX.private" "")))
+@end lisp
-However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
-easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
-that interested in doing things properly.
+This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
+INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
+into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
-A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
-and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
-fiddly.
+The first string may contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by
+replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
+instance:
-First some terminology:
+@lisp
+("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
+@end lisp
-@table @dfn
+The first element can also be the symbol @code{junk} to indicate that
+matching messages should simply be deleted. Use with care.
-@item server
-This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
-get news and/or mail from.
+The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
+called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
+containing the headers of the article. It should return a
+non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
-@item home machine
-This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
-on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
+Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
+match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
+nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
+of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
+unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
+them every time you fetch new mail.)
-@item packet
-Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
-of packets:
+These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
+end. The first rule to make a match will ``win'', unless you have
+crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will ``win''.
-@table @dfn
-@item message packets
-These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
-messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
-default, where @var{x} is a number.
+This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
+be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
+thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
-@item response packets
-These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
-replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
-default, where @var{x} is a number.
+The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it needs to.
-@end table
+To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
+even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
+the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
-@end table
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule
+ '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
+ ("junk" "From:.*Simon"))))
+ ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
+ ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
+ ("junk" my-junk-func))))))
+@end lisp
+The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
+may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
+@code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
+Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
+rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
+group/function elements.
-@enumerate
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
-@item
-You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
-use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
-can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
-s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
+@item nnimap-split-predicate
+@cindex splitting
+@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
-@item
-You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
+Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
+split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
-@item
-You put the packet in your home directory.
+This might be useful if you use another @acronym{IMAP} client to read mail in
+your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
+regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
+@samp{UNDELETED}.
-@item
-You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
-the native or secondary server.
+@item nnimap-split-fancy
+@cindex splitting, fancy
+@findex nnimap-split-fancy
+@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
-@item
-You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
-want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
+It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
+splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
-@item
-You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
-packet.
+However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
+nnimap back ends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
+@code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
+rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
-@item
-You transfer this packet to the server.
+Example:
-@item
-You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
+@lisp
+(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ nnimap-split-fancy ...)
+@end lisp
-@item
-You then repeat until you die.
+Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
-@end enumerate
+@item nnimap-split-download-body
+@findex nnimap-split-download-body
+@vindex nnimap-split-download-body
-So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
-reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
+Set to non-@code{nil} to download entire articles during splitting.
+This is generally not required, and will slow things down
+considerably. You may need it if you want to use an advanced
+splitting function that analyzes the body to split the article.
-@menu
-* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
-* SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
-* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
-@end menu
+@end table
+@node Expiring in IMAP
+@subsection Expiring in IMAP
+@cindex expiring imap mail
+
+Even though @code{nnimap} is not a proper @code{nnmail} derived back
+end, it supports most features in regular expiring (@pxref{Expiring
+Mail}). Unlike splitting in @acronym{IMAP} (@pxref{Splitting in
+IMAP}) it does not clone the @code{nnmail} variables (i.e., creating
+@var{nnimap-expiry-wait}) but reuse the @code{nnmail} variables. What
+follows below are the variables used by the @code{nnimap} expiry
+process.
+
+A note on how the expire mark is stored on the @acronym{IMAP} server is
+appropriate here as well. The expire mark is translated into a
+@code{imap} client specific mark, @code{gnus-expire}, and stored on the
+message. This means that likely only Gnus will understand and treat
+the @code{gnus-expire} mark properly, although other clients may allow
+you to view client specific flags on the message. It also means that
+your server must support permanent storage of client specific flags on
+messages. Most do, fortunately.
-@node SOUP Commands
-@subsubsection SOUP Commands
+@table @code
-These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
+@item nnmail-expiry-wait
+@item nnmail-expiry-wait-function
-@table @kbd
-@item G s b
-@kindex G s b (Group)
-@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
-Pack all unread articles in the current group
-(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
-process/prefix convention.
+These variables are fully supported. The expire value can be a
+number, the symbol @code{immediate} or @code{never}.
-@item G s w
-@kindex G s w (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
-Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
+@item nnmail-expiry-target
-@item G s s
-@kindex G s s (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
-Send all replies from the replies packet
-(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
+This variable is supported, and internally implemented by calling the
+@code{nnmail} functions that handle this. It contains an optimization
+that if the destination is a @acronym{IMAP} group on the same server, the
+article is copied instead of appended (that is, uploaded again).
-@item G s p
-@kindex G s p (Group)
-@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
-Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
+@end table
-@item G s r
-@kindex G s r (Group)
-@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
-Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
+@node Editing IMAP ACLs
+@subsection Editing IMAP ACLs
+@cindex editing imap acls
+@cindex Access Control Lists
+@cindex Editing @acronym{IMAP} ACLs
+@kindex G l (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
-@item O s
-@kindex O s (Summary)
-@findex gnus-soup-add-article
-This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
-(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
-convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @acronym{IMAP} for
+limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
+@acronym{IMAP} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
+doesn't.
-@end table
+To edit an ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with an ACL
+editing window with detailed instructions.
+Some possible uses:
-There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
-thingies:
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Giving ``anyone'' the ``lrs'' rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
+on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
+follow the list without subscribing to it.
+@item
+At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
+``anyone'' posting ("p") capabilities to have ``plussing'' work (that is,
+mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @acronym{IMAP} mailbox
+INBOX.mailbox).
+@end itemize
-@table @code
+@node Expunging mailboxes
+@subsection Expunging mailboxes
+@cindex expunging
-@item gnus-soup-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-directory
-Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
-@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
+@cindex expunge
+@cindex manual expunging
+@kindex G x (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
-@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
-This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
-reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
+If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-on-close},
+you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
+manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
-@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
-@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
-Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
-@samp{gnus-prefix}.
+Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
+delete them.
-@item gnus-soup-packer
-@vindex gnus-soup-packer
-A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
-@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
+@node A note on namespaces
+@subsection A note on namespaces
+@cindex IMAP namespace
+@cindex namespaces
+
+The @acronym{IMAP} protocol has a concept called namespaces, described
+by the following text in the RFC2060:
+
+@display
+5.1.2. Mailbox Namespace Naming Convention
+
+ By convention, the first hierarchical element of any mailbox name
+ which begins with "#" identifies the "namespace" of the remainder of
+ the name. This makes it possible to disambiguate between different
+ types of mailbox stores, each of which have their own namespaces.
+
+ For example, implementations which offer access to USENET
+ newsgroups MAY use the "#news" namespace to partition the USENET
+ newsgroup namespace from that of other mailboxes. Thus, the
+ comp.mail.misc newsgroup would have an mailbox name of
+ "#news.comp.mail.misc", and the name "comp.mail.misc" could refer
+ to a different object (e.g. a user's private mailbox).
+@end display
+
+While there is nothing in this text that warrants concern for the
+@acronym{IMAP} implementation in Gnus, some servers use namespace
+prefixes in a way that does not work with how Gnus uses mailbox names.
+
+Specifically, University of Washington's @acronym{IMAP} server uses
+mailbox names like @code{#driver.mbx/read-mail} which are valid only
+in the @sc{create} and @sc{append} commands. After the mailbox is
+created (or a messages is appended to a mailbox), it must be accessed
+without the namespace prefix, i.e. @code{read-mail}. Since Gnus do
+not make it possible for the user to guarantee that user entered
+mailbox names will only be used with the CREATE and APPEND commands,
+you should simply not use the namespace prefixed mailbox names in
+Gnus.
+
+See the UoW IMAPD documentation for the @code{#driver.*/} prefix
+for more information on how to use the prefixes. They are a power
+tool and should be used only if you are sure what the effects are.
+
+@node Debugging IMAP
+@subsection Debugging IMAP
+@cindex IMAP debugging
+@cindex protocol dump (IMAP)
+
+@acronym{IMAP} is a complex protocol, more so than @acronym{NNTP} or
+@acronym{POP3}. Implementation bugs are not unlikely, and we do our
+best to fix them right away. If you encounter odd behavior, chances
+are that either the server or Gnus is buggy.
+
+If you are familiar with network protocols in general, you will
+probably be able to extract some clues from the protocol dump of the
+exchanges between Gnus and the server. Even if you are not familiar
+with network protocols, when you include the protocol dump in
+@acronym{IMAP}-related bug reports you are helping us with data
+critical to solving the problem. Therefore, we strongly encourage you
+to include the protocol dump when reporting IMAP bugs in Gnus.
+
+
+@vindex imap-log
+Because the protocol dump, when enabled, generates lots of data, it is
+disabled by default. You can enable it by setting @code{imap-log} as
+follows:
-@item gnus-soup-unpacker
-@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
-@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+@lisp
+(setq imap-log t)
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
-Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
+This instructs the @code{imap.el} package to log any exchanges with
+the server. The log is stored in the buffer @samp{*imap-log*}. Look
+for error messages, which sometimes are tagged with the keyword
+@code{BAD}---but when submitting a bug, make sure to include all the
+data.
-@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
-@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
+@node Other Sources
+@section Other Sources
-@end table
+Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
+below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
+newsgroups.
+@menu
+* Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
+* Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
+* Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
+* SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
+* Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
+@end menu
-@node SOUP Groups
-@subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
-@cindex nnsoup
-@code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
-read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
-you can read them at leisure.
+@node Directory Groups
+@subsection Directory Groups
+@cindex nndir
+@cindex directory groups
-These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
+If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
+it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
+names, of course.
-@table @code
+This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
+successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
+packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
+back end to read directories. Big deal.
-@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
-When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
-directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
+@code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
+enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
+@file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
+directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
-@item nnsoup-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-directory
-@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
-The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
+@code{nndir} will use @acronym{NOV} files if they are present.
-@item nnsoup-replies-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
-All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
-reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
+@code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' back end---you can't delete or expire
+articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
+whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
+methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
-@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
-The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
-(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
-shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
-@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
-@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
-The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
-means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+@node Anything Groups
+@subsection Anything Groups
+@cindex nneething
-@item nnsoup-active-file
-@vindex nnsoup-active-file
-Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
-file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
-this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
-@file{~/SOUP/active}.
+From the @code{nndir} back end (which reads a single spool-like
+directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
+pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
+true.
-@item nnsoup-packer
-@vindex nnsoup-packer
-Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
-is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
+When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
+directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
+a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
+After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
+@code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
+file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
+few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
+just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
+@code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
+file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
+elements.
-@item nnsoup-unpacker
-@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
-Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
-default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
+All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
+with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
+newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
+in the article buffer, just as usual.
-@item nnsoup-packet-directory
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
-Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
-@file{~/}.
+If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
+a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
+traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
+Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
-@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
-@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
-Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
-@samp{Soupout}.
+There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
+doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
+will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
+are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
+normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
+article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
+other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
+be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
-@item nnsoup-always-save
-@vindex nnsoup-always-save
-If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
+Some variables:
-@end table
+@table @code
+@item nneething-map-file-directory
+@vindex nneething-map-file-directory
+All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
+in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
+@item nneething-exclude-files
+@vindex nneething-exclude-files
+All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
+auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
-@node SOUP Replies
-@subsubsection SOUP Replies
+@item nneething-include-files
+@vindex nneething-include-files
+Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
+non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
-Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
-up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
-more for that to happen.
+@item nneething-map-file
+@vindex nneething-map-file
+Name of the map files.
+@end table
-@findex nnsoup-set-variables
-The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
-variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
-@sc{soup} system.
-In specific, this is what it does:
+@node Document Groups
+@subsection Document Groups
+@cindex nndoc
+@cindex documentation group
+@cindex help group
-@lisp
-(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
-(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
-@end lisp
+@code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
+as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
-And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
-system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
-@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
+@table @code
+@cindex Babyl
+@cindex Rmail mbox
+@item babyl
+The Babyl (Rmail) mail box.
+@cindex mbox
+@cindex Unix mbox
+@item mbox
+The standard Unix mbox file.
-@node Mail-To-News Gateways
-@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
-@cindex mail-to-news gateways
-@cindex gateways
+@cindex MMDF mail box
+@item mmdf
+The MMDF mail box format.
-If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
-or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
-The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
+@item news
+Several news articles appended into a file.
-Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
-used to post with.
+@cindex rnews batch files
+@item rnews
+The rnews batch transport format.
-Server variables:
+@item nsmail
+Netscape mail boxes.
-@table @code
-@item nngateway-address
-@vindex nngateway-address
-This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+@item mime-parts
+@acronym{MIME} multipart messages.
-@item nngateway-header-transformation
-@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
-News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
-for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
-transformation should be called, and defaults to
-@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
-narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
-gateway address.
+@item standard-digest
+The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
-This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
-@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
-For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+@item mime-digest
+A @acronym{MIME} digest of messages.
-@example
-Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
-@end example
+@item lanl-gov-announce
+Announcement messages from LANL Gov Announce.
-will get this @code{From} header inserted:
+@cindex forwarded messages
+@item rfc822-forward
+A message forwarded according to RFC822.
-@example
-To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
-@end example
+@item outlook
+The Outlook mail box.
-The following pre-defined functions exist:
+@item oe-dbx
+The Outlook Express dbx mail box.
-@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-@table @code
+@item exim-bounce
+A bounce message from the Exim MTA.
-@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+@item forward
+A message forwarded according to informal rules.
-@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+@item rfc934
+An RFC934-forwarded message.
-@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
-Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
-@code{nngateway-address}.
+@item mailman
+A mailman digest.
-Here's an example:
+@item clari-briefs
+A digest of Clarinet brief news items.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method
- '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
- (nngateway-header-transformation
- nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
-@end lisp
+@item slack-digest
+Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
+@item mail-in-mail
+The last resort.
@end table
+You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
+that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
+@code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
+file is.
-@end table
-
-So, to use this, simply say something like:
+@code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
+it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
+group. And that's it.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
-@end lisp
+If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
+new & spiffy Gnus mail back end, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
+that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
+to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
+@code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
+(@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
+the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
+using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
+file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
+delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
+Virtual server variables:
+@table @code
+@item nndoc-article-type
+@vindex nndoc-article-type
+This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
+@code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
+@code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
+@code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail}, @code{outlook},
+@code{oe-dbx}, @code{mailman}, and @code{mail-in-mail} or @code{guess}.
-@node IMAP
-@subsection @sc{imap}
-@cindex nnimap
-@cindex @sc{imap}
+@item nndoc-post-type
+@vindex nndoc-post-type
+This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
+a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
+and @code{news}.
+@end table
-@sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
-think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap}
-server is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just
-specify the network address of the server.
+@menu
+* Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
+@end menu
-@sc{imap} has two properties. First, @sc{imap} can do everything that
-POP can, it can hence be viewed as POP++. Secondly, @sc{imap} is a
-mail storage protocol, similar to @sc{nntp} being a news storage
-protocol. (@sc{imap} offers more features than @sc{nntp} because news
-is more or less read-only whereas mail is read-write.)
-If you want to use @sc{imap} as POP++, use an imap entry in
-mail-sources. With this, Gnus will fetch mails from the @sc{imap}
-server and store them on the local disk. This is not the usage
-described in this section. @xref{Mail Sources}.
+@node Document Server Internals
+@subsubsection Document Server Internals
-If you want to use @sc{imap} as a mail storage protocol, use an nnimap
-entry in gnus-secondary-select-methods. With this, Gnus will
-manipulate mails stored on the @sc{imap} server. This is the kind of
-usage explained in this section.
+Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
+difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
+looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
+and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
-A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
-might look something like this:
+First, here's an example document type definition:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
- '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
- ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
- (nnimap "dolk"
- (nnimap-address "localhost")
- (nnimap-server-port 1430))
- ; a UW server running on localhost
- (nnimap "barbar"
- (nnimap-server-port 143)
- (nnimap-address "localhost")
- (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
- ; anonymous public cyrus server:
- (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
- (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
- (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
- (nnimap-stream network))
- ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
- (nnimap "vic20"
- (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
- (nnimap-server-port 9930)
- (nnimap-stream ssl))))
-@end lisp
+@example
+(mmdf
+ (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
+ (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
+@end example
-The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
-server:
+The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
+regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
+variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
+types can be defined with very few settings:
@table @code
+@item first-article
+If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
+something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
+totally ignored.
-@item nnimap-address
-@vindex nnimap-address
+@item article-begin
+This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
+says what the beginning of each article looks like. To do more
+complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you can
+use @code{article-begin-function} instead of this.
-The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
-server name if not specified.
+@item article-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the beginning
+of each article. This setting overrides @code{article-begin}.
-@item nnimap-server-port
-@vindex nnimap-server-port
-Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
+@item head-begin
+If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
+article. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a
+simple regexp, you can use @code{head-begin-function} instead of this.
-Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
+@item head-begin-function
+If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
+the article. This setting overrides @code{head-begin}.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-server-port 4711))
-@end lisp
+@item head-end
+This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
+@samp{^$}---the empty line.
-@item nnimap-list-pattern
-@vindex nnimap-list-pattern
-String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
-This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
-interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
-@sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
-@file{~/Mail/*} then.
-
-The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
-REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
-Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
-mailbox.
+@item body-begin
+This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
+to @samp{^\n}. To do more complicated things that cannot be dealt with
+a simple regexp, you can use @code{body-begin-function} instead of this.
-Example server specification:
+@item body-begin-function
+If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
+of the article. This setting overrides @code{body-begin}.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
- ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
-@end lisp
+@item body-end
+If present, this should match the end of the body of the article. To do
+more complicated things that cannot be dealt with a simple regexp, you
+can use @code{body-end-function} instead of this.
-@item nnimap-stream
-@vindex nnimap-stream
-The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
-will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
-of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
-detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
+@item body-end-function
+If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
+the article. This setting overrides @code{body-end}.
-Example server specification:
+@item file-begin
+If present, this should match the beginning of the file. All text
+before this regexp will be totally ignored.
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-stream ssl))
-@end lisp
+@item file-end
+If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
+regexp will be totally ignored.
-Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
+@end table
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
-@samp{imtest} program.
-@item
-@dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
-@item
-@dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
-SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
-@samp{starttls}.
-@item
-@dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
-program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
-@item
-@dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start @sc{imap} connection.
-@item
-@dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
-@end itemize
+So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
+file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
+few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
+news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
+something that's palatable for Gnus:
-@vindex imap-kerberos4-program
-The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
-both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
-@code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
-program.
+@table @code
+@item prepare-body-function
+If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
+will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
+document has encoded some parts of its contents.
-@vindex imap-ssl-program
-For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
-@uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
-and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
-SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
-useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
-work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
-to OpenSSL/SSLeay.
+@item article-transform-function
+If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
+meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
+body of the article.
-@vindex imap-shell-program
-@vindex imap-shell-host
-For @sc{imap} connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
-@code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
+@item generate-head-function
+If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
+understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
+expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
+called when requesting the headers of all articles.
-@item nnimap-authenticator
-@vindex nnimap-authenticator
+@item generate-article-function
+If present, this function is called to generate an entire article that
+Gnus can understand. It is called with the article number as a
+parameter when requesting all articles.
-The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
-will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
+@item dissection-function
+If present, this function is called to dissect a document by itself,
+overriding @code{first-article}, @code{article-begin},
+@code{article-begin-function}, @code{head-begin},
+@code{head-begin-function}, @code{head-end}, @code{body-begin},
+@code{body-begin-function}, @code{body-end}, @code{body-end-function},
+@code{file-begin}, and @code{file-end}.
-Example server specification:
+@end table
-@lisp
-(nnimap "mail.server.com"
- (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
-@end lisp
+Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
+digests:
-Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
+@example
+(standard-digest
+ (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
+ (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
+ (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
+ (head-end . "^ ?$")
+ (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
+ (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
+ (subtype digest guess))
+@end example
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-@dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
-external program @code{imtest}.
-@item
-@dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
-@code{imtest}.
-@item
-@dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
-external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
-@item
-@dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
-@item
-@dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
-@item
-@dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
-@end itemize
+We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
+text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
+each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
+the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
+run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
-@item nnimap-expunge-on-close
-@cindex Expunging
-@vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
-Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
-doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
-this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
-delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
-nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
-similar).
+To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
+@code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first
+is the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says
+where in the document type definition alist to put this definition.
+The alist is traversed sequentially, and
+@code{nndoc-@var{type}-type-p} is called for a given type @var{type}.
+So @code{nndoc-mmdf-type-p} is called to see whether a document is of
+@code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
+@code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it
+is of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
+correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number
+means low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
-Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
-@code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
-running in circles yet?
-Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
-when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
-variable.
+@node SOUP
+@subsection SOUP
+@cindex SOUP
+@cindex offline
-The possible options are:
+In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
+are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
+With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
-@table @code
+Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
+@code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
+transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
+newsreaders.
-@item always
-The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
-closing a mailbox.
-@item never
-Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
-the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
-may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
-manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
-@item ask
-When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
-articles or not.
+However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
+easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
+that interested in doing things properly.
-@end table
+A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
+and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
+fiddly.
-@item nnimap-authinfo-file
-@vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
+First some terminology:
-A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format
-is (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See
-`nntp-authinfo-file' for exact syntax.
+@table @dfn
-A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
-(almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
-variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
-@xref{NNTP}.
+@item server
+This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
+get news and/or mail from.
-@end table
+@item home machine
+This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
+on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
-@menu
-* Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
-* Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
-* Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
-@end menu
+@item packet
+Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
+of packets:
+@table @dfn
+@item message packets
+These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
+messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
+@item response packets
+These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
+replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
+default, where @var{x} is a number.
-@node Splitting in IMAP
-@subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
-@cindex splitting imap mail
+@end table
-Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
-the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
-@sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
-seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
-support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
+@end table
-And it does.
-Here are the variables of interest:
+@enumerate
-@table @code
+@item
+You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
+use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
+can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
+s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
-@item nnimap-split-crosspost
-@cindex splitting, crosspost
-@cindex crosspost
-@vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
+@item
+You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
-If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
-nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
+@item
+You put the packet in your home directory.
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
+@item
+You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} back end as
+the native or secondary server.
-@item nnimap-split-inbox
-@cindex splitting, inbox
-@cindex inbox
-@vindex nnimap-split-inbox
+@item
+You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
+want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
-A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
-mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
-disabled!
+@item
+You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
+packet.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-inbox
- '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
-@end lisp
+@item
+You transfer this packet to the server.
-No nnmail equivalent.
+@item
+You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
-@item nnimap-split-rule
-@cindex Splitting, rules
-@vindex nnimap-split-rule
+@item
+You then repeat until you die.
-New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
-this variable.
+@end enumerate
-This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
-sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
-matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
-Neither did I, we need examples.
+So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
+reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule
- '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
- ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
- ("INBOX.private" "")))
-@end lisp
+@menu
+* SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
+* SOUP Groups:: A back end for reading @sc{soup} packets.
+* SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
+@end menu
-This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
-INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
-into INBOX.junk and everything else in INBOX.private.
-The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
-replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
-instance:
+@node SOUP Commands
+@subsubsection SOUP Commands
-@lisp
-("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
-@end lisp
+These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
-The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
-called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
-containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
-if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
-
-Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
-match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
-nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
-of your inbox. (This might affect performance if you keep lots of
-unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
-them every time you fetch new mail.)
+@table @kbd
+@item G s b
+@kindex G s b (Group)
+@findex gnus-group-brew-soup
+Pack all unread articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
+process/prefix convention.
-These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
-end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
-crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
+@item G s w
+@kindex G s w (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-save-areas
+Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
-This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
-be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group where it
-thinks the article should be split to. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
+@item G s s
+@kindex G s s (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-send-replies
+Send all replies from the replies packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
-The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
+@item G s p
+@kindex G s p (Group)
+@findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
+Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
-To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
-even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
-the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
+@item G s r
+@kindex G s r (Group)
+@findex nnsoup-pack-replies
+Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule
- '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
- ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
- ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
- ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
- ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
-@end lisp
+@item O s
+@kindex O s (Summary)
+@findex gnus-soup-add-article
+This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
+(@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
+convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
-The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
-may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
-@code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
-Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
-rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
-group/function elements.
+@end table
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
-@item nnimap-split-predicate
-@cindex splitting
-@vindex nnimap-split-predicate
+There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
+thingies:
-Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
-split, it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
+@table @code
-This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
-your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
-regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
-@samp{UNDELETED}.
+@item gnus-soup-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-directory
+Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
+@sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
-@item nnimap-split-fancy
-@cindex splitting, fancy
-@findex nnimap-split-fancy
-@vindex nnimap-split-fancy
+@item gnus-soup-replies-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
+This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
+reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
-It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
-@code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
-splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
+@item gnus-soup-prefix-file
+@vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
+Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
+@samp{gnus-prefix}.
-However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
-nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
-@code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
-rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
+@item gnus-soup-packer
+@vindex gnus-soup-packer
+A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
-Example:
+@item gnus-soup-unpacker
+@vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
+@samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
-@lisp
-(setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
- nnimap-split-fancy ...)
-@end lisp
+@item gnus-soup-packet-directory
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
+Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
-Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+@item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+@vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
+@code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
@end table
-@node Editing IMAP ACLs
-@subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
-@cindex editing imap acls
-@cindex Access Control Lists
-@cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
-@kindex G l
-@findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
-ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
-limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
-@sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
-doesn't.
+@node SOUP Groups
+@subsubsection SOUP Groups
+@cindex nnsoup
-To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
-(@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
-editing window with detailed instructions.
+@code{nnsoup} is the back end for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
+read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
+you can read them at leisure.
-Some possible uses:
+These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
-on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
-follow the list without subscribing to it.
-@item
-At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
-"anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
-mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
-INBOX.mailbox).
-@end itemize
+@table @code
-@node Expunging mailboxes
-@subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
-@cindex expunging
+@item nnsoup-tmp-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
+When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
+directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
-@cindex Expunge
-@cindex Manual expunging
-@kindex G x
-@findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
+@item nnsoup-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-directory
+@code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
+The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
-If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
-you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
-manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
+@item nnsoup-replies-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
+All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
+reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/}.
-Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
-delete them.
+@item nnsoup-replies-format-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
+The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
+(rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
+shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
+@item nnsoup-replies-index-type
+@vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
+The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
+means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
+@item nnsoup-active-file
+@vindex nnsoup-active-file
+Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
+file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
+this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
+@file{~/SOUP/active}.
-@node Combined Groups
-@section Combined Groups
+@item nnsoup-packer
+@vindex nnsoup-packer
+Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
+is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
-Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
-groups.
+@item nnsoup-unpacker
+@vindex nnsoup-unpacker
+Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
+default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
-@menu
-* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
-* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
-@end menu
+@item nnsoup-packet-directory
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
+Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
+@file{~/}.
+@item nnsoup-packet-regexp
+@vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
+Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
+@samp{Soupout}.
-@node Virtual Groups
-@subsection Virtual Groups
-@cindex nnvirtual
-@cindex virtual groups
-@cindex merging groups
+@item nnsoup-always-save
+@vindex nnsoup-always-save
+If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
-An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
-other groups.
+@end table
-For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
-put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
-big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
-You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
-regexp to match component groups.
+@node SOUP Replies
+@subsubsection SOUP Replies
-All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
-component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
-article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
-(And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
-the virtual group.)
+Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
+up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
+more for that to happen.
-Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
-newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+@findex nnsoup-set-variables
+The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
+variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
+@sc{soup} system.
+
+In specific, this is what it does:
@lisp
-(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+(setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
+(setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
@end lisp
-The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
-smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
+system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
+@sc{soup}ed you use the second.
-Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
-idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
-If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
-and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
-@example
-"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
-@end example
+@node Mail-To-News Gateways
+@subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
+@cindex mail-to-news gateways
+@cindex gateways
-(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
-shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
-characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
+If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
+or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
+The @code{nngateway} back end provides the interface.
-This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
-end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
-the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
-sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
-(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+Note that you can't read anything from this back end---it can only be
+used to post with.
-One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
-group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
-zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+Server variables:
-@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
-If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
-@code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
-entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
-default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
-group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
-will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
-effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
-common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
-Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
-you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
+@table @code
+@item nngateway-address
+@vindex nngateway-address
+This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
+
+@item nngateway-header-transformation
+@vindex nngateway-header-transformation
+News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
+for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
+transformation should be called, and defaults to
+@code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
+narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
+gateway address.
+
+This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
+@code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
+For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
+
+@example
+Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
+@end example
+
+will get this @code{To} header inserted:
+
+@example
+To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
+@end example
+
+The following pre-defined functions exist:
+
+@findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+@table @code
+
+@item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
+
+@findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+
+@item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
+Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
+@code{nngateway-address}.
+@end table
+
+@end table
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method
+ '(nngateway
+ "mail2news@@replay.com"
+ (nngateway-header-transformation
+ nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
+@end lisp
+
+So, to use this, simply say something like:
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+
+@node Combined Groups
+@section Combined Groups
+
+Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
+groups.
+
+@menu
+* Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
+* Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Virtual Groups
+@subsection Virtual Groups
+@cindex nnvirtual
+@cindex virtual groups
+@cindex merging groups
+
+An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
+other groups.
+
+For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
+put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
+big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
+
+You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
+regexp to match component groups.
+
+All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
+component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
+article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it
+came. (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be
+shown in the virtual group.). To create an empty virtual group, run
+@kbd{G V} (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}) in the group buffer
+and edit the method regexp with @kbd{M-e}
+(@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method})
+
+Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
+newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
+
+@lisp
+(nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
+@end lisp
+
+The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
+smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
+
+Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
+idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
+If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
+and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
+
+@example
+"^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
+@end example
+
+(Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
+shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
+characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
+
+This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
+end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
+the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
+sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
+(@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
+
+One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
+group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
+zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
+
+@vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
+If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} variable is non-@code{nil} (which
+is the default), @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread
+articles when entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil}
+and you read articles in a component group after the virtual group has
+been activated, the read articles from the component group will show up
+when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this effect if you
+have two virtual groups that have a component group in common. If
+that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}. Or you can
+just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before you enter
+it---it'll have much the same effect.
@code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
-has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
-whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
-there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
+has to ask the back end of the component group the article comes from
+whether it is a news or mail back end. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
+there is typically no sure way for the component back end to know this,
and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
-not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
+not-news back end. (Just to be on the safe side.)
-@kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
+@kbd{C-c C-n} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
line from the article you respond to in these cases.
+@code{nnvirtual} groups do not inherit anything but articles and marks
+from component groups---group parameters, for instance, are not
+inherited.
@node Kibozed Groups
@cindex nnkiboze
@cindex kibozing
-@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
-the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
-you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
-with useless requests! Oh happiness!
+@dfn{Kibozing} is defined by the @acronym{OED} as ``grepping through
+(parts of) the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a back end that will
+do this for you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @acronym{NNTP} server
+down to a halt with useless requests! Oh happiness!
@kindex G k (Group)
To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
@code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
-@code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
-and @code{nnvirtual} end.
+@code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between
+@code{nnkiboze} and @code{nnvirtual} end.
-In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
-must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
-the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
+In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an
+@code{nnkiboze} group must have a score file to say what articles are
+to be included in the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
@kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
@findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
-@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
-time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
-all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
-scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
-that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
+@code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time.
+Lots of time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the
+headers from all the articles in all the component groups and run them
+through the scoring process to determine if there are any articles in
+the groups that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
-@sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
+@acronym{NNTP} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
Stranger things have happened.
@code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
@vindex nnkiboze-directory
The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
-@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
-contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
-and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
-on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
+@code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/kiboze/} by default.
+One contains the @acronym{NOV} header lines for all the articles in
+the group, and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store
+information on what groups have been searched through to find
+component articles.
Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
-their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
+their @acronym{NOV} lines removed from the @acronym{NOV} file.
+
+
+@node Email Based Diary
+@section Email Based Diary
+@cindex diary
+@cindex email based diary
+@cindex calendar
+
+This section describes a special mail back end called @code{nndiary},
+and its companion library @code{gnus-diary}. It is ``special'' in the
+sense that it is not meant to be one of the standard alternatives for
+reading mail with Gnus. See @ref{Choosing a Mail Back End} for that.
+Instead, it is used to treat @emph{some} of your mails in a special way,
+namely, as event reminders.
+
+Here is a typical scenario:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+You've got a date with Andy Mc Dowell or Bruce Willis (select according
+to your sexual preference) in one month. You don't want to forget it.
+@item
+So you send a ``reminder'' message (actually, a diary one) to yourself.
+@item
+You forget all about it and keep on getting and reading new mail, as usual.
+@item
+From time to time, as you type `g' in the group buffer and as the date
+is getting closer, the message will pop up again to remind you of your
+appointment, just as if it were new and unread.
+@item
+Read your ``new'' messages, this one included, and start dreaming again
+of the night you're gonna have.
+@item
+Once the date is over (you actually fell asleep just after dinner), the
+message will be automatically deleted if it is marked as expirable.
+@end itemize
+
+The Gnus Diary back end has the ability to handle regular appointments
+(that wouldn't ever be deleted) as well as punctual ones, operates as a
+real mail back end and is configurable in many ways. All of this is
+explained in the sections below.
+
+@menu
+* The NNDiary Back End:: Basic setup and usage.
+* The Gnus Diary Library:: Utility toolkit on top of nndiary.
+* Sending or Not Sending:: A final note on sending diary messages.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node The NNDiary Back End
+@subsection The NNDiary Back End
+@cindex nndiary
+@cindex the nndiary back end
+
+@code{nndiary} is a back end very similar to @code{nnml} (@pxref{Mail
+Spool}). Actually, it could appear as a mix of @code{nnml} and
+@code{nndraft}. If you know @code{nnml}, you're already familiar with
+the message storing scheme of @code{nndiary}: one file per message, one
+directory per group.
+
+ Before anything, there is one requirement to be able to run
+@code{nndiary} properly: you @emph{must} use the group timestamp feature
+of Gnus. This adds a timestamp to each group's parameters. @ref{Group
+Timestamp} to see how it's done.
+
+@menu
+* Diary Messages:: What makes a message valid for nndiary.
+* Running NNDiary:: NNDiary has two modes of operation.
+* Customizing NNDiary:: Bells and whistles.
+@end menu
+
+@node Diary Messages
+@subsubsection Diary Messages
+@cindex nndiary messages
+@cindex nndiary mails
+
+@code{nndiary} messages are just normal ones, except for the mandatory
+presence of 7 special headers. These headers are of the form
+@code{X-Diary-<something>}, @code{<something>} being one of
+@code{Minute}, @code{Hour}, @code{Dom}, @code{Month}, @code{Year},
+@code{Time-Zone} and @code{Dow}. @code{Dom} means ``Day of Month'', and
+@code{dow} means ``Day of Week''. These headers actually behave like
+crontab specifications and define the event date(s):
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+For all headers except the @code{Time-Zone} one, a header value is
+either a star (meaning all possible values), or a list of fields
+(separated by a comma).
+@item
+A field is either an integer, or a range.
+@item
+A range is two integers separated by a dash.
+@item
+Possible integer values are 0--59 for @code{Minute}, 0--23 for
+@code{Hour}, 1--31 for @code{Dom}, 1--12 for @code{Month}, above 1971
+for @code{Year} and 0--6 for @code{Dow} (0 meaning Sunday).
+@item
+As a special case, a star in either @code{Dom} or @code{Dow} doesn't
+mean ``all possible values'', but ``use only the other field''. Note
+that if both are star'ed, the use of either one gives the same result.
+@item
+The @code{Time-Zone} header is special in that it can only have one
+value (@code{GMT}, for instance). A star doesn't mean ``all possible
+values'' (because it makes no sense), but ``the current local time
+zone''. Most of the time, you'll be using a star here. However, for a
+list of available time zone values, see the variable
+@code{nndiary-headers}.
+@end itemize
+
+As a concrete example, here are the diary headers to add to your message
+for specifying ``Each Monday and each 1st of month, at 12:00, 20:00,
+21:00, 22:00, 23:00 and 24:00, from 1999 to 2010'' (I'll let you find
+what to do then):
+
+@example
+X-Diary-Minute: 0
+X-Diary-Hour: 12, 20-24
+X-Diary-Dom: 1
+X-Diary-Month: *
+X-Diary-Year: 1999-2010
+X-Diary-Dow: 1
+X-Diary-Time-Zone: *
+@end example
+
+@node Running NNDiary
+@subsubsection Running NNDiary
+@cindex running nndiary
+@cindex nndiary operation modes
+
+@code{nndiary} has two modes of operation: ``traditional'' (the default)
+and ``autonomous''. In traditional mode, @code{nndiary} does not get new
+mail by itself. You have to move (@kbd{B m}) or copy (@kbd{B c}) mails
+from your primary mail back end to nndiary groups in order to handle them
+as diary messages. In autonomous mode, @code{nndiary} retrieves its own
+mail and handles it independently from your primary mail back end.
+
+One should note that Gnus is not inherently designed to allow several
+``master'' mail back ends at the same time. However, this does make
+sense with @code{nndiary}: you really want to send and receive diary
+messages to your diary groups directly. So, @code{nndiary} supports
+being sort of a ``second primary mail back end'' (to my knowledge, it is
+the only back end offering this feature). However, there is a limitation
+(which I hope to fix some day): respooling doesn't work in autonomous
+mode.
+
+In order to use @code{nndiary} in autonomous mode, you have several
+things to do:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Allow @code{nndiary} to retrieve new mail by itself. Put the following
+line in your @file{gnusrc} file:
+
+@lisp
+(setq nndiary-get-new-mail t)
+@end lisp
+@item
+You must arrange for diary messages (those containing @code{X-Diary-*}
+headers) to be split in a private folder @emph{before} Gnus treat them.
+Again, this is needed because Gnus cannot (yet ?) properly handle
+multiple primary mail back ends. Getting those messages from a separate
+source will compensate this misfeature to some extent.
+
+As an example, here's my procmailrc entry to store diary files in
+@file{~/.nndiary} (the default @code{nndiary} mail source file):
+
+@example
+:0 HD :
+* ^X-Diary
+.nndiary
+@end example
+@end itemize
+
+Once this is done, you might want to customize the following two options
+that affect the diary mail retrieval and splitting processes:
+
+@defvar nndiary-mail-sources
+This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
+@code{mail-sources} variable. It obeys the same syntax, and defaults to
+@code{(file :path "~/.nndiary")}.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar nndiary-split-methods
+This is the diary-specific replacement for the standard
+@code{nnmail-split-methods} variable. It obeys the same syntax.
+@end defvar
+
+ Finally, you may add a permanent @code{nndiary} virtual server
+(something like @code{(nndiary "diary")} should do) to your
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods}.
+
+ Hopefully, almost everything (see the TODO section in
+@file{nndiary.el}) will work as expected when you restart Gnus: in
+autonomous mode, typing @kbd{g} and @kbd{M-g} in the group buffer, will
+also get your new diary mails and split them according to your
+diary-specific rules, @kbd{F} will find your new diary groups etc.
+
+@node Customizing NNDiary
+@subsubsection Customizing NNDiary
+@cindex customizing nndiary
+@cindex nndiary customization
+
+Now that @code{nndiary} is up and running, it's time to customize it.
+The custom group is called @code{nndiary} (no, really ?!). You should
+browse it to figure out which options you'd like to tweak. The following
+two variables are probably the only ones you will want to change:
+
+@defvar nndiary-reminders
+This is the list of times when you want to be reminded of your
+appointements (e.g. 3 weeks before, then 2 days before, then 1 hour
+before and that's it). Remember that ``being reminded'' means that the
+diary message will pop up as brand new and unread again when you get new
+mail.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar nndiary-week-starts-on-monday
+Rather self-explanatory. Otherwise, Sunday is assumed (this is the
+default).
+@end defvar
+
+
+@node The Gnus Diary Library
+@subsection The Gnus Diary Library
+@cindex gnus-diary
+@cindex the gnus diary library
+
+Using @code{nndiary} manually (I mean, writing the headers by hand and
+so on) would be rather boring. Fortunately, there is a library called
+@code{gnus-diary} written on top of @code{nndiary}, that does many
+useful things for you.
+
+ In order to use it, add the following line to your @file{gnusrc} file:
+
+@lisp
+(require 'gnus-diary)
+@end lisp
+
+ Also, you shouldn't use any @code{gnus-user-format-function-[d|D]}
+(@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} provides both of these
+(sorry if you used them before).
+
+
+@menu
+* Diary Summary Line Format:: A nicer summary buffer line format.
+* Diary Articles Sorting:: A nicer way to sort messages.
+* Diary Headers Generation:: Not doing it manually.
+* Diary Group Parameters:: Not handling them manually.
+@end menu
+
+@node Diary Summary Line Format
+@subsubsection Diary Summary Line Format
+@cindex diary summary buffer line
+@cindex diary summary line format
+
+Displaying diary messages in standard summary line format (usually
+something like @samp{From Joe: Subject}) is pretty useless. Most of
+the time, you're the one who wrote the message, and you mostly want to
+see the event's date.
+
+ @code{gnus-diary} provides two supplemental user formats to be used in
+summary line formats. @code{D} corresponds to a formatted time string
+for the next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00''),
+while @code{d} corresponds to an approximative remaining time until the
+next occurrence of the event (e.g. ``in 6 months, 1 week'').
+
+ For example, here's how Joe's birthday is displayed in my
+@code{nndiary+diary:birthdays} summary buffer (note that the message is
+expirable, but will never be deleted, as it specifies a periodic event):
+
+@example
+ E Sat, Sep 22 01, 12:00: Joe's birthday (in 6 months, 1 week)
+@end example
+In order to get something like the above, you would normally add the
+following line to your diary groups'parameters:
+
+@lisp
+(gnus-summary-line-format "%U%R%z %uD: %(%s%) (%ud)\n")
+@end lisp
+
+However, @code{gnus-diary} does it automatically (@pxref{Diary Group
+Parameters}). You can however customize the provided summary line format
+with the following user options:
+
+@defvar gnus-diary-summary-line-format
+Defines the summary line format used for diary groups (@pxref{Summary
+Buffer Lines}). @code{gnus-diary} uses it to automatically update the
+diary groups'parameters.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-diary-time-format
+Defines the format to display dates in diary summary buffers. This is
+used by the @code{D} user format. See the docstring for details.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-diary-delay-format-function
+Defines the format function to use for displaying delays (remaining
+times) in diary summary buffers. This is used by the @code{d} user
+format. There are currently built-in functions for English and French;
+you can also define your own. See the docstring for details.
+@end defvar
+
+@node Diary Articles Sorting
+@subsubsection Diary Articles Sorting
+@cindex diary articles sorting
+@cindex diary summary lines sorting
+@findex gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule
+@findex gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule
+@findex gnus-article-sort-by-schedule
+
+@code{gnus-diary} provides new sorting functions (@pxref{Sorting the
+Summary Buffer} ) called @code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule},
+@code{gnus-thread-sort-by-schedule} and
+@code{gnus-article-sort-by-schedule}. These functions let you organize
+your diary summary buffers from the closest event to the farthest one.
+
+@code{gnus-diary} automatically installs
+@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-schedule} as a menu item in the summary
+buffer's ``sort'' menu, and the two others as the primary (hence
+default) sorting functions in the group parameters (@pxref{Diary Group
+Parameters}).
+
+@node Diary Headers Generation
+@subsubsection Diary Headers Generation
+@cindex diary headers generation
+@findex gnus-diary-check-message
+
+@code{gnus-diary} provides a function called
+@code{gnus-diary-check-message} to help you handle the @code{X-Diary-*}
+headers. This function ensures that the current message contains all the
+required diary headers, and prompts you for values or corrections if
+needed.
+
+ This function is hooked into the @code{nndiary} back end, so that
+moving or copying an article to a diary group will trigger it
+automatically. It is also bound to @kbd{C-c D c} in @code{message-mode}
+and @code{article-edit-mode} in order to ease the process of converting
+a usual mail to a diary one.
+
+ This function takes a prefix argument which will force prompting of
+all diary headers, regardless of their presence or validity. That way,
+you can very easily reschedule an already valid diary message, for
+instance.
+
+@node Diary Group Parameters
+@subsubsection Diary Group Parameters
+@cindex diary group parameters
+
+When you create a new diary group, or visit one, @code{gnus-diary}
+automatically checks your group parameters and if needed, sets the
+summary line format to the diary-specific value, installs the
+diary-specific sorting functions, and also adds the different
+@code{X-Diary-*} headers to the group's posting-style. It is then easier
+to send a diary message, because if you use @kbd{C-u a} or @kbd{C-u m}
+on a diary group to prepare a message, these headers will be inserted
+automatically (although not filled with proper values yet).
+
+@node Sending or Not Sending
+@subsection Sending or Not Sending
+
+Well, assuming you've read of of the above, here are two final notes on
+mail sending with @code{nndiary}:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+@item
+@code{nndiary} is a @emph{real} mail back end. You really send real diary
+messsages for real. This means for instance that you can give
+appointements to anybody (provided they use Gnus and @code{nndiary}) by
+sending the diary message to them as well.
+@item
+However, since @code{nndiary} also has a @code{request-post} method, you
+can also use @kbd{C-u a} instead of @kbd{C-u m} on a diary group and the
+message won't actually be sent; just stored locally in the group. This
+comes in very handy for private appointments.
+@end itemize
@node Gnus Unplugged
@section Gnus Unplugged
@cindex offline
@cindex unplugged
-@cindex Agent
-@cindex Gnus Agent
-@cindex Gnus Unplugged
+@cindex agent
+@cindex Gnus agent
+@cindex Gnus unplugged
In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
reading news on a machine.
-Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
-
-@itemize @bullet
-@item
-First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
-that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
-here.
-
-@item
-Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
-
-@lisp
-(gnus-agentize)
-@end lisp
-@end itemize
-
-That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
+Setting up Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple. In
+fact, you don't have to configure anything as the agent is now enabled
+by default (@pxref{Agent Variables, gnus-agent}).
Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
@menu
-* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
-* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
-* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
-* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
-* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
-* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
-* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
-* Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
-* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
-* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
+* Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
+* Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
+* Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
+* Agent Visuals:: Ways that the agent may effect your summary buffer.
+* Agent as Cache:: The Agent is a big cache too.
+* Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
+* Agent Regeneration:: How to recover from lost connections and other accidents.
+* Agent and flags:: How the Agent maintains flags.
+* Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with @acronym{IMAP}.
+* Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
+* Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
+* Example Setup:: An example @file{~/.gnus.el} file for offline people.
+* Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
+* Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
@end menu
@dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
+You know that Gnus gives you all the opportunity you'd ever want for
+shooting yourself in the foot. Some people call it flexibility. Gnus
+is also customizable to a great extent, which means that the user has a
+say on how Gnus behaves. Other newsreaders might unconditionally shoot
+you in your foot, but with Gnus, you have a choice!
+
+Gnus is never really in plugged or unplugged state. Rather, it applies
+that state to each server individually. This means that some servers
+can be plugged while others can be unplugged. Additionally, some
+servers can be ignored by the Agent altogether (which means that
+they're kinda like plugged always).
+
+So when you unplug the Agent and then wonder why is Gnus opening a
+connection to the Net, the next step to do is to look whether all
+servers are agentized. If there is an unagentized server, you found
+the culprit.
+
+Another thing is the @dfn{offline} state. Sometimes, servers aren't
+reachable. When Gnus notices this, it asks you whether you want the
+server to be switched to offline state. If you say yes, then the
+server will behave somewhat as if it was unplugged, except that Gnus
+will ask you whether you want to switch it back online again.
+
Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
@itemize @bullet
@item
+@findex gnus-unplugged
You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
already fetched while in this mode.
You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
-as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
+as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode (@pxref{Mail
Source Specifiers}).
@item
-You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
-onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
-to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
-s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
-know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
+You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the
+news onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press
+@kbd{g} to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J s} to fetch
+all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus know which
+articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}).
@item
After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
@item
Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
-backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
+back end, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
-@kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
-Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
-primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
+@kbd{J a} on the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
+Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}), or @kbd{J r} on automatically
+added servers you do not wish to have covered by the Agent. By default,
+all @code{nntp} and @code{nnimap} servers in @code{gnus-select-method} and
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} are agentized.
@item
-Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
+Decide on download policy. It's fairly simple once you decide whether
+you are going to use agent categories, topic parameters, and/or group
+parameters to implement your policy. If you're new to gnus, it
+is probably best to start with a category, @xref{Agent Categories}.
+
+Both topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) and agent categories
+(@pxref{Agent Categories}) provide for setting a policy that applies
+to multiple groups. Which you use is entirely up to you. Topic
+parameters do override categories so, if you mix the two, you'll have
+to take that into account. If you have a few groups that deviate from
+your policy, you can use group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to
+configure them.
@item
-Uhm... that's it.
+Uhm@dots{} that's it.
@end itemize
mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
you're interested in the articles anyway.
-The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
-@dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
-Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
-@code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
-managing categories.
+One of the more effective methods for controlling what is to be
+downloaded is to create a @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all)
+groups to this category. Groups that do not belong in any other
+category belong to the @code{default} category. Gnus has its own
+buffer for creating and managing categories.
+
+If you prefer, you can also use group parameters (@pxref{Group
+Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic Parameters}) for an
+alternative approach to controlling the agent. The only real
+difference is that categories are specific to the agent (so there is
+less to learn) while group and topic parameters include the kitchen
+sink.
+
+Since you can set agent parameters in several different places we have
+a rule to decide which source to believe. This rule specifies that
+the parameter sources are checked in the following order: group
+parameters, topic parameters, agent category, and finally customizable
+variables. So you can mix all of these sources to produce a wide range
+of behavior, just don't blame me if you don't remember where you put
+your settings.
@menu
-* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
-* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
-* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
+* Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
+* Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
+* Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
@end menu
@node Category Syntax
@subsubsection Category Syntax
-A category consists of two things.
+A category consists of a name, the list of groups belonging to the
+category, and a number of optional parameters that override the
+customizable variables. The complete list of agent parameters are
+listed below.
-@enumerate
-@item
+@cindex Agent Parameters
+@table @code
+@item agent-groups
+The list of groups that are in this category.
+
+@item agent-predicate
A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
are eligible for downloading; and
-@item
+@item agent-score
a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
-@end enumerate
+
+@item agent-enable-expiration
+a boolean indicating whether the agent should expire old articles in
+this group. Most groups should be expired to conserve disk space. In
+fact, its probably safe to say that the gnus.* hierarchy contains the
+only groups that should not be expired.
+
+@item agent-days-until-old
+an integer indicating the number of days that the agent should wait
+before deciding that a read article is safe to expire.
+
+@item agent-low-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-low-score}.
+
+@item agent-high-score
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-high-score}.
+
+@item agent-short-article
+an integer that overrides the value of
+@code{gnus-agent-short-article}.
+
+@item agent-long-article
+an integer that overrides the value of @code{gnus-agent-long-article}.
+
+@item agent-enable-undownloaded-faces
+a symbol indicating whether the summary buffer should display
+undownloaded articles using the @code{gnus-summary-*-undownloaded-face}
+faces. Any symbol other than @code{nil} will enable the use of
+undownloaded faces.
+@end table
+
+The name of a category can not be changed once the category has been
+created.
+
+Each category maintains a list of groups that are exclusive members of
+that category. The exclusivity rule is automatically enforced, add a
+group to a new category and it is automatically removed from its old
+category.
A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
@code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
you want to do, you can write your own.
+When evaluating each of these predicates, the named constant will be
+bound to the value determined by calling
+@code{gnus-agent-find-parameter} on the appropriate parameter. For
+example, gnus-agent-short-article will be bound to
+@code{(gnus-agent-find-parameter group 'agent-short-article)}. This
+means that you can specify a predicate in your category then tune that
+predicate to individual groups.
+
@table @code
@item short
True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
or you could append your predicate to the predefined
@code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
-wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
-@code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
+wherever.
@lisp
+(require 'gnus-agent)
(setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
(append gnus-category-predicate-alist
- '((old . my-article-old-p))))
+ '((old . my-article-old-p))))
@end lisp
and simply specify your predicate as:
always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
just don't give a damn.
-The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
+The above predicates apply to @emph{all} the groups which belong to the
category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
-new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
+new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in its group
parameters like so:
@lisp
(agent-predicate . short)
@end lisp
-This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
+This is the group/topic parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
@code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
@item
Score rule
-This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
+This has the same syntax as a normal Gnus score file except only a
subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
example:
@end lisp
@item
-Group Parameter specification
+Group/Topic Parameter specification
@lisp
(agent-score ("from"
@item
Agent score file
-These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
-stated above.
+These score files must @emph{only} contain the permitted scoring
+keywords stated above.
example:
These directives in either the category definition or a group's
parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
-files for a group, *filtering out* those sections that do not
+files for a group, @emph{filtering out} those sections that do not
relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
@itemize @bullet
@findex gnus-category-exit
Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
+@item e
+@kindex e (Category)
+@findex gnus-category-customize-category
+Use a customization buffer to set all of the selected category's
+parameters at one time (@code{gnus-category-customize-category}).
+
@item k
@kindex k (Category)
@findex gnus-category-kill
Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
0.
+@item gnus-agent-expire-days
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
+The number of days that a @samp{read} article must stay in the agent's
+local disk before becoming eligible for expiration (While the name is
+the same, this doesn't mean expiring the article on the server. It
+just means deleting the local copy of the article). What is also
+important to understand is that the counter starts with the time the
+article was written to the local disk and not the time the article was
+read.
+Default 7.
+
+@item gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+@vindex gnus-agent-enable-expiration
+Determines whether articles in a group are, by default, expired or
+retained indefinitely. The default is @code{ENABLE} which means that
+you'll have to disable expiration when desired. On the other hand,
+you could set this to @code{DISABLE}. In that case, you would then
+have to enable expiration in selected groups.
+
@end table
@node Agent Commands
@subsection Agent Commands
+@findex gnus-agent-toggle-plugged
+@kindex J j (Agent)
All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
-(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged}) command works in all modes, and
toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
@menu
-* Group Agent Commands::
-* Summary Agent Commands::
-* Server Agent Commands::
+* Group Agent Commands:: Configure groups and fetch their contents.
+* Summary Agent Commands:: Manually select then fetch specific articles.
+* Server Agent Commands:: Select the servers that are supported by the agent.
@end menu
-You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
-following incantation:
-
-@cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@example
-$ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
-@end example
@item J S
@kindex J S (Agent Group)
-@findex gnus-group-send-drafts
-Send all sendable messages in the draft group
-(@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
+@findex gnus-group-send-queue
+Send all sendable messages in the queue group
+(@code{gnus-group-send-queue}). @xref{Drafts}.
@item J a
@kindex J a (Agent Group)
Remove the downloading mark from the article
(@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
+@cindex %
@item @@
@kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
@findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
-Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
+Toggle whether to download the article
+(@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}). The download mark is @samp{%} by
+default.
@item J c
@kindex J c (Agent Summary)
@findex gnus-agent-catchup
-Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
+Mark all articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}) that are neither cached, downloaded, nor downloadable.
+
+@item J S
+@kindex J S (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-fetch-group
+Download all eligible (@pxref{Agent Categories}) articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-fetch-group}).
+
+@item J s
+@kindex J s (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series
+Download all processable articles in this group.
+(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-series}).
+
+@item J u
+@kindex J u (Agent Summary)
+@findex gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group
+Download all downloadable articles in the current group
+(@code{gnus-agent-summary-fetch-group}).
@end table
@end table
+@node Agent Visuals
+@subsection Agent Visuals
+
+If you open a summary while unplugged and, Gnus knows from the group's
+active range that there are more articles than the headers currently
+stored in the Agent, you may see some articles whose subject looks
+something like @samp{[Undownloaded article #####]}. These are
+placeholders for the missing headers. Aside from setting a mark,
+there is not much that can be done with one of these placeholders.
+When Gnus finally gets a chance to fetch the group's headers, the
+placeholders will automatically be replaced by the actual headers.
+You can configure the summary buffer's maneuvering to skip over the
+placeholders if you care (See @code{gnus-auto-goto-ignores}).
+
+While it may be obvious to all, the only headers and articles
+available while unplugged are those headers and articles that were
+fetched into the Agent while previously plugged. To put it another
+way, ``If you forget to fetch something while plugged, you might have a
+less than satisfying unplugged session''. For this reason, the Agent
+adds two visual effects to your summary buffer. These effects display
+the download status of each article so that you always know which
+articles will be available when unplugged.
+
+The first visual effect is the @samp{%O} spec. If you customize
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format} to include this specifier, you will add
+a single character field that indicates an article's download status.
+Articles that have been fetched into either the Agent or the Cache,
+will display @code{gnus-downloaded-mark} (defaults to @samp{+}). All
+other articles will display @code{gnus-undownloaded-mark} (defaults to
+@samp{-}). If you open a group that has not been agentized, a space
+(@samp{ }) will be displayed.
+
+The second visual effect are the undownloaded faces. The faces, there
+are three indicating the article's score (low, normal, high), seem to
+result in a love/hate response from many Gnus users. The problem is
+that the face selection is controlled by a list of condition tests and
+face names (See @code{gnus-summary-highlight}). Each condition is
+tested in the order in which it appears in the list so early
+conditions have precedence over later conditions. All of this means
+that, if you tick an undownloaded article, the article will continue
+to be displayed in the undownloaded face rather than the ticked face.
+
+If you use the Agent as a cache (to avoid downloading the same article
+each time you visit it or to minimize your connection time), the
+undownloaded face will probably seem like a good idea. The reason
+being that you do all of our work (marking, reading, deleting) with
+downloaded articles so the normal faces always appear. For those
+users using the agent to improve online performance by caching the NOV
+database (most users since 5.10.2), the undownloaded faces may appear
+to be an absolutely horrible idea. The issue being that, since none
+of their articles have been fetched into the Agent, all of the
+normal faces will be obscured by the undownloaded faces.
+
+If you would like to use the undownloaded faces, you must enable the
+undownloaded faces by setting the @code{agent-enable-undownloaded-faces}
+group parameter to @code{t}. This parameter, like all other agent
+parameters, may be set on an Agent Category (@pxref{Agent Categories}),
+a Group Topic (@pxref{Topic Parameters}), or an individual group
+(@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+The one problem common to all users using the agent is how quickly it
+can consume disk space. If you using the agent on many groups, it is
+even more difficult to effectively recover disk space. One solution
+is the @samp{%F} format available in @code{gnus-group-line-format}.
+This format will display the actual disk space used by articles
+fetched into both the agent and cache. By knowing which groups use
+the most space, users know where to focus their efforts when ``agent
+expiring'' articles.
+
+@node Agent as Cache
+@subsection Agent as Cache
+
+When Gnus is plugged, it is not efficient to download headers or
+articles from the server again, if they are already stored in the
+Agent. So, Gnus normally only downloads headers once, and stores them
+in the Agent. These headers are later used when generating the summary
+buffer, regardless of whether you are plugged or unplugged. Articles
+are not cached in the Agent by default though (that would potentially
+consume lots of disk space), but if you have already downloaded an
+article into the Agent, Gnus will not download the article from the
+server again but use the locally stored copy instead.
+
+If you so desire, you can configure the agent (see @code{gnus-agent-cache}
+@pxref{Agent Variables}) to always download headers and articles while
+plugged. Gnus will almost certainly be slower, but it will be kept
+synchronized with the server. That last point probably won't make any
+sense if you are using a nntp or nnimap back end.
+
@node Agent Expiry
@subsection Agent Expiry
@vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
@findex gnus-agent-expire
@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
-@cindex Agent expiry
-@cindex Gnus Agent expiry
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire-group
+@findex gnus-agent-expire-group
+@cindex agent expiry
+@cindex Gnus agent expiry
@cindex expiry
-@code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
-@code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
-are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
-whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
-particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
-interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
+The Agent back end, @code{nnagent}, doesn't handle expiry. Well, at
+least it doesn't handle it like other back ends. Instead, there are
+special @code{gnus-agent-expire} and @code{gnus-agent-expire-group}
+commands that will expire all read articles that are older than
+@code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. They can be run whenever you feel
+that you're running out of space. Neither are particularly fast or
+efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to interrupt them (with
+@kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started one of them.
-@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
-if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
-expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
-(which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
-unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
-
-
-@node Agent and IMAP
-@subsection Agent and IMAP
-
-The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However,
-since there are some conceptual differences between @sc{nntp} and
-@sc{imap}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
-make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @sc{imap} Disconnected Mode client.
+Note that other functions, e.g. @code{gnus-request-expire-articles},
+might run @code{gnus-agent-expire} for you to keep the agent
+synchronized with the group.
-The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
-are kept on the @sc{imap} server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
-case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
-disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
+The agent parameter @code{agent-enable-expiration} may be used to
+prevent expiration in selected groups.
-Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
-Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
-you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
-with the server. This behavior is customizable with
-@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
+@vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
+If @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, the agent
+expiration commands will expire all articles---unread, read, ticked
+and dormant. If @code{nil} (which is the default), only read articles
+are eligible for expiry, and unread, ticked and dormant articles will
+be kept indefinitely.
+
+If you find that some articles eligible for expiry are never expired,
+perhaps some Gnus Agent files are corrupted. There's are special
+commands, @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} and
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group}, to fix possible problems.
+
+@node Agent Regeneration
+@subsection Agent Regeneration
+
+@cindex agent regeneration
+@cindex Gnus agent regeneration
+@cindex regeneration
+
+The local data structures used by @code{nnagent} may become corrupted
+due to certain exceptional conditions. When this happens,
+@code{nnagent} functionality may degrade or even fail. The solution
+to this problem is to repair the local data structures by removing all
+internal inconsistencies.
+
+For example, if your connection to your server is lost while
+downloaded articles into the agent, the local data structures will not
+know about articles successfully downloaded prior to the connection
+failure. Running @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} or
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} will update the data structures
+such that you don't need to download these articles a second time.
+
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} will perform
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} on every agentized group. While
+you can run @code{gnus-agent-regenerate} in any buffer, it is strongly
+recommended that you first close all summary buffers.
+
+@findex gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+@kindex M-x gnus-agent-regenerate-group
+The command @code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} uses the local copies
+of individual articles to repair the local @acronym{NOV}(header) database. It
+then updates the internal data structures that document which articles
+are stored locally. An optional argument will mark articles in the
+agent as unread.
+
+@node Agent and flags
+@subsection Agent and flags
+
+The Agent works with any Gnus back end including those, such as
+nnimap, that store flags (read, ticked, etc) on the server. Sadly,
+the Agent does not actually know which backends keep their flags in
+the backend server rather than in @file{.newsrc}. This means that the
+Agent, while unplugged or disconnected, will always record all changes
+to the flags in its own files.
+
+When you plug back in, Gnus will then check to see if you have any
+changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these with the
+server. This behavior is customizable by @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
-never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
-default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
-you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
-value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
+never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
+the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
+ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
+any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
-If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
-re-connect, this can be done manually with the
+If you do not wish to synchronize flags automatically when you
+re-connect, you can do it manually with the
@code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
-in the group buffer by default.
+in the group buffer.
+
+Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by ``pushing''
+all local flags to the server, but rather by incrementally updated the
+server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
+the user. Thus, if you set one flag on an article, quit the group then
+re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
+removed from the server when you ``synchronize''. The queued flag
+operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
+directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
+
+@node Agent and IMAP
+@subsection Agent and IMAP
+
+The Agent works with any Gnus back end, including nnimap. However,
+since there are some conceptual differences between @acronym{NNTP} and
+@acronym{IMAP}, this section (should) provide you with some information to
+make Gnus Agent work smoother as a @acronym{IMAP} Disconnected Mode client.
Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
-expect from a disconnected @sc{imap} client, including:
+expect from a disconnected @acronym{IMAP} client, including:
@itemize @bullet
@end itemize
-Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
-all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
-server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
-the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
-re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
-removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
-operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
-directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
-
-
@node Outgoing Messages
@subsection Outgoing Messages
-When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
-stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
-after posting, and edit them at will.
+By default, when Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail
+and news) are stored in the draft group ``queue'' (@pxref{Drafts}).
+You can view them there after posting, and edit them at will.
-When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
-draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
-the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
-messages in the draft group.
+You can control the circumstances under which outgoing mail is queued
+(see @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail}, @pxref{Agent Variables}). Outgoing
+news is always queued when Gnus is unplugged, and never otherwise.
+You can send the messages either from the draft group with the special
+commands available there, or you can use the @kbd{J S} command in the
+group buffer to send all the sendable messages in the draft group.
+Posting news will only work when Gnus is plugged, but you can send
+mail at any time.
+If sending mail while unplugged does not work for you and you worry
+about hitting @kbd{J S} by accident when unplugged, you can have Gnus
+ask you to confirm your action (see
+@code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue}, @pxref{Agent Variables}).
@node Agent Variables
@subsection Agent Variables
@table @code
+@item gnus-agent
+@vindex gnus-agent
+Is the agent enabled? The default is @code{t}. When first enabled,
+the agent will use @code{gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods} to
+automatically mark some back ends as agentized. You may change which
+back ends are agentized using the agent commands in the server buffer.
+
+To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
+(@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
+
+
@item gnus-agent-directory
@vindex gnus-agent-directory
Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
@vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
+@item gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+@vindex gnus-agent-fetched-hook
+Hook run when finished fetching articles.
+
+@item gnus-agent-cache
+@vindex gnus-agent-cache
+Variable to control whether use the locally stored @acronym{NOV} and
+articles when plugged, e.g. essentially using the Agent as a cache.
+The default is non-@code{nil}, which means to use the Agent as a cache.
+
+@item gnus-agent-go-online
+@vindex gnus-agent-go-online
+If @code{gnus-agent-go-online} is @code{nil}, the Agent will never
+automatically switch offline servers into online status. If it is
+@code{ask}, the default, the Agent will ask if you wish to switch
+offline servers into online status when you re-connect. If it has any
+other value, all offline servers will be automatically switched into
+online status.
+
+@item gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+@vindex gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded
+If @code{gnus-agent-mark-unread-after-downloaded} is non-@code{nil},
+mark articles as unread after downloading. This is usually a safe
+thing to do as the newly downloaded article has obviously not been
+read. The default is @code{t}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+@vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
+If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
+never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, which is
+the default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so
+ask if you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has
+any other value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
+
+@item gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+@vindex gnus-agent-consider-all-articles
+If @code{gnus-agent-consider-all-articles} is non-@code{nil}, the
+agent will let the agent predicate decide whether articles need to be
+downloaded or not, for all articles. When @code{nil}, the default,
+the agent will only let the predicate decide whether unread articles
+are downloaded or not. If you enable this, you may also want to look
+into the agent expiry settings (@pxref{Category Variables}), so that
+the agent doesn't download articles which the agent will later expire,
+over and over again.
+
+@item gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+@vindex gnus-agent-max-fetch-size
+The agent fetches articles into a temporary buffer prior to parsing
+them into individual files. To avoid exceeding the max. buffer size,
+the agent alternates between fetching and parsing until all articles
+have been fetched. @code{gnus-agent-max-fetch-size} provides a size
+limit to control how often the cycling occurs. A large value improves
+performance. A small value minimizes the time lost should the
+connection be lost while fetching (You may need to run
+@code{gnus-agent-regenerate-group} to update the group's state.
+However, all articles parsed prior to loosing the connection will be
+available while unplugged). The default is 10M so it is unusual to
+see any cycling.
+
+@item gnus-server-unopen-status
+@vindex gnus-server-unopen-status
+Perhaps not an Agent variable, but closely related to the Agent, this
+variable says what will happen if Gnus cannot open a server. If the
+Agent is enabled, the default, @code{nil}, makes Gnus ask the user
+whether to deny the server or whether to unplug the agent. If the
+Agent is disabled, Gnus always simply deny the server. Other choices
+for this variable include @code{denied} and @code{offline} the latter
+is only valid if the Agent is used.
+
+@item gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+@vindex gnus-auto-goto-ignores
+Another variable that isn't an Agent variable, yet so closely related
+that most will look for it here, this variable tells the summary
+buffer how to maneuver around undownloaded (only headers stored in the
+agent) and unfetched (neither article nor headers stored) articles.
+
+The valid values are @code{nil} (maneuver to any article),
+@code{undownloaded} (maneuvering while unplugged ignores articles that
+have not been fetched), @code{always-undownloaded} (maneuvering always
+ignores articles that have not been fetched), @code{unfetched}
+(maneuvering ignores articles whose headers have not been fetched).
+
+@item gnus-agent-queue-mail
+@vindex gnus-agent-queue-mail
+When @code{gnus-agent-queue-mail} is @code{always}, Gnus will always
+queue mail rather than sending it straight away. When @code{t}, Gnus
+will queue mail when unplugged only. When @code{nil}, never queue
+mail. The default is @code{t}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
+@vindex gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue
+When @code{gnus-agent-prompt-send-queue} is non-@code{nil} Gnus will
+prompt you to confirm that you really wish to proceed if you hit
+@kbd{J S} while unplugged. The default is @code{nil}.
+
+@item gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
+@vindex gnus-agent-auto-agentize-methods
+If you have never used the Agent before (or more technically, if
+@file{~/News/agent/lib/servers} does not exist), Gnus will
+automatically agentize a few servers for you. This variable control
+which back ends should be auto-agentized. It is typically only useful
+to agentize remote back ends. The auto-agentizing has the same effect
+as running @kbd{J a} on the servers (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}).
+If the file exist, you must manage the servers manually by adding or
+removing them, this variable is only applicable the first time you
+start Gnus. The default is @samp{(nntp nnimap)}.
+
@end table
If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
-@file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file to get started.
@lisp
-;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
-;;; from your ISP's server.
+;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @acronym{NNTP}}
+;;; @r{from your ISP's server.}
(setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
-;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
-;;; your ISP's POP server.
+;;; @r{Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from}
+;;; @r{your ISP's @acronym{POP} server.}
(setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
-;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
+;;; @r{Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.}
(setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
-;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
-(gnus-agentize)
+;;; @r{Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.}
+;;; (gnus-agentize) ; @r{The obsolete setting.}
+;;; (setq gnus-agent t) ; @r{Now the default.}
@end lisp
That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
-@sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
+@acronym{NNTP} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
once.
@node Batching Agents
@subsection Batching Agents
+@findex gnus-agent-batch
Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
+You can run a complete batch command from the command line with the
+following incantation:
+
@example
#!/bin/sh
-emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
+emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null 2>&1
@end example
may ask:
@table @dfn
-@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
-Agent?
+@item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the Agent?
-@strong{No.}
+@strong{No}. If you want this behavior, add
+@code{gnus-agent-fetch-selected-article} to
+@code{gnus-select-article-hook}.
-@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
-in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
+@item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists in
+the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
-@strong{Yes.}
+@strong{No}, unless @code{gnus-agent-cache} is @code{nil}.
@end table
In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
-articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
+articles; when it's plugged, it talks to your ISP and may also use the
+locally stored articles.
@node Scoring
silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
@menu
-* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
-* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
-* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
-* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
-* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
-* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
-* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
-* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
-* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
-* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
-* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
-* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
-* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
-* GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
-* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
-* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
+* Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
+* Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
+* Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
+* Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
+* Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
+* Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
+* Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
+* Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
+* Scoring On Other Headers:: Scoring on non-standard headers.
+* Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
+* Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
+* Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
+* Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
+* Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
+* Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
+* Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
@end menu
@kindex V t (Summary)
@findex gnus-score-find-trace
Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
-(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
+(@code{gnus-score-find-trace}). In the @code{*Score Trace*} buffer, you
+may type @kbd{e} to edit score file corresponding to the score rule on
+current line and @kbd{f} to format (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) the
+score file and edit it.
+
+@item V w
+@kindex V w (Summary)
+@findex gnus-score-find-favourite-words
+List words used in scoring (@code{gnus-score-find-favourite-words}).
@item V R
@kindex V R (Summary)
@item i
Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
+@item e
+Score on an ``extra'' header, that is, one of those in gnus-extra-headers,
+if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks additional header data in overviews.
+
@item f
Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
-the followups to this author.
+the followups to this author. (Using this key leads to the creation of
+@file{ADAPT} files.)
@item b
Score on the body.
Score on the head.
@item t
-Score on thread.
+Score on thread. (Using this key leads to the creation of @file{ADAPT}
+files.)
@end table
@end table
@item
-The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
-score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
-it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
+The fourth and usually final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e.,
+expiring) score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry,
+or whether it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score
+file.
@table @kbd
@item t
Immediately scoring.
@end table
+@item
+If you are scoring on `e' (extra) headers, you will then be prompted for
+the header name on which you wish to score. This must be a header named
+in gnus-extra-headers, and @samp{TAB} completion is available.
+
@end enumerate
So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
@table @kbd
+@item W e
+@kindex W e (Group)
+@findex gnus-score-edit-all-score
+Edit the apply-to-all-groups all.SCORE file. You will be popped into
+a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score File Editing}).
+
@item W f
@kindex W f (Group)
@findex gnus-score-flush-cache
@item gnus-kill-files-directory
@vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
-initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
+initialized from the @env{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
This is @file{~/News/} by default.
@item gnus-score-file-suffix
@vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
-(@samp{SCORE} by default.)
+(@file{SCORE} by default.)
@item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
@vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
@cindex score cache
All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
-bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
+bloated, so this regexp can be used to weed out score files unlikely
+to be needed again. It would be a bad idea to deny caching of
@file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
@file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
server.
@end table
-This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
-functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
-returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
-return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
-return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
-``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
-returned is the local score file. Phu.
+This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all
+these functions will be called with the group name as argument, and
+all the returned lists of score files will be applied. These
+functions can also return lists of lists of score alists directly. In
+that case, the functions that return these non-file score alists
+should probably be placed before the ``real'' score file functions, to
+ensure that the last score file returned is the local score file.
+Phu.
For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
overall score file, you could use the value
@example
-(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE")) 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
+(list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE"))
+ 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
@end example
@item gnus-score-expiry-days
@item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
@vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
-their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
-non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
-stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
-even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
-grim reaper.
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, temporary score entries that have
+been triggered (matched) will have their dates updated. (This is how Gnus
+controls expiry---all non-matched-entries will become too old while
+matched entries will stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this
+variable to @code{nil}, even matched entries will grow old and will
+have to face that oh-so grim reaper.
@item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
@vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
@item gnus-score-thread-simplify
@vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
-If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
-for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
+If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be
+simplified for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
threading---according to the current value of
-gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
+@code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions}. If the scoring entry uses
@code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
simplified in this manner.
(eval (ding)))
@end lisp
-This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
-approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
+This example demonstrates most score file elements. @xref{Advanced
+Scoring}, for a different approach.
-Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
-@code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
+Even though this looks much like Lisp code, nothing here is actually
+@code{eval}ed. The Lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
Six keys are supported by this alist:
entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
to articles that matches these score entries.
-Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
+Following this key is an arbitrary number of score entries, where each
score entry has one to four elements.
@enumerate
@code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
instead, if you feel like.
+@item Extra
+Just as for the standard string overview headers, if you are using
+gnus-extra-headers, you can score on these headers' values. In this
+case, there is a 5th element in the score entry, being the name of the
+header to be scored. The following entry is useful in your
+@file{all.SCORE} file in case of spam attacks from a single origin
+host, if your @acronym{NNTP} server tracks @samp{NNTP-Posting-Host} in
+overviews:
+
+@lisp
+("111.222.333.444" -1000 nil s
+ "NNTP-Posting-Host")
+@end lisp
+
@item Lines, Chars
These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
@code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
(It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
it's not. I think.)
-When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
+When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some back ends (like
@code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
@end table
@end enumerate
-@cindex Score File Atoms
+@cindex score file atoms
@item mark
The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
lower than this number will be marked as read.
@item local
@cindex local variables
-The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
-Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
-and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
-strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
-much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
+The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(@var{var}
+@var{value})} pairs. Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the
+current summary buffer, and set to the value specified. This is a
+convenient, if somewhat strange, way of setting variables in some
+groups if you don't like hooks much. Note that the @var{value} won't
+be evaluated.
@end table
@vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
@code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
-In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
-e} to begin editing score files.
+In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f}, @kbd{V e} and
+@kbd{V t} to begin editing score files.
@node Adaptive Scoring
will be applied to each article.
To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
-articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
+articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{e}) will have a
score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
current article, thereby matching the following thread.
-You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
-articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
-@code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
-article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
-added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
-aspirins afterwards.)
-
If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
changes result in articles getting marked as read.
@vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
-is @samp{ADAPT}.
+is @file{ADAPT}.
+
+@vindex gnus-adaptive-pretty-print
+Adaptive score files can get huge and are not meant to be edited by
+human hands. If @code{gnus-adaptive-pretty-print} is @code{nil} (the
+deafult) those files will not be written in a human readable way.
@vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
Some may feel that short words shouldn't count when doing adaptive
scoring. If so, you may set @code{gnus-adaptive-word-length-limit} to
an integer. Words shorter than this number will be ignored. This
-variable defaults til @code{nil}.
+variable defaults to @code{nil}.
@vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
group name, the @var{file-name} will be used as the home score file.
@item
-A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
-the home score file.
+A function. If the function returns non-@code{nil}, the result will
+be used as the home score file. The function will be called with the
+name of the group as the parameter.
@item
A string. Use the string as the home score file.
@lisp
(setq gnus-home-score-file
- ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
+ ;; @r{All groups that match the regexp @code{"\\.emacs"}}
'(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
- ;; All the comp groups in one score file
+ ;; @r{All the comp groups in one score file}
("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
@end lisp
is system-dependent.
+@node Scoring On Other Headers
+@section Scoring On Other Headers
+@cindex scoring on other headers
+
+Gnus is quite fast when scoring the ``traditional''
+headers---@samp{From}, @samp{Subject} and so on. However, scoring
+other headers requires writing a @code{head} scoring rule, which means
+that Gnus has to request every single article from the back end to find
+matches. This takes a long time in big groups.
+
+Now, there's not much you can do about this for news groups, but for
+mail groups, you have greater control. In @ref{To From Newsgroups},
+it's explained in greater detail what this mechanism does, but here's
+a cookbook example for @code{nnml} on how to allow scoring on the
+@samp{To} and @samp{Cc} headers.
+
+Put the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-extra-headers '(To Cc Newsgroups Keywords)
+ nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
+@end lisp
+
+Restart Gnus and rebuild your @code{nnml} overview files with the
+@kbd{M-x nnml-generate-nov-databases} command. This will take a long
+time if you have much mail.
+
+Now you can score on @samp{To} and @samp{Cc} as ``extra headers'' like
+so: @kbd{I e s p To RET <your name> RET}.
+
+See? Simple.
+
+
@node Scoring Tips
@section Scoring Tips
@cindex scoring tips
If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
more than, say, 3 groups:
@lisp
-("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
+("xref"
+ ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+"
+ -1000 nil r))
@end lisp
@item Matching on the body
or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
files are applicable to which group.
-Say you want to use the score file
+To use the score file
@file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
-all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
+all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory,
+say this:
@lisp
(setq gnus-global-score-files
@end lisp
@findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
+@noindent
Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
old articles for a long time.
@end itemize
-... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
+@dots{} I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
holding our breath yet?
encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
interpreting it.
-Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
+Two summary functions for editing a @sc{gnus} kill file:
@table @kbd
before.
-@node GroupLens
-@section GroupLens
-@cindex GroupLens
-
-GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
-together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
-huge volume of news articles generated every day.
-
-To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
-articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
-likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
-article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
-rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
-Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
-of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
-prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
-article.
-
-@menu
-* Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
-* Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
-* Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
-* GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
-@end menu
-
-
-@node Using GroupLens
-@subsection Using GroupLens
-
-To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
-Bit Bureau (BBB).
-@uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
-better bit in town at the moment.
-
-Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
-
-@table @code
-
-@item gnus-use-grouplens
-@vindex gnus-use-grouplens
-Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
-all the relevant GroupLens functions.
-
-@item grouplens-pseudonym
-@vindex grouplens-pseudonym
-This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
-with the Better Bit Bureau.
-
-@item grouplens-newsgroups
-@vindex grouplens-newsgroups
-A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
-
-@end table
-
-That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
-Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
-articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
-the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
-yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
-you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
-
-
-@node Rating Articles
-@subsection Rating Articles
-
-In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
-Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
-means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
-yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
-like this one?"
-
-There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item r
-@kindex r (GroupLens)
-@findex bbb-summary-rate-article
-This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
-
-@item k
-@kindex k (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-score-thread
-This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
-the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
-threads in rec.humor.
-
-@end table
-
-The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
-the score of the article you're reading.
-
-@table @kbd
-
-@item 1-5 n
-@kindex n (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-next-unread-article
-Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
-
-@item 1-5 ,
-@kindex , (GroupLens)
-@findex grouplens-best-unread-article
-Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
-
-@end table
-
-If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
-next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
-
-
-@node Displaying Predictions
-@subsection Displaying Predictions
-
-GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
-news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
-5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
-from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
-
-@vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
-There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
-choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
-regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
-people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
-the separate scoring behavior you need to set
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
-GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
-@code{'override} and to combine the scores set
-@code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
-the combine option you will also want to set the values for
-@code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
-@code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
-
-@vindex grouplens-prediction-display
-In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
-to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
-controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
-
-The following are valid values for that variable.
-
-@table @code
-@item prediction-spot
-The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
-displayed.
-
-@item confidence-interval
-A numeric confidence interval.
-
-@item prediction-bar
-The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
-
-@item confidence-bar
-Numerical confidence.
-
-@item confidence-spot
-The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
-
-@item prediction-num
-Plain-old numeric value.
-
-@item confidence-plus-minus
-Prediction +/- confidence.
-
-@end table
-
-
-@node GroupLens Variables
-@subsection GroupLens Variables
-
-@table @code
-
-@item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
-The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
-accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
-Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
-%s\n}.
-
-@item grouplens-bbb-host
-Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
-default.
-
-@item grouplens-bbb-port
-Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
-
-@item grouplens-score-offset
-Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
-prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
-default is 0.
-
-@item grouplens-score-scale-factor
-This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
-The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
-
-@end table
-
-
@node Advanced Scoring
@section Advanced Scoring
@node Advanced Scoring Examples
@subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
+Please note that the following examples are score file rules. To
+make a complete score file from them, surround them with another pair
+of parentheses.
+
Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
when he's talking about Gnus:
@example
+@group
((&
("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
("subject" "Gnus"))
1000)
+@end group
@end example
Quite simple, huh?
1000)
@end example
-The possibilities are endless.
+Suppose you're reading a high volume group and you're only interested
+in replies. The plan is to score down all articles that don't have
+subject that begin with "Re:", "Fw:" or "Fwd:" and then score up all
+parents of articles that have subjects that begin with reply marks.
+@example
+((! ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
+ -200)
+((1- ("subject" "re:\\|fwd?:" r))
+ 200)
+@end example
+
+The possibilities are endless.
@node Advanced Scoring Tips
@subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
...
@end example
-Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
-current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
+Then that means ``score on the from header of the grandparent of the
+current article''. An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
@example
(1-
When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
-The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
-function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
-definition of that function:
+If @code{gnus-decay-scores} is a regexp, only score files matching this
+regexp are treated. E.g. you may set it to @samp{\\.ADAPT\\'} if only
+@emph{adaptive} score files should be decayed. The decay itself if
+performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function} function, which is
+@code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the definition of that
+function:
@lisp
(defun gnus-decay-score (score)
- "Decay SCORE.
-This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
+ "Decay SCORE according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
- (floor
- (- score
- (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
- (min (abs score)
- (max gnus-score-decay-constant
- (* (abs score)
- gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+ (let ((n (- score
+ (* (if (< score 0) -1 1)
+ (min (abs score)
+ (max gnus-score-decay-constant
+ (* (abs score)
+ gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
+ (if (and (featurep 'xemacs)
+ ;; XEmacs' floor can handle only the floating point
+ ;; number below the half of the maximum integer.
+ (> (abs n) (lsh -1 -2)))
+ (string-to-number
+ (car (split-string (number-to-string n) "\\.")))
+ (floor n))))
@end lisp
@vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+@chapter Message
+@include message.texi
+@chapter Emacs MIME
+@include emacs-mime.texi
+@chapter Sieve
+@include sieve.texi
+@chapter PGG
+@include pgg.texi
+@chapter SASL
+@include sasl.texi
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
@node Various
@chapter Various
@menu
-* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
-* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
-* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
-* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
-* Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
-* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
-* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
-* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
-* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
-* Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
-* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
-* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
-* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
-* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
-* XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
-* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
-* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
-* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
+* Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
+* Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
+* Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
+* Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
+* Window Layout:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
+* Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
+* Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
+* Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
+* Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
+* Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
+* Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
+* NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
+* Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
+* Predicate Specifiers:: Specifying predicates.
+* Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
+* Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
+* Image Enhancements:: Modern versions of Emacs/XEmacs can display images.
+* Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
+* Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
+* Other modes:: Interaction with other modes.
+* Various Various:: Things that are really various.
@end menu
that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
-expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
+expirable, you could say @kbd{M P b M-& E}.
@node Interactive
I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
-prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
-command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
-``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
+prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a C-M-u} means ``feed the @kbd{C-M-u}
+command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b C-M-u} means
+``feed the @kbd{C-M-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
@code{b}''. You get the drift.
Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
lots of percentages everywhere.
@menu
-* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
-* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
-* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
-* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
-* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
+* Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
+* Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
+* Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
+* User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
+* Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
+* Positioning Point:: Moving point to a position after an operation.
+* Tabulation:: Tabulating your output.
+* Wide Characters:: Dealing with wide characters.
@end menu
Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
-examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
+examine the resulting Lisp code to be run to generate the line.
means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
less than 4 characters wide.
+Also Gnus supports some extended format specifications, such as
+@samp{%&user-date;}.
+
@node Mode Line Formatting
@subsection Mode Line Formatting
@item form
Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
used.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+"~(form (current-time-string))@@"
+@end lisp
+
@end table
Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
should protect against that.
+Also Gnus supports extended user-defined specs, such as @samp{%u&foo;}.
+Gnus will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{foo}.
+
You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
@samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
@code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
@samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
-Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
-@code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
-say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
-@code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
-naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
-when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
-will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
-@code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
+Text inside the @samp{%<<} and @samp{%>>} specifiers will get the
+special @code{balloon-help} property set to
+@code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you say @samp{%1<<}, you'll get
+@code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The @code{gnus-balloon-face-*}
+variables should be either strings or symbols naming functions that
+return a string. When the mouse passes over text with this property
+set, a balloon window will appear and display the string. Please
+refer to @ref{Tooltips, ,Tooltips, emacs, The Emacs Manual},
+(in GNU Emacs) or the doc string of @code{balloon-help-mode} (in
+XEmacs) for more information on this. (For technical reasons, the
+guillemets have been approximated as @samp{<<} and @samp{>>} in this
+paragraph.)
Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
@lisp
-;; Create three face types.
+;; @r{Create three face types.}
(setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
(setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
-;; We want the article count to be in
-;; a bold and green face. So we create
-;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
+;; @r{We want the article count to be in}
+;; @r{a bold and green face. So we create}
+;; @r{a new face called @code{my-green-bold}.}
(copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
-;; Set the color.
+;; @r{Set the color.}
(set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
(setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
-;; Set the new & fancy format.
+;; @r{Set the new & fancy format.}
(setq gnus-group-line-format
"%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
@end lisp
Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
mode-line variables.
+@node Positioning Point
+@subsection Positioning Point
+
+Gnus usually moves point to a pre-defined place on each line in most
+buffers. By default, point move to the first colon character on the
+line. You can customize this behavior in three different ways.
+
+You can move the colon character to somewhere else on the line.
+
+@findex gnus-goto-colon
+You can redefine the function that moves the point to the colon. The
+function is called @code{gnus-goto-colon}.
+
+But perhaps the most convenient way to deal with this, if you don't want
+to have a colon in your line, is to use the @samp{%*} specifier. If you
+put a @samp{%*} somewhere in your format line definition, Gnus will
+place point there.
+
+
+@node Tabulation
+@subsection Tabulation
+
+You can usually line up your displays by padding and cutting your
+strings. However, when combining various strings of different size, it
+can often be more convenient to just output the strings, and then worry
+about lining up the following text afterwards.
+
+To do that, Gnus supplies tabulator specs---@samp{%=}. There are two
+different types---@dfn{hard tabulators} and @dfn{soft tabulators}.
+
+@samp{%50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
+50. If the text is already past column 50, nothing will be inserted.
+This is the soft tabulator.
+
+@samp{%-50=} will insert space characters to pad the line up to column
+50. If the text is already past column 50, the excess text past column
+50 will be removed. This is the hard tabulator.
+
+
+@node Wide Characters
+@subsection Wide Characters
+
+Fixed width fonts in most countries have characters of the same width.
+Some countries, however, use Latin characters mixed with wider
+characters---most notable East Asian countries.
+
+The problem is that when formatting, Gnus assumes that if a string is 10
+characters wide, it'll be 10 Latin characters wide on the screen. In
+these countries, that's not true.
+
+@vindex gnus-use-correct-string-widths
+To help fix this, you can set @code{gnus-use-correct-string-widths} to
+@code{t}. This makes buffer generation slower, but the results will be
+prettier. The default value under XEmacs is @code{t} but @code{nil}
+for Emacs.
+
-@node Windows Configuration
-@section Windows Configuration
-@cindex windows configuration
+@node Window Layout
+@section Window Layout
+@cindex window layout
No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
may look like:
@example
-split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
-frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
-horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
-vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
-buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
-size = number | frame-params
-buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
+@group
+split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
+frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
+horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
+vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
+buffer = "(" buf-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
+size = number | frame-params
+buf-name = group | article | summary ...
+@end group
@end example
The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
(vertical 0.24
(if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
'(summary 0.5))
- (group 1.0)))))
+ (group 1.0))))
@end lisp
One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
@lisp
-(message (frame 1.0
- (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
- (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
- (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
- (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
- (name . "Message"))
- (message 1.0 point))))
+(message
+ (frame 1.0
+ (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
+ (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
+ (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
+ (name . "Message"))
+ (message 1.0 point))))
@end lisp
@findex gnus-add-configuration
@end lisp
You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
-@file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
Gnus has been loaded.
@vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
@subsection Example Window Configurations
@itemize @bullet
-@item
+@item
Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
@file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
-them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
+them into the @file{~/.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
@node Mode Lines
(gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
@end lisp
-Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
-idle:
+Here's a handler that scans for @acronym{PGP} headers every hour when
+Emacs is idle:
@lisp
(gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
@end lisp
-This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
+This @var{time} parameter and that @var{idle} parameter work together
in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
@code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
-your @file{.gnus} file:
+your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@findex gnus-demon-add-handler
@lisp
@code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
@code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
@code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
-@file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
+@file{~/.gnus.el} if you want those abilities.
@findex gnus-demon-init
@findex gnus-demon-cancel
Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
by default.
+You can also set this variable to a positive number as a group level.
+In that case, Gnus scans NoCeM messages when checking new news if this
+value is not exceeding a group level that you specify as the prefix
+argument to some commands, e.g. @code{gnus},
+@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}, etc. Otherwise, Gnus does not scan
+NoCeM messages if you specify a group level to those commands. For
+example, if you use 1 or 2 on the mail groups and the levels on the news
+groups remain the default, 3 is the best choice.
+
@item gnus-nocem-groups
@vindex gnus-nocem-groups
Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
-default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
-"alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
+default is
+@lisp
+("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
+ "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")
+@end lisp
@item gnus-nocem-issuers
@vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
-people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
-"clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
-"hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
+people you want to listen to. The default is
+@lisp
+("Automoose-1" "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca"
+ "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo" "hweede@@snafu.de")
+@end lisp
+fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
-Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
+Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at@*
@uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
@item gnus-nocem-verifyer
@vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
-@findex mc-verify
+@findex pgg-verify
This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
-says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
-function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
-(which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
-
-If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
-not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
-
-(defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
- (not (eq 'forged
- (ignore-errors
- (if (mc-verify)
- t
- 'forged)))))
-@end lisp
+says she is. The default is @code{pgg-verify}, which returns
+non-@code{nil} if the verification is successful, otherwise (including
+the case the NoCeM message was not signed) returns @code{nil}. If this
+is too slow and you don't care for verification (which may be dangerous),
+you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
-This might be dangerous, though.
+Formerly the default was @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
+function. While you can still use it, you can change it into
+@code{pgg-verify} running with GnuPG if you are willing to add the
+@acronym{PGP} public keys to GnuPG's keyring.
@item gnus-nocem-directory
@vindex gnus-nocem-directory
-This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
+This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is@*
@file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
@item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
@findex gnus-undo
The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
-default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
+default. The @kbd{C-M-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo}
command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
command.
+@node Predicate Specifiers
+@section Predicate Specifiers
+@cindex predicate specifiers
+
+Some Gnus variables are @dfn{predicate specifiers}. This is a special
+form that allows flexible specification of predicates without having
+to type all that much.
+
+These specifiers are lists consisting of functions, symbols and lists.
+
+Here's an example:
+
+@lisp
+(or gnus-article-unseen-p
+ gnus-article-unread-p)
+@end lisp
+
+The available symbols are @code{or}, @code{and} and @code{not}. The
+functions all take one parameter.
+
+@findex gnus-make-predicate
+Internally, Gnus calls @code{gnus-make-predicate} on these specifiers
+to create a function that can be called. This input parameter to this
+function will be passed along to all the functions in the predicate
+specifier.
+
+
@node Moderation
@section Moderation
@cindex moderation
(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
@end lisp
-in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
+in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file.
If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
supposed to work:
@end lisp
-@node XEmacs Enhancements
-@section XEmacs Enhancements
-@cindex XEmacs
-
-XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
-advantage of that.
-
-@menu
-* Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
-* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
-* Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
-* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
-@end menu
+@node Fetching a Group
+@section Fetching a Group
+@cindex fetching a group
+@findex gnus-fetch-group
+It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
+group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
+perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
+command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
+It takes the group name as a parameter.
-@node Picons
-@subsection Picons
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\include{picons}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@node Image Enhancements
+@section Image Enhancements
-So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
-good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
-over your shoulder as you read news.
+XEmacs, as well as Emacs 21@footnote{Emacs 21 on MS Windows doesn't
+support images yet.}, is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has
+taken advantage of that.
@menu
-* Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
-* Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
-* Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
-* Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
-* Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
+* X-Face:: Display a funky, teensy black-and-white image.
+* Face:: Display a funkier, teensier colored image.
+* Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
+* Picons:: How to display pictures of what you're reading.
+* XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
@end menu
-@node Picon Basics
-@subsubsection Picon Basics
+@node X-Face
+@subsection X-Face
+@cindex x-face
-What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
+@code{X-Face} headers describe a 48x48 pixel black-and-white (1 bit
+depth) image that's supposed to represent the author of the message.
+It seems to be supported by an ever-growing number of mail and news
+readers.
+@cindex x-face
+@findex gnus-article-display-x-face
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
@iftex
@iflatex
-\margindex{}
+\include{xface}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
+@c @anchor{X-Face}
-@quotation
-@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
-constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
-organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
-e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
-databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
-in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
-@code{GIF} formats.
-@end quotation
-
-@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
-Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
-@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
-@uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
-
-@vindex gnus-picons-database
-Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
-obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
-@uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
-picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
-@code{gnus-picons-database}.
+Viewing an @code{X-Face} header either requires an Emacs that has
+@samp{compface} support (which most XEmacs versions has), or that you
+have suitable conversion or display programs installed. If your Emacs
+has image support the default action is to display the face before the
+@code{From} header. If there's no native @code{X-Face} support, Gnus
+will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using external programs
+from the @code{pbmplus} package and friends. For XEmacs it's faster if
+XEmacs has been compiled with @code{X-Face} support. The default action
+under Emacs without image support is to fork off the @code{display}
+program.
+On a GNU/Linux system, the @code{display} program is from the
+ImageMagick package. For external conversion programs look for packages
+with names like @code{netpbm}, @code{libgr-progs} and @code{compface}.
-@node Picon Requirements
-@subsubsection Picon Requirements
+The variable that controls this is the
+@code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable. If this variable is a
+string, this string will be executed in a sub-shell. If it is a
+function, this function will be called with the face as the argument.
+If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which is a regexp) matches
+the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
-To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
-19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
-display images.
+(Note: @code{x-face} is used in the variable/function names, not
+@code{xface}).
-Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
-display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
-you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
+@noindent
+Face and variable:
-@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
-the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
-the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
-@code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
+@table @code
+@item gnus-x-face
+@vindex gnus-x-face
+Face to show X-Face. The colors from this face are used as the
+foreground and background colors of the displayed X-Faces. The
+default colors are black and white.
+
+@item gnus-face-properties-alist
+@vindex gnus-face-properties-alist
+Alist of image types and properties applied to Face (@pxref{Face}) and
+X-Face images. The default value is @code{((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face))
+(png . nil))} for Emacs or @code{((xface . (:face gnus-x-face)))} for
+XEmacs. Here are examples:
+@lisp
+;; Specify the altitude of Face and X-Face images in the From header.
+(setq gnus-face-properties-alist
+ '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :ascent 80))
+ (png . (:ascent 80))))
+
+;; Show Face and X-Face images as pressed buttons.
+(setq gnus-face-properties-alist
+ '((pbm . (:face gnus-x-face :relief -2))
+ (png . (:relief -2))))
+@end lisp
-@node Easy Picons
-@subsubsection Easy Picons
+@pxref{Image Descriptors, ,Image Descriptors, elisp, The Emacs Lisp
+Reference Manual} for the valid properties for various image types.
+Currently, @code{pbm} is used for X-Face images and @code{png} is used
+for Face images in Emacs. Only the @code{:face} property is effective
+on the @code{xface} image type in XEmacs if it is built with the
+@samp{libcompface} library.
+@end table
-To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
-@file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
+If you use posting styles, you can use an @code{x-face-file} entry in
+@code{gnus-posting-styles}, @xref{Posting Styles}. If you don't, Gnus
+provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow easier
+insertion of X-Face headers in outgoing messages. You also need the
+above mentioned ImageMagick, netpbm or other image conversion packages
+(depending the values of the variables below) for these functions.
+
+@findex gnus-random-x-face
+@vindex gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command
+@vindex gnus-x-face-directory
+@code{gnus-random-x-face} goes through all the @samp{pbm} files in
+@code{gnus-x-face-directory} and picks one at random, and then
+converts it to the X-Face format by using the
+@code{gnus-convert-pbm-to-x-face-command} shell command. The
+@samp{pbm} files should be 48x48 pixels big. It returns the X-Face
+header data as a string.
+
+@findex gnus-insert-random-x-face-header
+@code{gnus-insert-random-x-face-header} calls
+@code{gnus-random-x-face} and inserts a @samp{X-Face} header with the
+randomly generated data.
+
+@findex gnus-x-face-from-file
+@vindex gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command
+@code{gnus-x-face-from-file} takes a GIF file as the parameter, and then
+converts the file to X-Face format by using the
+@code{gnus-convert-image-to-x-face-command} shell command.
+
+Here's how you would typically use the first function. Put something
+like the following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-picons t)
-(setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
+(setq message-required-news-headers
+ (nconc message-required-news-headers
+ (list '(X-Face . gnus-random-x-face))))
@end lisp
-and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
-containing the Picons databases.
-
-Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
+Using the last function would be something like this:
@lisp
-(setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
- "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
+(setq message-required-news-headers
+ (nconc message-required-news-headers
+ (list '(X-Face . (lambda ()
+ (gnus-x-face-from-file
+ "~/My-face.gif"))))))
@end lisp
-@node Hard Picons
-@subsubsection Hard Picons
-
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@node Face
+@subsection Face
+@cindex face
-Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
-articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
-database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
-author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
-feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
-display them.
+@c #### FIXME: faces and x-faces' implementations should really be harmonized.
-@table @code
+@code{Face} headers are essentially a funkier version of @code{X-Face}
+ones. They describe a 48x48 pixel colored image that's supposed to
+represent the author of the message.
-@item gnus-picons-database
-@vindex gnus-picons-database
-The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
-containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
-subdirectories. This is only useful if
-@code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
-@file{/usr/local/faces/}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-@vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
-The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
-engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
-workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
-this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
-database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-display-where
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
-Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
-default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
-valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
-@samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
-buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
-routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
-@vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
-Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
-displayed.
+@cindex face
+@findex gnus-article-display-face
+The contents of a @code{Face} header must be a base64 encoded PNG image.
+See @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/circus/face/} for the precise
+specifications.
-@end table
+The @code{gnus-face-properties-alist} variable affects the appearance of
+displayed Face images. @xref{X-Face}.
-Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
-window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
+Viewing an @code{Face} header requires an Emacs that is able to display
+PNG images.
+@c Maybe add this:
+@c (if (featurep 'xemacs)
+@c (featurep 'png)
+@c (image-type-available-p 'png))
-Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
-functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
-at the right time.
+Gnus provides a few convenience functions and variables to allow
+easier insertion of Face headers in outgoing messages.
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-where
-@table @code
-@item gnus-article-display-picons
-@findex gnus-article-display-picons
-Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
-in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
+@findex gnus-convert-png-to-face
+@code{gnus-convert-png-to-face} takes a 48x48 PNG image, no longer than
+726 bytes long, and converts it to a face.
-@item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
-@findex gnus-article-display-picons
-Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
+@findex gnus-face-from-file
+@vindex gnus-convert-image-to-face-command
+@code{gnus-face-from-file} takes a JPEG file as the parameter, and then
+converts the file to Face format by using the
+@code{gnus-convert-image-to-face-command} shell command.
-@end table
+Here's how you would typically use this function. Put something like the
+following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+@lisp
+(setq message-required-news-headers
+ (nconc message-required-news-headers
+ (list '(Face . (lambda ()
+ (gnus-face-from-file "~/face.jpg"))))))
+@end lisp
-@node Picon Useless Configuration
-@subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
+@node Smileys
+@subsection Smileys
+@cindex smileys
@iftex
@iflatex
-\margindex{}
+\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/BigFace,height=20cm}}
+\input{smiley}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-The following variables offer further control over how things are
-done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
-don't need to worry about.
+@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
+currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
-@table @code
+In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file:
-@item gnus-picons-news-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
-newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
+@end lisp
+
+Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{8-)}, @samp{:-(} and
+the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
+faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
+text and maps that to file names.
-@item gnus-picons-user-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
-faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
+@vindex smiley-regexp-alist
+The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist}
+variable. The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched;
+the second element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by
+the picture; and the third element is the name of the file to be
+displayed.
-@item gnus-picons-domain-directories
-@vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
-List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
-domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
-want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
+The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
+files:
-@item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-@vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
-If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
-command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
-(@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
-Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
-gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
-
-@item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
-@vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
-Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
-to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
-@vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
-If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
-XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
-can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
-remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
-@code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
-@vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
-If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
-Defaults to @code{nil}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-display-as-address
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
-If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
-Defaults to @code{t}.
-
-@item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
-@vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
-Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
-@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
+@table @code
+
+@item smiley-data-directory
+@vindex smiley-data-directory
+Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
-@item gnus-picons-setup-hook
-@vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
-Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
+@item gnus-smiley-file-types
+@vindex gnus-smiley-file-types
+List of suffixes on smiley file names to try.
-@item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
-@vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
-Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
-has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
+@end table
-If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
-@code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
-@item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
-@vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
-Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
-picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
-process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
-Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
-@code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
-cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
+@node Picons
+@subsection Picons
@iftex
@iflatex
-\margindex{}
+\include{picons}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@end table
+So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
+good way to do so. It's also a great way to impress people staring
+over your shoulder as you read news.
-@node Smileys
-@subsection Smileys
-@cindex smileys
+What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
@iftex
@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
-\input{smiley}
+\margindex{}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
-currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
-
-In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
-@file{.gnus.el} file:
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
-@end lisp
+@quotation
+@dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
+constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
+organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
+e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
+databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
+in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
+@code{GIF} formats.
+@end quotation
-Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
-the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
-faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
-text and maps that to file names.
+@vindex gnus-picon-databases
+For instructions on obtaining and installing the picons databases,
+point your Web browser at
+@uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}.
-@vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
-@vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
-Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
-@code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
-and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
-@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
+If you are using Debian GNU/Linux, saying @samp{apt-get install
+picons.*} will install the picons where Gnus can find them.
-The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
-which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
+To enable displaying picons, simply make sure that
+@code{gnus-picon-databases} points to the directory containing the
+Picons databases.
-The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
-element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
-and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
+@vindex gnus-picon-style
+The variable @code{gnus-picon-style} controls how picons are displayed.
+If @code{inline}, the textual representation is replaced. If
+@code{right}, picons are added right to the textual representation.
-The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
-files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
+The following variables offer control over where things are located.
@table @code
-@item smiley-data-directory
-@vindex smiley-data-directory
-Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
-
-@item smiley-flesh-color
-@vindex smiley-flesh-color
-Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
+@item gnus-picon-databases
+@vindex gnus-picon-databases
+The location of the picons database. This is a list of directories
+containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
+subdirectories. Defaults to @code{("/usr/lib/picon"
+"/usr/local/faces")}.
-@item smiley-features-color
-@vindex smiley-features-color
-Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@item gnus-picon-news-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-news-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
+newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
-@item smiley-tongue-color
-@vindex smiley-tongue-color
-Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
+@item gnus-picon-user-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-user-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for user
+faces. @code{("users" "usenix" "local" "misc")} is the default.
-@item smiley-circle-color
-@vindex smiley-circle-color
-Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
+@item gnus-picon-domain-directories
+@vindex gnus-picon-domain-directories
+List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picon-databases} for
+domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
+want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
-@item smiley-mouse-face
-@vindex smiley-mouse-face
-Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
+@item gnus-picon-file-types
+@vindex gnus-picon-file-types
+Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
+@code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not built-in your Emacs.
@end table
-@node Toolbar
-@subsection Toolbar
+@node XVarious
+@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
@table @code
+@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
+This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
+auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
+unusual directory structure.
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\margindex{}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
+A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
+default.
+
+@end table
+
+@subsubsection Toolbar
+
+@table @code
@item gnus-use-toolbar
@vindex gnus-use-toolbar
-If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
-one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
-@code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
+This variable specifies the position to display the toolbar. If
+@code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If it is non-@code{nil}, it should
+be one of the symbols @code{default}, @code{top}, @code{bottom},
+@code{right}, and @code{left}. @code{default} means to use the default
+toolbar, the rest mean to display the toolbar on the place which those
+names show. The default is @code{default}.
+
+@item gnus-toolbar-thickness
+@vindex gnus-toolbar-thickness
+Cons of the height and the width specifying the thickness of a toolbar.
+The height is used for the toolbar displayed on the top or the bottom,
+the width is used for the toolbar displayed on the right or the left.
+The default is that of the default toolbar.
@item gnus-group-toolbar
@vindex gnus-group-toolbar
@end table
-
-@node XVarious
-@subsection Various XEmacs Variables
-
-@table @code
-@item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
-@vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
-This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
-auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
-unusual directory structure.
-
-@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
-@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
-This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
-foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
-
-@item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
-@vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
-This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
-Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
-@code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
-@code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
-
-@item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
-@vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
-A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
-default.
-
@iftex
@iflatex
\margindex{}
@end iflatex
@end iftex
-@end table
-
-
-
@node Fuzzy Matching
@section Fuzzy Matching
(``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
-This is annoying.
+This is annoying. Here's what you can do about it.
+
+@menu
+* The problem of spam:: Some background, and some solutions
+* Anti-Spam Basics:: Simple steps to reduce the amount of spam.
+* SpamAssassin:: How to use external anti-spam tools.
+* Hashcash:: Reduce spam by burning CPU time.
+* Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package::
+* Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat::
+@end menu
+
+@node The problem of spam
+@subsection The problem of spam
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam filtering approaches
+@cindex filtering approaches, spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
+
+First, some background on spam.
+
+If you have access to e-mail, you are familiar with spam (technically
+termed @acronym{UCE}, Unsolicited Commercial E-mail). Simply put, it
+exists because e-mail delivery is very cheap compared to paper mail,
+so only a very small percentage of people need to respond to an UCE to
+make it worthwhile to the advertiser. Ironically, one of the most
+common spams is the one offering a database of e-mail addresses for
+further spamming. Senders of spam are usually called @emph{spammers},
+but terms like @emph{vermin}, @emph{scum}, @emph{sociopaths}, and
+@emph{morons} are in common use as well.
+
+Spam comes from a wide variety of sources. It is simply impossible to
+dispose of all spam without discarding useful messages. A good
+example is the TMDA system, which requires senders
+unknown to you to confirm themselves as legitimate senders before
+their e-mail can reach you. Without getting into the technical side
+of TMDA, a downside is clearly that e-mail from legitimate sources may
+be discarded if those sources can't or won't confirm themselves
+through the TMDA system. Another problem with TMDA is that it
+requires its users to have a basic understanding of e-mail delivery
+and processing.
+
+The simplest approach to filtering spam is filtering, at the mail
+server or when you sort through incoming mail. If you get 200 spam
+messages per day from @samp{random-address@@vmadmin.com}, you block
+@samp{vmadmin.com}. If you get 200 messages about @samp{VIAGRA}, you
+discard all messages with @samp{VIAGRA} in the message. If you get
+lots of spam from Bulgaria, for example, you try to filter all mail
+from Bulgarian IPs.
+
+This, unfortunately, is a great way to discard legitimate e-mail. The
+risks of blocking a whole country (Bulgaria, Norway, Nigeria, China,
+etc.) or even a continent (Asia, Africa, Europe, etc.) from contacting
+you should be obvious, so don't do it if you have the choice.
+
+In another instance, the very informative and useful RISKS digest has
+been blocked by overzealous mail filters because it @strong{contained}
+words that were common in spam messages. Nevertheless, in isolated
+cases, with great care, direct filtering of mail can be useful.
+
+Another approach to filtering e-mail is the distributed spam
+processing, for instance DCC implements such a system. In essence,
+@var{N} systems around the world agree that a machine @var{X} in
+Ghana, Estonia, or California is sending out spam e-mail, and these
+@var{N} systems enter @var{X} or the spam e-mail from @var{X} into a
+database. The criteria for spam detection vary---it may be the number
+of messages sent, the content of the messages, and so on. When a user
+of the distributed processing system wants to find out if a message is
+spam, he consults one of those @var{N} systems.
+
+Distributed spam processing works very well against spammers that send
+a large number of messages at once, but it requires the user to set up
+fairly complicated checks. There are commercial and free distributed
+spam processing systems. Distributed spam processing has its risks as
+well. For instance legitimate e-mail senders have been accused of
+sending spam, and their web sites and mailing lists have been shut
+down for some time because of the incident.
+
+The statistical approach to spam filtering is also popular. It is
+based on a statistical analysis of previous spam messages. Usually
+the analysis is a simple word frequency count, with perhaps pairs of
+words or 3-word combinations thrown into the mix. Statistical
+analysis of spam works very well in most of the cases, but it can
+classify legitimate e-mail as spam in some cases. It takes time to
+run the analysis, the full message must be analyzed, and the user has
+to store the database of spam analyses. Statistical analysis on the
+server is gaining popularity. This has the advantage of letting the
+user Just Read Mail, but has the disadvantage that it's harder to tell
+the server that it has misclassified mail.
+
+Fighting spam is not easy, no matter what anyone says. There is no
+magic switch that will distinguish Viagra ads from Mom's e-mails.
+Even people are having a hard time telling spam apart from non-spam,
+because spammers are actively looking to fool us into thinking they
+are Mom, essentially. Spamming is irritating, irresponsible, and
+idiotic behavior from a bunch of people who think the world owes them
+a favor. We hope the following sections will help you in fighting the
+spam plague.
+
+@node Anti-Spam Basics
+@subsection Anti-Spam Basics
+@cindex email spam
+@cindex spam
+@cindex UCE
+@cindex unsolicited commercial email
-The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
+One way of dealing with spam is having Gnus split out all spam into a
@samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
(@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
@lisp
-(
- ...
+(...
(to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
- (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
- ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
- "spam"))
- ...
-)
+ (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
+ ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
+ "spam"))
+ ...)
@end lisp
This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
(This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
-In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
+In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @acronym{SMTP} server
and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
-If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
-automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
-at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
-Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
-cosmic balance somewhat.
-
This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
+Be careful with this approach. Spammers are wise to it.
-@node Various Various
-@section Various Various
-@cindex mode lines
-@cindex highlights
-@table @code
+@node SpamAssassin
+@subsection SpamAssassin, Vipul's Razor, DCC, etc
+@cindex SpamAssassin
+@cindex Vipul's Razor
+@cindex DCC
-@item gnus-home-directory
-All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
-defaults to @file{~/}.
+The days where the hints in the previous section were sufficient in
+avoiding spam are coming to an end. There are many tools out there
+that claim to reduce the amount of spam you get. This section could
+easily become outdated fast, as new products replace old, but
+fortunately most of these tools seem to have similar interfaces. Even
+though this section will use SpamAssassin as an example, it should be
+easy to adapt it to most other tools.
-@item gnus-directory
-@vindex gnus-directory
-Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
-which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
-@file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
+Note that this section does not involve the @code{spam.el} package,
+which is discussed in the next section. If you don't care for all
+the features of @code{spam.el}, you can make do with these simple
+recipes.
-Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
-This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
-variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
-@file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
+If the tool you are using is not installed on the mail server, you
+need to invoke it yourself. Ideas on how to use the
+@code{:postscript} mail source parameter (@pxref{Mail Source
+Specifiers}) follow.
-@item gnus-default-directory
-@vindex gnus-default-directory
-Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
-default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
-like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
-default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
-default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
-buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
+@lisp
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((file :prescript "formail -bs spamassassin < /var/mail/%u")
+ (pop :user "jrl"
+ :server "pophost"
+ :postscript
+ "mv %t /tmp/foo; formail -bs spamc < /tmp/foo > %t")))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-verbose
-@vindex gnus-verbose
-This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
-the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
-will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
-most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
-shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
+Once you manage to process your incoming spool somehow, thus making
+the mail contain e.g.@: a header indicating it is spam, you are ready to
+filter it out. Using normal split methods (@pxref{Splitting Mail}):
-@item gnus-verbose-backends
-@vindex gnus-verbose-backends
-This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
-to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods '(("spam" "^X-Spam-Flag: YES")
+ ...))
+@end lisp
-@item nnheader-max-head-length
-@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
-When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
-as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
-the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
-on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
-variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
-@code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
-but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
-@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
+Or using fancy split methods (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
-@item nnheader-head-chop-length
-@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
-This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
-read when doing the operation described above.
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-methods 'nnmail-split-fancy
+ nnmail-split-fancy '(| ("X-Spam-Flag" "YES" "spam")
+ ...))
+@end lisp
-@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
-@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
-@cindex file names
-@cindex invalid characters in file names
-@cindex characters in file names
-This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
-For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
-on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
+Some people might not like the idea of piping the mail through various
+programs using a @code{:prescript} (if some program is buggy, you
+might lose all mail). If you are one of them, another solution is to
+call the external tools during splitting. Example fancy split method:
@lisp
-(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
- '((?: . ?_)))
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy '(| (: kevin-spamassassin)
+ ...))
+(defun kevin-spamassassin ()
+ (save-excursion
+ (save-restriction
+ (widen)
+ (if (eq 1 (call-process-region (point-min) (point-max)
+ "spamc" nil nil nil "-c"))
+ "spam"))))
@end lisp
-In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
-Windows (phooey) systems.
+Note that with the nnimap back end, message bodies will not be
+downloaded by default. You need to set
+@code{nnimap-split-download-body} to @code{t} to do that
+(@pxref{Splitting in IMAP}).
-@item gnus-hidden-properties
-@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
-This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
-@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
-makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
+That is about it. As some spam is likely to get through anyway, you
+might want to have a nifty function to call when you happen to read
+spam. And here is the nifty function:
-@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
-@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
-A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
-gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
-some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
+@lisp
+ (defun my-gnus-raze-spam ()
+ "Submit SPAM to Vipul's Razor, then mark it as expirable."
+ (interactive)
+ (gnus-summary-show-raw-article)
+ (gnus-summary-save-in-pipe "razor-report -f -d")
+ (gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable 1))
+@end lisp
-@item gnus-shell-command-separator
-@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
-String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
+@node Hashcash
+@subsection Hashcash
+@cindex hashcash
+
+A novel technique to fight spam is to require senders to do something
+costly and demonstrably unique for each message they send. This has
+the obvious drawback that you cannot rely on everyone in the world
+using this technique, since it is not part of the Internet standards,
+but it may be useful in smaller communities.
+
+While the tools in the previous section work well in practice, they
+work only because the tools are constantly maintained and updated as
+new form of spam appears. This means that a small percentage of spam
+will always get through. It also means that somewhere, someone needs
+to read lots of spam to update these tools. Hashcash avoids that, but
+instead prefers that everyone you contact through e-mail supports the
+scheme. You can view the two approaches as pragmatic vs dogmatic.
+The approaches have their own advantages and disadvantages, but as
+often in the real world, a combination of them is stronger than either
+one of them separately.
+
+@cindex X-Hashcash
+The ``something costly'' is to burn CPU time, more specifically to
+compute a hash collision up to a certain number of bits. The
+resulting hashcash cookie is inserted in a @samp{X-Hashcash:} header.
+For more details, and for the external application @code{hashcash} you
+need to install to use this feature, see
+@uref{http://www.hashcash.org/}. Even more information can be found
+at @uref{http://www.camram.org/}.
+
+If you wish to generate hashcash for each message you send, you can
+customize @code{message-generate-hashcash} (@pxref{Mail Headers, ,Mail
+Headers,message, The Message Manual}), as in:
-@item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
-@vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
+@lisp
+(setq message-generate-hashcash t)
+@end lisp
-Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
-name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
-names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
-@samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
-group).
+You will need to set up some additional variables as well:
-@sc{imap} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
+@table @code
+@item hashcash-default-payment
+@vindex hashcash-default-payment
+This variable indicates the default number of bits the hash collision
+should consist of. By default this is 20. Suggested useful values
+include 17 to 29.
+
+@item hashcash-payment-alist
+@vindex hashcash-payment-alist
+Some receivers may require you to spend burn more CPU time than the
+default. This variable contains a list of @samp{(@var{addr}
+@var{amount})} cells, where @var{addr} is the receiver (email address
+or newsgroup) and @var{amount} is the number of bits in the collision
+that is needed. It can also contain @samp{(@var{addr} @var{string}
+@var{amount})} cells, where the @var{string} is the string to use
+(normally the email address or newsgroup name is used).
+
+@item hashcash-path
+@vindex hashcash-path
+Where the @code{hashcash} binary is installed. This variable should
+be automatically set by @code{executable-find}, but if it's @code{nil}
+(usually because the @code{hashcash} binary is not in your path)
+you'll get a warning when you check hashcash payments and an error
+when you generate hashcash payments.
@end table
+Gnus can verify hashcash cookies, although this can also be done by
+hand customized mail filtering scripts. To verify a hashcash cookie
+in a message, use the @code{mail-check-payment} function in the
+@code{hashcash.el} library. You can also use the @code{spam.el}
+package with the @code{spam-use-hashcash} back end to validate hashcash
+cookies in incoming mail and filter mail accordingly (@pxref{Anti-spam
+Hashcash Payments}).
+
+@node Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
+@subsection Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@node The End
-@chapter The End
+The idea behind @code{spam.el} is to have a control center for spam detection
+and filtering in Gnus. To that end, @code{spam.el} does two things: it
+filters new mail, and it analyzes mail known to be spam or ham.
+@dfn{Ham} is the name used throughout @code{spam.el} to indicate
+non-spam messages.
-Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
-touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+Make sure you read the section on the @code{spam.el} sequence of
+events. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events}.
-My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+@cindex spam-initialize
+To use @code{spam.el}, you @strong{must} run the function
+@code{spam-initialize} to autoload @file{spam.el} and to install the
+@code{spam.el} hooks. There is one exception: if you use the
+@code{spam-use-stat} (@pxref{spam-stat spam filtering}) setting, you
+should turn it on before @code{spam-initialize}:
-Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+@example
+(setq spam-use-stat t) ;; if needed
+(spam-initialize)
+@end example
-@quotation
-@strong{Te Deum}
+So, what happens when you load @file{spam.el}?
-@sp 1
-Not because of victories @*
-I sing,@*
-having none,@*
-but for the common sunshine,@*
-the breeze,@*
-the largess of the spring.
+First, some hooks will get installed by @code{spam-initialize}. There
+are some hooks for @code{spam-stat} so it can save its databases, and
+there are hooks so interesting things will happen when you enter and
+leave a group. More on the sequence of events later (@pxref{Spam
+ELisp Package Sequence of Events}).
-@sp 1
-Not for victory@*
-but for the day's work done@*
-as well as I was able;@*
-not for a seat upon the dais@*
-but at the common table.@*
-@end quotation
+You get the following keyboard commands:
+@table @kbd
-@node Appendices
-@chapter Appendices
+@item M-d
+@itemx M s x
+@itemx S x
+@kindex M-d
+@kindex S x
+@kindex M s x
+@findex gnus-summary-mark-as-spam
+@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}.
+
+Mark current article as spam, showing it with the @samp{$} mark.
+Whenever you see a spam article, make sure to mark its summary line
+with @kbd{M-d} before leaving the group. This is done automatically
+for unread articles in @emph{spam} groups.
+
+@item M s t
+@itemx S t
+@kindex M s t
+@kindex S t
+@findex spam-bogofilter-score
+@code{spam-bogofilter-score}.
+
+You must have Bogofilter installed for that command to work properly.
+
+@xref{Bogofilter}.
+
+@end table
+
+Also, when you load @file{spam.el}, you will be able to customize its
+variables. Try @code{customize-group} on the @samp{spam} variable
+group.
@menu
-* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
-* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
-* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
-* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
-* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
-* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
-* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
-* Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
+* Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events::
+* Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail::
+* Spam ELisp Package Global Variables::
+* Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer::
+* Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples::
+* Blacklists and Whitelists::
+* BBDB Whitelists::
+* Gmane Spam Reporting::
+* Anti-spam Hashcash Payments::
+* Blackholes::
+* Regular Expressions Header Matching::
+* Bogofilter::
+* SpamAssassin back end::
+* ifile spam filtering::
+* spam-stat spam filtering::
+* SpamOracle::
+* Extending the Spam ELisp package::
@end menu
+@node Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
+@subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sequence of Events
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering sequence of events
+@cindex spam
+You must read this section to understand how @code{spam.el} works.
+Do not skip, speed-read, or glance through this section.
+
+There are two @emph{contact points}, if you will, between
+@code{spam.el} and the rest of Gnus: checking new mail for spam, and
+leaving a group.
+
+Getting new mail in Gnus is done in one of two ways. You can either
+split your incoming mail or you can classify new articles as ham or
+spam when you enter the group.
+
+Splitting incoming mail is better suited to mail back ends such as
+@code{nnml} or @code{nnimap} where new mail appears in a single file
+called a @dfn{Spool File}. See @xref{Spam ELisp Package Filtering of
+Incoming Mail}.
+
+@vindex gnus-spam-autodetect
+@vindex gnus-spam-autodetect-methods
+For back ends such as @code{nntp} there is no incoming mail spool, so
+an alternate mechanism must be used. This may also happen for
+back ends where the server is in charge of splitting incoming mail, and
+Gnus does not do further splitting. The @code{spam-autodetect} and
+@code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameters (accessible with
+@kbd{G c} and @kbd{G p} as usual), and the corresponding variables
+@code{gnus-spam-autodetect} and @code{gnus-spam-autodetect-methods}
+(accessible with @kbd{M-x customize-variable} as usual) can help.
+
+When @code{spam-autodetect} is used (you can turn it on for a
+group/topic or wholesale by regular expression matches, as needed), it
+hooks into the process of entering a group. Thus, entering a group
+with unseen or unread articles becomes the substitute for checking
+incoming mail. Whether only unseen articles or all unread articles
+will be processed is determined by the
+@code{spam-autodetect-recheck-messages}. When set to @code{t}, unread
+messages will be rechecked. You should probably stick with the
+default of only checking unseen messages.
+
+@code{spam-autodetect} grants the user at once more and less control
+of spam filtering. The user will have more control over each group's
+spam methods, so for instance the @samp{ding} group may have
+@code{spam-use-BBDB} as the autodetection method, while the
+@samp{suspect} group may have the @code{spam-use-blacklist} and
+@code{spam-use-bogofilter} methods enabled. Every article detected to
+be spam will be marked with the spam mark @samp{$} and processed on
+exit from the group as normal spam. The user has less control over
+the @emph{sequence} of checks, as he might with @code{spam-split}.
+
+When the newly split mail goes into groups, or messages are
+autodetected to be ham or spam, those groups must be exited (after
+entering, if needed) for further spam processing to happen. It
+matters whether the group is considered a ham group, a spam group, or
+is unclassified, based on its @code{spam-content} parameter
+(@pxref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). Spam groups have the
+additional characteristic that, when entered, any unseen or unread
+articles (depending on the @code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam}
+variable) will be marked as spam. Thus, mail split into a spam group
+gets automatically marked as spam when you enter the group.
+
+Thus, when you exit a group, the @code{spam-processors} are applied,
+if any are set, and the processed mail is moved to the
+@code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination}
+depending on the article's classification. If the
+@code{ham-process-destination} or the @code{spam-process-destination},
+whichever is appropriate, are @code{nil}, the article is left in the
+current group.
+
+If a spam is found in any group (this can be changed to only non-spam
+groups with @code{spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only}), it is
+processed by the active @code{spam-processors} (@pxref{Spam ELisp
+Package Global Variables}) when the group is exited. Furthermore, the
+spam is moved to the @code{spam-process-destination} (@pxref{Spam
+ELisp Package Global Variables}) for further training or deletion.
+You have to load the @code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
+@code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want spam to be processed
+no more than once. Thus, spam is detected and processed everywhere,
+which is what most people want. If the
+@code{spam-process-destination} is @code{nil}, the spam is marked as
+expired, which is usually the right thing to do.
+
+If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
+@acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
+
+If a ham mail is found in a ham group, as determined by the
+@code{ham-marks} parameter, it is processed as ham by the active ham
+@code{spam-processor} when the group is exited. With the variables
+@code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} and
+@code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} the behavior can be further
+altered so ham found anywhere can be processed. You have to load the
+@code{gnus-registry.el} package and enable the
+@code{spam-log-to-registry} variable if you want ham to be processed
+no more than once. Thus, ham is detected and processed only when
+necessary, which is what most people want. More on this in
+@xref{Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples}.
+
+If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
+@acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
+
+If all this seems confusing, don't worry. Soon it will be as natural
+as typing Lisp one-liners on a neural interface@dots{} err, sorry, that's
+50 years in the future yet. Just trust us, it's not so bad.
+
+@node Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
+@subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Filtering of Incoming Mail
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering incoming mail
+@cindex spam
-@node History
-@section History
+To use the @code{spam.el} facilities for incoming mail filtering, you
+must add the following to your fancy split list
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy}:
-@cindex history
-@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
-'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+@example
+(: spam-split)
+@end example
-If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
-you can point your (feh!) web browser to
-@uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
-distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
-known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+Note that the fancy split may be called @code{nnmail-split-fancy} or
+@code{nnimap-split-fancy}, depending on whether you use the nnmail or
+nnimap back ends to retrieve your mail.
-During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
-called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
-@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
-(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
-pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
-appropriate name, don't you think?)
+Also, @code{spam-split} will not modify incoming mail in any way.
-In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
-spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
-renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
-``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+The @code{spam-split} function will process incoming mail and send the
+mail considered to be spam into the group name given by the variable
+@code{spam-split-group}. By default that group name is @samp{spam},
+but you can customize @code{spam-split-group}. Make sure the contents
+of @code{spam-split-group} are an @emph{unqualified} group name, for
+instance in an @code{nnimap} server @samp{your-server} the value
+@samp{spam} will turn out to be @samp{nnimap+your-server:spam}. The
+value @samp{nnimap+server:spam}, therefore, is wrong and will
+actually give you the group
+@samp{nnimap+your-server:nnimap+server:spam} which may or may not
+work depending on your server's tolerance for strange group names.
-@menu
-* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
-* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
-* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
-* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
-* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
-* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
-* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
-* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
-* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
-@end menu
+You can also give @code{spam-split} a parameter,
+e.g. @code{spam-use-regex-headers} or @code{"maybe-spam"}. Why is
+this useful?
+Take these split rules (with @code{spam-use-regex-headers} and
+@code{spam-use-blackholes} set):
-@node Gnus Versions
-@subsection Gnus Versions
-@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
-@cindex ding Gnus
-@cindex September Gnus
-@cindex Quassia Gnus
+@example
+ nnimap-split-fancy '(|
+ (any "ding" "ding")
+ (: spam-split)
+ ;; @r{default mailbox}
+ "mail")
+@end example
-The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
-was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
-plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
+Now, the problem is that you want all ding messages to make it to the
+ding folder. But that will let obvious spam (for example, spam
+detected by SpamAssassin, and @code{spam-use-regex-headers}) through,
+when it's sent to the ding list. On the other hand, some messages to
+the ding list are from a mail server in the blackhole list, so the
+invocation of @code{spam-split} can't be before the ding rule.
-In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
-releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
+You can let SpamAssassin headers supersede ding rules, but all other
+@code{spam-split} rules (including a second invocation of the
+regex-headers check) will be after the ding rule:
-On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
-January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
+@example
+nnimap-split-fancy
+ '(|
+ ;; @r{all spam detected by @code{spam-use-regex-headers} goes to @samp{regex-spam}}
+ (: spam-split "regex-spam" 'spam-use-regex-headers)
+ (any "ding" "ding")
+ ;; @r{all other spam detected by spam-split goes to @code{spam-split-group}}
+ (: spam-split)
+ ;; @r{default mailbox}
+ "mail")
+@end example
-On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
-If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
+This lets you invoke specific @code{spam-split} checks depending on
+your particular needs, and to target the results of those checks to a
+particular spam group. You don't have to throw all mail into all the
+spam tests. Another reason why this is nice is that messages to
+mailing lists you have rules for don't have to have resource-intensive
+blackhole checks performed on them. You could also specify different
+spam checks for your nnmail split vs. your nnimap split. Go crazy.
+
+You should still have specific checks such as
+@code{spam-use-regex-headers} set to @code{t}, even if you
+specifically invoke @code{spam-split} with the check. The reason is
+that when loading @file{spam.el}, some conditional loading is done
+depending on what @code{spam-use-xyz} variables you have set. This
+is usually not critical, though.
+
+@emph{Note for IMAP users}
+
+The boolean variable @code{nnimap-split-download-body} needs to be
+set, if you want to split based on the whole message instead of just
+the headers. By default, the nnimap back end will only retrieve the
+message headers. If you use a @emph{statistical} filter,
+e.g. @code{spam-check-bogofilter}, @code{spam-check-ifile}, or
+@code{spam-check-stat} (the splitters that can benefit from the full
+message body), this variable will be set automatically. It is not set
+for non-statistical back ends by default because it will slow
+@acronym{IMAP} down.
+
+@xref{Splitting in IMAP}.
+
+@node Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
+@subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Global Variables
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering variables
+@cindex spam variables
+@cindex spam
-Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
-``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
-1999.
+@vindex gnus-spam-process-newsgroups
+The concepts of ham processors and spam processors are very important.
+Ham processors and spam processors for a group can be set with the
+@code{spam-process} group parameter, or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. Ham processors take
+mail known to be non-spam (@emph{ham}) and process it in some way so
+that later similar mail will also be considered non-spam. Spam
+processors take mail known to be spam and process it so similar spam
+will be detected later.
+
+The format of the spam or ham processor entry used to be a symbol,
+but now it is a @sc{cons} cell. See the individual spam processor entries
+for more information.
+
+@vindex gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
+Gnus learns from the spam you get. You have to collect your spam in
+one or more spam groups, and set or customize the variable
+@code{spam-junk-mailgroups} as appropriate. You can also declare
+groups to contain spam by setting their group parameter
+@code{spam-contents} to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam}, or
+by customizing the corresponding variable
+@code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}. The @code{spam-contents} group
+parameter and the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} variable can
+also be used to declare groups as @emph{ham} groups if you set their
+classification to @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-ham}. If
+groups are not classified by means of @code{spam-junk-mailgroups},
+@code{spam-contents}, or @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents}, they are
+considered @emph{unclassified}. All groups are unclassified by
+default.
-On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun.
+@vindex gnus-spam-mark
+@cindex $
+In spam groups, all messages are considered to be spam by default:
+they get the @samp{$} mark (@code{gnus-spam-mark}) when you enter the
+group. If you have seen a message, had it marked as spam, then
+unmarked it, it won't be marked as spam when you enter the group
+thereafter. You can disable that behavior, so all unread messages
+will get the @samp{$} mark, if you set the
+@code{spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam} parameter to @code{nil}. You
+should remove the @samp{$} mark when you are in the group summary
+buffer for every message that is not spam after all. To remove the
+@samp{$} mark, you can use @kbd{M-u} to ``unread'' the article, or
+@kbd{d} for declaring it read the non-spam way. When you leave a
+group, all spam-marked (@samp{$}) articles are sent to a spam
+processor which will study them as spam samples.
+
+Messages may also be deleted in various other ways, and unless
+@code{ham-marks} group parameter gets overridden below, marks @samp{R}
+and @samp{r} for default read or explicit delete, marks @samp{X} and
+@samp{K} for automatic or explicit kills, as well as mark @samp{Y} for
+low scores, are all considered to be associated with articles which
+are not spam. This assumption might be false, in particular if you
+use kill files or score files as means for detecting genuine spam, you
+should then adjust the @code{ham-marks} group parameter.
+
+@defvar ham-marks
+You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
+marks you want to consider ham. By default, the list contains the
+deleted, read, killed, kill-filed, and low-score marks (the idea is
+that these articles have been read, but are not spam). It can be
+useful to also include the tick mark in the ham marks. It is not
+recommended to make the unread mark a ham mark, because it normally
+indicates a lack of classification. But you can do it, and we'll be
+happy for you.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-marks
+You can customize this group or topic parameter to be the list of
+marks you want to consider spam. By default, the list contains only
+the spam mark. It is not recommended to change that, but you can if
+you really want to.
+@end defvar
+
+When you leave @emph{any} group, regardless of its
+@code{spam-contents} classification, all spam-marked articles are sent
+to a spam processor, which will study these as spam samples. If you
+explicit kill a lot, you might sometimes end up with articles marked
+@samp{K} which you never saw, and which might accidentally contain
+spam. Best is to make sure that real spam is marked with @samp{$},
+and nothing else.
+
+@vindex gnus-ham-process-destinations
+When you leave a @emph{spam} group, all spam-marked articles are
+marked as expired after processing with the spam processor. This is
+not done for @emph{unclassified} or @emph{ham} groups. Also, any
+@strong{ham} articles in a spam group will be moved to a location
+determined by either the @code{ham-process-destination} group
+parameter or a match in the @code{gnus-ham-process-destinations}
+variable, which is a list of regular expressions matched with group
+names (it's easiest to customize this variable with @kbd{M-x
+customize-variable @key{RET} gnus-ham-process-destinations}). Each
+group name list is a standard Lisp list, if you prefer to customize
+the variable manually. If the @code{ham-process-destination}
+parameter is not set, ham articles are left in place. If the
+@code{spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group} parameter is
+set, the ham articles are marked as unread before being moved.
+
+If ham can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
+@acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
+
+Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
+expression! This enables you to send your ham to a regular mail
+group and to a @emph{ham training} group.
+
+When you leave a @emph{ham} group, all ham-marked articles are sent to
+a ham processor, which will study these as non-spam samples.
+
+@vindex spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups
+By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-spam-groups} is
+@code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in spam groups
+to be processed. Normally this is not done, you are expected instead
+to send your ham to a ham group and process it there.
+
+@vindex spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups
+By default the variable @code{spam-process-ham-in-nonham-groups} is
+@code{nil}. Set it to @code{t} if you want ham found in non-ham (spam
+or unclassified) groups to be processed. Normally this is not done,
+you are expected instead to send your ham to a ham group and process
+it there.
+
+@vindex gnus-spam-process-destinations
+When you leave a @emph{ham} or @emph{unclassified} group, all
+@strong{spam} articles are moved to a location determined by either
+the @code{spam-process-destination} group parameter or a match in the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-destinations} variable, which is a list of
+regular expressions matched with group names (it's easiest to
+customize this variable with @kbd{M-x customize-variable @key{RET}
+gnus-spam-process-destinations}). Each group name list is a standard
+Lisp list, if you prefer to customize the variable manually. If the
+@code{spam-process-destination} parameter is not set, the spam
+articles are only expired. The group name is fully qualified, meaning
+that if you see @samp{nntp:servername} before the group name in the
+group buffer then you need it here as well.
+
+If spam can not be moved---because of a read-only back end such as
+@acronym{NNTP}, for example, it will be copied.
+
+Note that you can use multiples destinations per group or regular
+expression! This enables you to send your spam to multiple @emph{spam
+training} groups.
+
+@vindex spam-log-to-registry
+The problem with processing ham and spam is that Gnus doesn't track
+this processing by default. Enable the @code{spam-log-to-registry}
+variable so @code{spam.el} will use @code{gnus-registry.el} to track
+what articles have been processed, and avoid processing articles
+multiple times. Keep in mind that if you limit the number of registry
+entries, this won't work as well as it does without a limit.
+
+@vindex spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam
+Set this variable if you want only unseen articles in spam groups to
+be marked as spam. By default, it is set. If you set it to
+@code{nil}, unread articles will also be marked as spam.
+
+@vindex spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group
+Set this variable if you want ham to be unmarked before it is moved
+out of the spam group. This is very useful when you use something
+like the tick mark @samp{!} to mark ham---the article will be placed
+in your @code{ham-process-destination}, unmarked as if it came fresh
+from the mail server.
+
+@vindex spam-autodetect-recheck-messages
+When autodetecting spam, this variable tells @code{spam.el} whether
+only unseen articles or all unread articles should be checked for
+spam. It is recommended that you leave it off.
+
+@node Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
+@subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Sorting and Score Display in Summary Buffer
+@cindex spam scoring
+@cindex spam sorting
+@cindex spam score summary buffer
+@cindex spam sort summary buffer
+@cindex spam
-If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
-``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
-``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'' -- don't panic. Don't let it know
-that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever you do, don't
-run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach. Find a proper
-released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
+You can display the spam score of articles in your summary buffer, and
+you can sort articles by their spam score.
+First you need to decide which back end you will be using. If you use
+the @code{spam-use-spamassassin},
+@code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}, or @code{spam-use-regex-headers}
+back end, the @code{X-Spam-Status} header will be used. If you use
+@code{spam-use-bogofilter}, the @code{X-Bogosity} header will be used.
+If you use @code{spam-use-crm114}, any header that matches the CRM114
+score format will be used. As long as you set the appropriate back end
+variable to t @emph{before} you load @file{spam.el}, you will be
+fine. @code{spam.el} will automatically add the right header to the
+internal Gnus list of required headers.
-@node Other Gnus Versions
-@subsection Other Gnus Versions
-@cindex Semi-gnus
+To show the spam score in your summary buffer, add this line to your
+@code{gnus.el} file (note @code{spam.el} does not do that by default
+so it won't override any existing @code{S} formats you may have).
-In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
-coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
-Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
-@sc{mime} capabilities.
+@lisp
+(defalias 'gnus-user-format-function-S 'spam-user-format-function-S)
+@end lisp
-These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
-Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
-called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
-@sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
-Japanese users.
+Now just set your summary line format to use @code{%uS}. Here's an
+example that formats the spam score in a 5-character field:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-line-format
+ "%U%R %10&user-date; $%5uS %6k %B %(%4L: %*%-25,25a%) %s \n")
+@end lisp
-@node Why?
-@subsection Why?
+Finally, to sort by spam status, either do it globally:
-What's the point of Gnus?
+@lisp
+(setq
+ gnus-show-threads nil
+ gnus-article-sort-functions
+ '(spam-article-sort-by-spam-status))
+@end lisp
-I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
-newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
-original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
-me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
-Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
-volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
-newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
-newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
-keep track of millions of people who post?
+or per group (@pxref{Sorting the Summary Buffer}).
-Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
-like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
-reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
-to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
-interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
-and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
-everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
-every one of you to explore and invent.
+@node Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
+@subsubsection Spam ELisp Package Configuration Examples
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering configuration examples
+@cindex spam configuration examples
+@cindex spam
-May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
-@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
+@subsubheading Ted's setup
+From Ted Zlatanov <tzz@@lifelogs.com>.
+@example
+;; @r{for @code{gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent} and spam autodetection}
+;; @r{see @file{gnus-registry.el} for more information}
+(gnus-registry-initialize)
+(spam-initialize)
+
+;; @r{I like @kbd{C-s} for marking spam}
+(define-key gnus-summary-mode-map "\C-s" 'gnus-summary-mark-as-spam)
+
+(setq
+ spam-log-to-registry t ; @r{for spam autodetection}
+ spam-use-BBDB t
+ spam-use-regex-headers t ; @r{catch X-Spam-Flag (SpamAssassin)}
+ ;; @r{all groups with @samp{spam} in the name contain spam}
+ gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents
+ '(("spam" gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
+ ;; @r{see documentation for these}
+ spam-move-spam-nonspam-groups-only nil
+ spam-mark-only-unseen-as-spam t
+ spam-mark-ham-unread-before-move-from-spam-group t
+ nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ ;; @r{understand what this does before you copy it to your own setup!}
+ nnimap-split-fancy '(|
+ ;; @r{trace references to parents and put in their group}
+ (: gnus-registry-split-fancy-with-parent)
+ ;; @r{this will catch server-side SpamAssassin tags}
+ (: spam-split 'spam-use-regex-headers)
+ (any "ding" "ding")
+ ;; @r{note that spam by default will go to @samp{spam}}
+ (: spam-split)
+ ;; @r{default mailbox}
+ "mail"))
+
+;; @r{my parameters, set with @kbd{G p}}
+
+;; @r{all nnml groups, and all nnimap groups except}
+;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} and}
+;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam}: any spam goes to nnimap training,}
+;; @r{because it must have been detected manually}
+
+((spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
+
+;; @r{all @acronym{NNTP} groups}
+;; @r{autodetect spam with the blacklist and ham with the BBDB}
+((spam-autodetect-methods spam-use-blacklist spam-use-BBDB)
+;; @r{send all spam to the training group}
+ (spam-process-destination . "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train"))
+
+;; @r{only some @acronym{NNTP} groups, where I want to autodetect spam}
+((spam-autodetect . t))
+
+;; @r{my nnimap @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:spam} group}
+
+;; @r{this is a spam group}
+((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam)
+
+ ;; @r{any spam (which happens when I enter for all unseen messages,}
+ ;; @r{because of the @code{gnus-spam-newsgroup-contents} setting above), goes to}
+ ;; @r{@samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train} unless I mark it as ham}
+
+ (spam-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:train")
+
+ ;; @r{any ham goes to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail} folder, but}
+ ;; @r{also to my @samp{nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham} folder for training}
+
+ (ham-process-destination "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:mail"
+ "nnimap+mail.lifelogs.com:trainham")
+ ;; @r{in this group, only @samp{!} marks are ham}
+ (ham-marks
+ (gnus-ticked-mark))
+ ;; @r{remembers senders in the blacklist on the way out---this is}
+ ;; @r{definitely not needed, it just makes me feel better}
+ (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist)))
+
+;; @r{Later, on the @acronym{IMAP} server I use the @samp{train} group for training}
+;; @r{SpamAssassin to recognize spam, and the @samp{trainham} group fora}
+;; @r{recognizing ham---but Gnus has nothing to do with it.}
-@node Compatibility
-@subsection Compatibility
+@end example
-@cindex compatibility
-Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
-bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
-but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
+@subsubheading Using @code{spam.el} on an IMAP server with a statistical filter on the server
+From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
-Our motto is:
-@quotation
-@cartouche
-@center In a cloud bones of steel.
-@end cartouche
-@end quotation
+My provider has set up bogofilter (in combination with @acronym{DCC}) on
+the mail server (@acronym{IMAP}). Recognized spam goes to
+@samp{spam.detected}, the rest goes through the normal filter rules,
+i.e. to @samp{some.folder} or to @samp{INBOX}. Training on false
+positives or negatives is done by copying or moving the article to
+@samp{training.ham} or @samp{training.spam} respectively. A cron job on
+the server feeds those to bogofilter with the suitable ham or spam
+options and deletes them from the @samp{training.ham} and
+@samp{training.spam} folders.
-All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
-their names.
+With the following entries in @code{gnus-parameters}, @code{spam.el}
+does most of the job for me:
-The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
-Articles}.
+@lisp
+ ("nnimap:spam\\.detected"
+ (gnus-article-sort-functions '(gnus-article-sort-by-chars))
+ (ham-process-destination "nnimap:INBOX" "nnimap:training.ham")
+ (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-spam))
+ ("nnimap:\\(INBOX\\|other-folders\\)"
+ (spam-process-destination . "nnimap:training.spam")
+ (spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham))
+@end lisp
-One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
-buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
-buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
-important variables have their values copied into their global
-counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
-change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
+@itemize
-All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
-fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
-changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
-maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
-speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
-peculiar results.
+@item @b{The Spam folder:}
-@cindex hilit19
-@cindex highlighting
-Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
-remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
-(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
-Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
-faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
-by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
-Away!
+In the folder @samp{spam.detected}, I have to check for false positives
+(i.e. legitimate mails, that were wrongly judged as spam by
+bogofilter or DCC).
-Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
-fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
-code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
-does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
+Because of the @code{gnus-group-spam-classification-spam} entry, all
+messages are marked as spam (with @code{$}). When I find a false
+positive, I mark the message with some other ham mark (@code{ham-marks},
+@ref{Spam ELisp Package Global Variables}). On group exit, those
+messages are copied to both groups, @samp{INBOX} (where I want to have
+the article) and @samp{training.ham} (for training bogofilter) and
+deleted from the @samp{spam.detected} folder.
-Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
-new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
-doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
-to stop doing it the old way.
+The @code{gnus-article-sort-by-chars} entry simplifies detection of
+false positives for me. I receive lots of worms (sweN, @dots{}), that all
+have a similar size. Grouping them by size (i.e. chars) makes finding
+other false positives easier. (Of course worms aren't @i{spam}
+(@acronym{UCE}, @acronym{UBE}) strictly speaking. Anyhow, bogofilter is
+an excellent tool for filtering those unwanted mails for me.)
-Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+@item @b{Ham folders:}
-@kindex M-x gnus-bug
-@findex gnus-bug
-@cindex reporting bugs
-@cindex bugs
-Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
-@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
-please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
+In my ham folders, I just hit @kbd{S x}
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) whenever I see an unrecognized spam
+mail (false negative). On group exit, those messages are moved to
+@samp{training.spam}.
+@end itemize
-@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
-If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
-may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
-@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
-up at you.
+@subsubheading Reporting spam articles in Gmane groups with @code{spam-report.el}
+From Reiner Steib <reiner.steib@@gmx.de>.
-@node Conformity
-@subsection Conformity
+With following entry in @code{gnus-parameters}, @kbd{S x}
+(@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-spam}) marks articles in @code{gmane.*}
+groups as spam and reports the to Gmane at group exit:
-No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
-to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
-with, of course.
+@lisp
+ ("^gmane\\."
+ (spam-process (gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane)))
+@end lisp
-@table @strong
+Additionally, I use @code{(setq spam-report-gmane-use-article-number nil)}
+because I don't read the groups directly from news.gmane.org, but
+through my local news server (leafnode). I.e. the article numbers are
+not the same as on news.gmane.org, thus @code{spam-report.el} has to check
+the @code{X-Report-Spam} header to find the correct number.
+
+@node Blacklists and Whitelists
+@subsubsection Blacklists and Whitelists
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex whitelists, spam filtering
+@cindex blacklists, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item RFC 822
-@cindex RFC 822
-There are no known breaches of this standard.
+@defvar spam-use-blacklist
-@item RFC 1036
-@cindex RFC 1036
-There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use blacklists when
+splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are in the blacklist
+will be sent to the @code{spam-split-group}. This is an explicit
+filter, meaning that it acts only on mail senders @emph{declared} to
+be spammers.
-@item Son-of-RFC 1036
-@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
-We do have some breaches to this one.
+@end defvar
-@table @emph
+@defvar spam-use-whitelist
-@item X-Newsreader
-@itemx User-Agent
-These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
-to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
-articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
-either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
-it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
-@end table
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists when
+splitting incoming mail. Messages whose senders are not in the
+whitelist will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
+explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the whitelist, their
+messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
-@item USEFOR
-@cindex USEFOR
-USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
-on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
-various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
-look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
+@end defvar
-@end table
+@defvar spam-use-whitelist-exclusive
-If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
-mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
-know.
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use whitelists as an
+implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
+unless the sender is in the whitelist. Use with care.
+@end defvar
-@node Emacsen
-@subsection Emacsen
-@cindex Emacsen
-@cindex XEmacs
-@cindex Mule
-@cindex Emacs
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist
-Gnus should work on :
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+spam-marked articles will be added to the blacklist.
-@itemize @bullet
+@emph{WARNING}
-@item
-Emacs 20.3 and up.
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blacklist}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(spam spam-use-blacklist)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
-@item
-XEmacs 20.4 and up.
+@end defvar
-@end itemize
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist
-This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
-that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
-Emacs versions.
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
+whitelist.
-There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
-platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
-other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
-Emacsen.
+@emph{WARNING}
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-whitelist}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(ham spam-use-whitelist)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
-@node Gnus Development
-@subsection Gnus Development
+@end defvar
-Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
-discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
-propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
-phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
-phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
-circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
-unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
-have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+Blacklists are lists of regular expressions matching addresses you
+consider to be spam senders. For instance, to block mail from any
+sender at @samp{vmadmin.com}, you can put @samp{vmadmin.com} in your
+blacklist. You start out with an empty blacklist. Blacklist entries
+use the Emacs regular expression syntax.
-After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
-@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
-and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
-supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+Conversely, whitelists tell Gnus what addresses are considered
+legitimate. All messages from whitelisted addresses are considered
+non-spam. Also see @ref{BBDB Whitelists}. Whitelist entries use the
+Emacs regular expression syntax.
-@cindex Incoming*
-@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
-Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
-In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
-alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
-lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+The blacklist and whitelist file locations can be customized with the
+@code{spam-directory} variable (@file{~/News/spam} by default), or
+the @code{spam-whitelist} and @code{spam-blacklist} variables
+directly. The whitelist and blacklist files will by default be in the
+@code{spam-directory} directory, named @file{whitelist} and
+@file{blacklist} respectively.
-The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
-newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
-having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
-can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
-importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
-introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
-introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
-either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
-usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
-can't be assumed to do so.
+@node BBDB Whitelists
+@subsubsection BBDB Whitelists
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex BBDB whitelists, spam filtering
+@cindex BBDB, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
+@defvar spam-use-BBDB
+Analogous to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
+Whitelists}), but uses the BBDB as the source of whitelisted
+addresses, without regular expressions. You must have the BBDB loaded
+for @code{spam-use-BBDB} to work properly. Messages whose senders are
+not in the BBDB will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an
+explicit filter, meaning that unless someone is in the BBDB, their
+messages are not assumed to be spam or ham.
-@node Contributors
-@subsection Contributors
-@cindex contributors
+@end defvar
-The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
-people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
-gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
-every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
-tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
-type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
-work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
-off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
-Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
-``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
+@defvar spam-use-BBDB-exclusive
-I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
-wrong show.
+Set this variable to @code{t} if you want to use the BBDB as an
+implicit filter, meaning that every message will be considered spam
+unless the sender is in the BBDB. Use with care. Only sender
+addresses in the BBDB will be allowed through; all others will be
+classified as spammers.
-@itemize @bullet
+While @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} @emph{can} be used as an alias
+for @code{spam-use-BBDB} as far as @code{spam.el} is concerned, it is
+@emph{not} a separate back end. If you set
+@code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} to t, @emph{all} your BBDB splitting
+will be exclusive.
-@item
-Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
+@end defvar
-@item
-Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
-nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
-other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
-functionality and stuff.
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB
-@item
-Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
-well as numerous other things).
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the senders of
+ham-marked articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the
+BBDB.
-@item
-Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
+@emph{WARNING}
-@item
-Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-BBDB}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(ham spam-use-BBDB)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
-@item
-Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
+@end defvar
-@item
-Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
-@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
+@node Gmane Spam Reporting
+@subsubsection Gmane Spam Reporting
+@cindex spam reporting
+@cindex Gmane, spam reporting
+@cindex Gmane, spam reporting
+@cindex spam
-@item
-Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane
-@item
-Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
-(@pxref{GroupLens}).
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
+articles groups will be reported to the Gmane administrators via a
+HTTP request.
-@item
-Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
+Gmane can be found at @uref{http://gmane.org}.
-@item
-Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
+@emph{WARNING}
-@item
-Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-report-gmane}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(spam spam-use-gmane)}. Everything will work the
+same way, we promise.
-@item
-Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
+@end defvar
-@item
-Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
-distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
+@defvar spam-report-gmane-use-article-number
-@item
-Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
+This variable is @code{t} by default. Set it to @code{nil} if you are
+running your own news server, for instance, and the local article
+numbers don't correspond to the Gmane article numbers. When
+@code{spam-report-gmane-use-article-number} is @code{nil},
+@code{spam-report.el} will fetch the number from the article headers.
-@item
-Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
+@end defvar
-@item
-Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
+@defvar spam-report-user-mail-address
-@item
-Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
-.newsrc files.
+Mail address exposed in the User-Agent spam reports to Gmane. It allows
+the Gmane administrators to contact you in case of misreports. The
+default is @code{user-mail-address}.
-@item
-Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
+@end defvar
-@item
-David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
+@node Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
+@subsubsection Anti-spam Hashcash Payments
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex hashcash, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item
-Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
+@defvar spam-use-hashcash
-@item
-François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
-well as autoconf support.
+Similar to @code{spam-use-whitelist} (@pxref{Blacklists and
+Whitelists}), but uses hashcash tokens for whitelisting messages
+instead of the sender address. Messages without a hashcash payment
+token will be sent to the next spam-split rule. This is an explicit
+filter, meaning that unless a hashcash token is found, the messages
+are not assumed to be spam or ham.
-@end itemize
+@end defvar
-This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
-Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
+@node Blackholes
+@subsubsection Blackholes
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex blackholes, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
+@defvar spam-use-blackholes
-Christopher Davis,
-Andrew Eskilsson,
-Kai Grossjohann,
-David Kågedal,
-Richard Pieri,
-Fabrice Popineau,
-Daniel Quinlan,
-Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
-and
-Jack Vinson.
+This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus consult the
+blackhole-type distributed spam processing systems (DCC, for instance)
+when you set this option. The variable @code{spam-blackhole-servers}
+holds the list of blackhole servers Gnus will consult. The current
+list is fairly comprehensive, but make sure to let us know if it
+contains outdated servers.
-Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
+The blackhole check uses the @code{dig.el} package, but you can tell
+@code{spam.el} to use @code{dns.el} instead for better performance if
+you set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil}. It is not recommended at
+this time to set @code{spam-use-dig} to @code{nil} despite the
+possible performance improvements, because some users may be unable to
+use it, but you can try it and see if it works for you.
-Jari Aalto,
-Adrian Aichner,
-Vladimir Alexiev,
-Russ Allbery,
-Peter Arius,
-Matt Armstrong,
-Marc Auslander,
-Miles Bader,
-Alexei V. Barantsev,
-Frank Bennett,
-Robert Bihlmeyer,
-Chris Bone,
-Mark Borges,
-Mark Boyns,
-Lance A. Brown,
-Rob Browning,
-Kees de Bruin,
-Martin Buchholz,
-Joe Buehler,
-Kevin Buhr,
-Alastair Burt,
-Joao Cachopo,
-Zlatko Calusic,
-Massimo Campostrini,
-Castor,
-David Charlap,
-Dan Christensen,
-Kevin Christian,
-Jae-you Chung, @c ?
-James H. Cloos, Jr.,
-Laura Conrad,
-Michael R. Cook,
-Glenn Coombs,
-Andrew J. Cosgriff,
-Neil Crellin,
-Frank D. Cringle,
-Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
-Andre Deparade,
-Ulrik Dickow,
-Dave Disser,
-Rui-Tao Dong, @c ?
-Joev Dubach,
-Michael Welsh Duggan,
-Dave Edmondson,
-Paul Eggert,
-Mark W. Eichin,
-Karl Eichwalder,
-Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
-Michael Ernst,
-Luc Van Eycken,
-Sam Falkner,
-Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
-Sigbjorn Finne,
-Sven Fischer,
-Paul Fisher,
-Decklin Foster,
-Gary D. Foster,
-Paul Franklin,
-Guy Geens,
-Arne Georg Gleditsch,
-David S. Goldberg,
-Michelangelo Grigni,
-Dale Hagglund,
-D. Hall,
-Magnus Hammerin,
-Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
-Raja R. Harinath,
-Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
-P. E. Jareth Hein,
-Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
-Scott Hofmann,
-Marc Horowitz,
-Gunnar Horrigmo,
-Richard Hoskins,
-Brad Howes,
-Miguel de Icaza,
-François Felix Ingrand,
-Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
-Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
-Lee Iverson,
-Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
-Rajappa Iyer,
-Andreas Jaeger,
-Adam P. Jenkins,
-Randell Jesup,
-Fred Johansen,
-Gareth Jones,
-Simon Josefsson,
-Greg Klanderman,
-Karl Kleinpaste,
-Michael Klingbeil,
-Peter Skov Knudsen,
-Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
-Petr Konecny,
-Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
-Thor Kristoffersen,
-Jens Lautenbacher,
-Martin Larose,
-Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
-Joerg Lenneis,
-Carsten Leonhardt,
-James LewisMoss,
-Christian Limpach,
-Markus Linnala,
-Dave Love,
-Mike McEwan,
-Tonny Madsen,
-Shlomo Mahlab,
-Nat Makarevitch,
-Istvan Marko,
-David Martin,
-Jason R. Mastaler,
-Gordon Matzigkeit,
-Timo Metzemakers,
-Richard Mlynarik,
-Lantz Moore,
-Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
-Erik Toubro Nielsen,
-Hrvoje Niksic,
-Andy Norman,
-Fred Oberhauser,
-C. R. Oldham,
-Alexandre Oliva,
-Ken Olstad,
-Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
-Hideki Ono, @c Ono
-Ettore Perazzoli,
-William Perry,
-Stephen Peters,
-Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
-Ulrich Pfeifer,
-Matt Pharr,
-Andy Piper,
-John McClary Prevost,
-Bill Pringlemeir,
-Mike Pullen,
-Jim Radford,
-Colin Rafferty,
-Lasse Rasinen,
-Lars Balker Rasmussen,
-Joe Reiss,
-Renaud Rioboo,
-Roland B. Roberts,
-Bart Robinson,
-Christian von Roques,
-Markus Rost,
-Jason Rumney,
-Wolfgang Rupprecht,
-Jay Sachs,
-Dewey M. Sasser,
-Conrad Sauerwald,
-Loren Schall,
-Dan Schmidt,
-Ralph Schleicher,
-Philippe Schnoebelen,
-Andreas Schwab,
-Randal L. Schwartz,
-Danny Siu,
-Matt Simmons,
-Paul D. Smith,
-Jeff Sparkes,
-Toby Speight,
-Michael Sperber,
-Darren Stalder,
-Richard Stallman,
-Greg Stark,
-Sam Steingold,
-Paul Stevenson,
-Jonas Steverud,
-Paul Stodghill,
-Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
-Kurt Swanson,
-Samuel Tardieu,
-Teddy,
-Chuck Thompson,
-Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
-Philippe Troin,
-James Troup,
-Trung Tran-Duc,
-Jack Twilley,
-Aaron M. Ucko,
-Aki Vehtari,
-Didier Verna,
-Vladimir Volovich,
-Jan Vroonhof,
-Stefan Waldherr,
-Pete Ware,
-Barry A. Warsaw,
-Christoph Wedler,
-Joe Wells,
-Lee Willis,
-Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
-and
-Lloyd Zusman.
+@end defvar
+@defvar spam-blackhole-servers
-For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
-included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
-(550kB and counting).
+The list of servers to consult for blackhole checks.
-Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
-sure.
+@end defvar
-Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
-actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
+@defvar spam-blackhole-good-server-regex
+A regular expression for IPs that should not be checked against the
+blackhole server list. When set to @code{nil}, it has no effect.
-@node New Features
-@subsection New Features
-@cindex new features
+@end defvar
-@menu
-* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
-* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
-* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
-* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
-* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
-@end menu
+@defvar spam-use-dig
-These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
-@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
-Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
+Use the @code{dig.el} package instead of the @code{dns.el} package.
+The default setting of @code{t} is recommended.
-@node ding Gnus
-@subsubsection (ding) Gnus
+@end defvar
-New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
+Blackhole checks are done only on incoming mail. There is no spam or
+ham processor for blackholes.
-@itemize @bullet
+@node Regular Expressions Header Matching
+@subsubsection Regular Expressions Header Matching
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex regular expressions header matching, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
-@item
-The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
-(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+@defvar spam-use-regex-headers
+
+This option is disabled by default. You can let Gnus check the
+message headers against lists of regular expressions when you set this
+option. The variables @code{spam-regex-headers-spam} and
+@code{spam-regex-headers-ham} hold the list of regular expressions.
+Gnus will check against the message headers to determine if the
+message is spam or ham, respectively.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-regex-headers-spam
+
+The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
+the message, positively identify it as spam.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-regex-headers-ham
+
+The list of regular expressions that, when matched in the headers of
+the message, positively identify it as ham.
+
+@end defvar
+
+Regular expression header checks are done only on incoming mail.
+There is no specific spam or ham processor for regular expressions.
+
+@node Bogofilter
+@subsubsection Bogofilter
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex bogofilter, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
+
+@defvar spam-use-bogofilter
+
+Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
+speedy Bogofilter.
+
+With a minimum of care for associating the @samp{$} mark for spam
+articles only, Bogofilter training all gets fairly automatic. You
+should do this until you get a few hundreds of articles in each
+category, spam or not. The command @kbd{S t} in summary mode, either
+for debugging or for curiosity, shows the @emph{spamicity} score of
+the current article (between 0.0 and 1.0).
+
+Bogofilter determines if a message is spam based on a specific
+threshold. That threshold can be customized, consult the Bogofilter
+documentation.
+
+If the @code{bogofilter} executable is not in your path, Bogofilter
+processing will be turned off.
+
+You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-use-bogofilter-headers
+
+Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use Eric Raymond's
+speedy Bogofilter, looking only at the message headers. It works
+similarly to @code{spam-use-bogofilter}, but the @code{X-Bogosity} header
+must be in the message already. Normally you would do this with a
+procmail recipe or something similar; consult the Bogofilter
+installation documents for details.
+
+You should not enable this if you use @code{spam-use-bogofilter}.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles
+will be added to the Bogofilter spam database.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(spam spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
+articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the Bogofilter database
+of non-spam messages.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-bogofilter}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(ham spam-use-bogofilter)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-bogofilter-database-directory
+
+This is the directory where Bogofilter will store its databases. It
+is not specified by default, so Bogofilter will use its own default
+database directory.
+
+@end defvar
+
+The Bogofilter mail classifier is similar to @command{ifile} in intent and
+purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
+@code{spam-use-bogofilter} and @code{spam-use-bogofilter-headers}
+variables to indicate to spam-split that Bogofilter should either be
+used, or has already been used on the article. The 0.9.2.1 version of
+Bogofilter was used to test this functionality.
+
+@node SpamAssassin back end
+@subsubsection SpamAssassin back end
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spamassassin, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
+
+@defvar spam-use-spamassassin
+
+Set this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use SpamAssassin.
+
+SpamAssassin assigns a score to each article based on a set of rules
+and tests, including a Bayesian filter. The Bayesian filter can be
+trained by associating the @samp{$} mark for spam articles. The
+spam score can be viewed by using the command @kbd{S t} in summary
+mode.
+
+If you set this variable, each article will be processed by
+SpamAssassin when @code{spam-split} is called. If your mail is
+preprocessed by SpamAssassin, and you want to just use the
+SpamAssassin headers, set @code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}
+instead.
+
+You should not enable this is you use
+@code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers}.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-use-spamassassin-headers
+
+Set this variable if your mail is preprocessed by SpamAssassin and
+want @code{spam-split} to split based on the SpamAssassin headers.
+
+You should not enable this is you use @code{spam-use-spamassassin}.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-spamassassin-path
+
+This variable points to the SpamAssassin executable. If you have
+@code{spamd} running, you can set this variable to the @code{spamc}
+executable for faster processing. See the SpamAssassin documentation
+for more information on @code{spamd}/@code{spamc}.
+
+@end defvar
+
+SpamAssassin is a powerful and flexible spam filter that uses a wide
+variety of tests to identify spam. A ham and a spam processors are
+provided, plus the @code{spam-use-spamassassin} and
+@code{spam-use-spamassassin-headers} variables to indicate to
+spam-split that SpamAssassin should be either used, or has already
+been used on the article. The 2.63 version of SpamAssassin was used
+to test this functionality.
+
+@node ifile spam filtering
+@subsubsection ifile spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex ifile, spam filtering
+@cindex spam
+
+@defvar spam-use-ifile
+
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use @command{ifile}, a
+statistical analyzer similar to Bogofilter.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-ifile-all-categories
+
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-use-ifile} to give you all
+the ifile categories, not just spam/non-spam. If you use this, make
+sure you train ifile as described in its documentation.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-ifile-spam-category
+
+This is the category of spam messages as far as ifile is concerned.
+The actual string used is irrelevant, but you probably want to leave
+the default value of @samp{spam}.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-ifile-database-path
+
+This is the filename for the ifile database. It is not specified by
+default, so ifile will use its own default database name.
+
+@end defvar
+
+The ifile mail classifier is similar to Bogofilter in intent and
+purpose. A ham and a spam processor are provided, plus the
+@code{spam-use-ifile} variable to indicate to spam-split that ifile
+should be used. The 1.2.1 version of ifile was used to test this
+functionality.
+
+@node spam-stat spam filtering
+@subsubsection spam-stat spam filtering
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam-stat, spam filtering
+@cindex spam-stat
+@cindex spam
+
+@xref{Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat}.
+
+@defvar spam-use-stat
+
+Enable this variable if you want @code{spam-split} to use
+spam-stat.el, an Emacs Lisp statistical analyzer.
+
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the spam-marked
+articles will be added to the spam-stat database of spam messages.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(spam spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameters or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is
+added to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked
+articles in @emph{ham} groups will be added to the spam-stat database
+of non-spam messages.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-stat}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(ham spam-use-stat)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+This enables @code{spam.el} to cooperate with @file{spam-stat.el}.
+@file{spam-stat.el} provides an internal (Lisp-only) spam database,
+which unlike ifile or Bogofilter does not require external programs.
+A spam and a ham processor, and the @code{spam-use-stat} variable for
+@code{spam-split} are provided.
+
+@node SpamOracle
+@subsubsection Using SpamOracle with Gnus
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex SpamOracle
+@cindex spam
+
+An easy way to filter out spam is to use SpamOracle. SpamOracle is an
+statistical mail filtering tool written by Xavier Leroy and needs to be
+installed separately.
+
+There are several ways to use SpamOracle with Gnus. In all cases, your
+mail is piped through SpamOracle in its @emph{mark} mode. SpamOracle will
+then enter an @samp{X-Spam} header indicating whether it regards the
+mail as a spam mail or not.
+
+One possibility is to run SpamOracle as a @code{:prescript} from the
+@xref{Mail Source Specifiers}, (@pxref{SpamAssassin}). This method has
+the advantage that the user can see the @emph{X-Spam} headers.
+
+The easiest method is to make @code{spam.el} (@pxref{Filtering Spam
+Using The Spam ELisp Package}) call SpamOracle.
+
+@vindex spam-use-spamoracle
+To enable SpamOracle usage by @code{spam.el}, set the variable
+@code{spam-use-spamoracle} to @code{t} and configure the
+@code{nnmail-split-fancy} or @code{nnimap-split-fancy} as described in
+the section @xref{Filtering Spam Using The Spam ELisp Package}. In
+this example the @samp{INBOX} of an nnimap server is filtered using
+SpamOracle. Mails recognized as spam mails will be moved to
+@code{spam-split-group}, @samp{Junk} in this case. Ham messages stay
+in @samp{INBOX}:
+
+@example
+(setq spam-use-spamoracle t
+ spam-split-group "Junk"
+ nnimap-split-inbox '("INBOX")
+ nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
+ nnimap-split-fancy '(| (: spam-split) "INBOX"))
+@end example
+
+@defvar spam-use-spamoracle
+Set to @code{t} if you want Gnus to enable spam filtering using
+SpamOracle.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-spamoracle-binary
+Gnus uses the SpamOracle binary called @file{spamoracle} found in the
+user's PATH. Using the variable @code{spam-spamoracle-binary}, this
+can be customized.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar spam-spamoracle-database
+By default, SpamOracle uses the file @file{~/.spamoracle.db} as a database to
+store its analyses. This is controlled by the variable
+@code{spam-spamoracle-database} which defaults to @code{nil}. That means
+the default SpamOracle database will be used. In case you want your
+database to live somewhere special, set
+@code{spam-spamoracle-database} to this path.
+@end defvar
+
+SpamOracle employs a statistical algorithm to determine whether a
+message is spam or ham. In order to get good results, meaning few
+false hits or misses, SpamOracle needs training. SpamOracle learns the
+characteristics of your spam mails. Using the @emph{add} mode
+(training mode) one has to feed good (ham) and spam mails to
+SpamOracle. This can be done by pressing @kbd{|} in the Summary buffer
+and pipe the mail to a SpamOracle process or using @code{spam.el}'s
+spam- and ham-processors, which is much more convenient. For a
+detailed description of spam- and ham-processors, @xref{Filtering Spam
+Using The Spam ELisp Package}.
+
+@defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameter or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
+to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, spam-marked articles will be
+sent to SpamOracle as spam samples.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(spam spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+@defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle
+Add this symbol to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter by
+customizing the group parameter or the
+@code{gnus-spam-process-newsgroups} variable. When this symbol is added
+to a group's @code{spam-process} parameter, the ham-marked articles in
+@emph{ham} groups will be sent to the SpamOracle as samples of ham
+messages.
+
+@emph{WARNING}
+
+Instead of the obsolete
+@code{gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-spamoracle}, it is recommended
+that you use @code{(ham spam-use-spamoracle)}. Everything will work
+the same way, we promise.
+@end defvar
+
+@emph{Example:} These are the Group Parameters of a group that has been
+classified as a ham group, meaning that it should only contain ham
+messages.
+@example
+ ((spam-contents gnus-group-spam-classification-ham)
+ (spam-process ((ham spam-use-spamoracle)
+ (spam spam-use-spamoracle))))
+@end example
+For this group the @code{spam-use-spamoracle} is installed for both
+ham and spam processing. If the group contains spam message
+(e.g. because SpamOracle has not had enough sample messages yet) and
+the user marks some messages as spam messages, these messages will be
+processed by SpamOracle. The processor sends the messages to
+SpamOracle as new samples for spam.
+
+@node Extending the Spam ELisp package
+@subsubsection Extending the Spam ELisp package
+@cindex spam filtering
+@cindex spam elisp package, extending
+@cindex extending the spam elisp package
+
+Say you want to add a new back end called blackbox. For filtering
+incoming mail, provide the following:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+Code
+
+@lisp
+(defvar spam-use-blackbox nil
+ "True if blackbox should be used.")
+@end lisp
+
+Write @code{spam-check-blackbox} if Blackbox can check incoming mail.
+
+Write @code{spam-blackbox-register-routine} and
+@code{spam-blackbox-unregister-routine} using the bogofilter
+register/unregister routines as a start, or other restister/unregister
+routines more appropriate to Blackbox, if Blackbox can
+register/unregister spam and ham.
+
+@item
+Functionality
+
+The @code{spam-check-blackbox} function should return @samp{nil} or
+@code{spam-split-group}, observing the other conventions. See the
+existing @code{spam-check-*} functions for examples of what you can
+do, and stick to the template unless you fully understand the reasons
+why you aren't.
+
+@end enumerate
+
+For processing spam and ham messages, provide the following:
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+Code
+
+Note you don't have to provide a spam or a ham processor. Only
+provide them if Blackbox supports spam or ham processing.
+
+Also, ham and spam processors are being phased out as single
+variables. Instead the form @code{(spam spam-use-blackbox)} or
+@code{(ham spam-use-blackbox)} is favored. For now, spam/ham
+processor variables are still around but they won't be for long.
+
+@lisp
+(defvar gnus-group-spam-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-spam"
+ "The Blackbox summary exit spam processor.
+Only applicable to spam groups.")
+
+(defvar gnus-group-ham-exit-processor-blackbox "blackbox-ham"
+ "The whitelist summary exit ham processor.
+Only applicable to non-spam (unclassified and ham) groups.")
+
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Gnus parameters
+
+Add
+@lisp
+(const :tag "Spam: Blackbox" (spam spam-use-blackbox))
+(const :tag "Ham: Blackbox" (ham spam-use-blackbox))
+@end lisp
+to the @code{spam-process} group parameter in @code{gnus.el}. Make
+sure you do it twice, once for the parameter and once for the
+variable customization.
+
+Add
+@lisp
+(variable-item spam-use-blackbox)
+@end lisp
+to the @code{spam-autodetect-methods} group parameter in
+@code{gnus.el} if Blackbox can check incoming mail for spam contents.
+
+Finally, use the appropriate @code{spam-install-*-backend} function in
+@code{spam.el}. Here are the available functions.
+
+
+@enumerate
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-backend-alias}
+
+This function will simply install an alias for a back end that does
+everything like the original back end. It is currently only used to
+make @code{spam-use-BBDB-exclusive} act like @code{spam-use-BBDB}.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-nocheck-backend}
+
+This function installs a back end that has no check function, but can
+register/unregister ham or spam. The @code{spam-use-gmane} back end is
+such a back end.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-checkonly-backend}
+
+This function will install a back end that can only check incoming mail
+for spam contents. It can't register or unregister messages.
+@code{spam-use-blackholes} and @code{spam-use-hashcash} are such
+back ends.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-statistical-checkonly-backend}
+
+This function installs a statistical back end (one which requires the
+full body of a message to check it) that can only check incoming mail
+for contents. @code{spam-use-regex-body} is such a filter.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-statistical-backend}
+
+This function install a statistical back end with incoming checks and
+registration/unregistration routines. @code{spam-use-bogofilter} is
+set up this way.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-backend}
+
+This is the most normal back end installation, where a back end that can
+check and register/unregister messages is set up without statistical
+abilities. The @code{spam-use-BBDB} is such a back end.
+
+@item
+@code{spam-install-mover-backend}
+
+Mover back ends are internal to @code{spam.el} and specifically move
+articles around when the summary is exited. You will very probably
+never install such a back end.
+@end enumerate
+
+@end enumerate
+
+
+@node Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
+@subsection Filtering Spam Using Statistics with spam-stat
+@cindex Paul Graham
+@cindex Graham, Paul
+@cindex naive Bayesian spam filtering
+@cindex Bayesian spam filtering, naive
+@cindex spam filtering, naive Bayesian
+
+Paul Graham has written an excellent essay about spam filtering using
+statistics: @uref{http://www.paulgraham.com/spam.html,A Plan for
+Spam}. In it he describes the inherent deficiency of rule-based
+filtering as used by SpamAssassin, for example: Somebody has to write
+the rules, and everybody else has to install these rules. You are
+always late. It would be much better, he argues, to filter mail based
+on whether it somehow resembles spam or non-spam. One way to measure
+this is word distribution. He then goes on to describe a solution
+that checks whether a new mail resembles any of your other spam mails
+or not.
+
+The basic idea is this: Create a two collections of your mail, one
+with spam, one with non-spam. Count how often each word appears in
+either collection, weight this by the total number of mails in the
+collections, and store this information in a dictionary. For every
+word in a new mail, determine its probability to belong to a spam or a
+non-spam mail. Use the 15 most conspicuous words, compute the total
+probability of the mail being spam. If this probability is higher
+than a certain threshold, the mail is considered to be spam.
+
+Gnus supports this kind of filtering. But it needs some setting up.
+First, you need two collections of your mail, one with spam, one with
+non-spam. Then you need to create a dictionary using these two
+collections, and save it. And last but not least, you need to use
+this dictionary in your fancy mail splitting rules.
+
+@menu
+* Creating a spam-stat dictionary::
+* Splitting mail using spam-stat::
+* Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary::
+@end menu
+
+@node Creating a spam-stat dictionary
+@subsubsection Creating a spam-stat dictionary
+
+Before you can begin to filter spam based on statistics, you must
+create these statistics based on two mail collections, one with spam,
+one with non-spam. These statistics are then stored in a dictionary
+for later use. In order for these statistics to be meaningful, you
+need several hundred emails in both collections.
+
+Gnus currently supports only the nnml back end for automated dictionary
+creation. The nnml back end stores all mails in a directory, one file
+per mail. Use the following:
+
+@defun spam-stat-process-spam-directory
+Create spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every file
+is treated as one spam mail.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory
+Create non-spam statistics for every file in this directory. Every
+file is treated as one non-spam mail.
+@end defun
+
+Usually you would call @code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory} on a
+directory such as @file{~/Mail/mail/spam} (this usually corresponds
+the the group @samp{nnml:mail.spam}), and you would call
+@code{spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory} on a directory such as
+@file{~/Mail/mail/misc} (this usually corresponds the the group
+@samp{nnml:mail.misc}).
+
+When you are using @acronym{IMAP}, you won't have the mails available
+locally, so that will not work. One solution is to use the Gnus Agent
+to cache the articles. Then you can use directories such as
+@file{"~/News/agent/nnimap/mail.yourisp.com/personal_spam"} for
+@code{spam-stat-process-spam-directory}. @xref{Agent as Cache}.
+
+@defvar spam-stat
+This variable holds the hash-table with all the statistics---the
+dictionary we have been talking about. For every word in either
+collection, this hash-table stores a vector describing how often the
+word appeared in spam and often it appeared in non-spam mails.
+@end defvar
+
+If you want to regenerate the statistics from scratch, you need to
+reset the dictionary.
+
+@defun spam-stat-reset
+Reset the @code{spam-stat} hash-table, deleting all the statistics.
+@end defun
+
+When you are done, you must save the dictionary. The dictionary may
+be rather large. If you will not update the dictionary incrementally
+(instead, you will recreate it once a month, for example), then you
+can reduce the size of the dictionary by deleting all words that did
+not appear often enough or that do not clearly belong to only spam or
+only non-spam mails.
+
+@defun spam-stat-reduce-size
+Reduce the size of the dictionary. Use this only if you do not want
+to update the dictionary incrementally.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-save
+Save the dictionary.
+@end defun
+
+@defvar spam-stat-file
+The filename used to store the dictionary. This defaults to
+@file{~/.spam-stat.el}.
+@end defvar
+
+@node Splitting mail using spam-stat
+@subsubsection Splitting mail using spam-stat
+
+In order to use @code{spam-stat} to split your mail, you need to add the
+following to your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(require 'spam-stat)
+(spam-stat-load)
+@end lisp
+
+This will load the necessary Gnus code, and the dictionary you
+created.
+
+Next, you need to adapt your fancy splitting rules: You need to
+determine how to use @code{spam-stat}. The following examples are for
+the nnml back end. Using the nnimap back end works just as well. Just
+use @code{nnimap-split-fancy} instead of @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
+
+In the simplest case, you only have two groups, @samp{mail.misc} and
+@samp{mail.spam}. The following expression says that mail is either
+spam or it should go into @samp{mail.misc}. If it is spam, then
+@code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will return @samp{mail.spam}.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
+
+@defvar spam-stat-split-fancy-spam-group
+The group to use for spam. Default is @samp{mail.spam}.
+@end defvar
+
+If you also filter mail with specific subjects into other groups, use
+the following expression. Only mails not matching the regular
+expression are considered potential spam.
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
+
+If you want to filter for spam first, then you must be careful when
+creating the dictionary. Note that @code{spam-stat-split-fancy} must
+consider both mails in @samp{mail.emacs} and in @samp{mail.misc} as
+non-spam, therefore both should be in your collection of non-spam
+mails, when creating the dictionary!
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
+
+You can combine this with traditional filtering. Here, we move all
+HTML-only mails into the @samp{mail.spam.filtered} group. Note that since
+@code{spam-stat-split-fancy} will never see them, the mails in
+@samp{mail.spam.filtered} should be neither in your collection of spam mails,
+nor in your collection of non-spam mails, when creating the
+dictionary!
+
+@lisp
+(setq nnmail-split-fancy
+ `(| ("Content-Type" "text/html" "mail.spam.filtered")
+ (: spam-stat-split-fancy)
+ ("Subject" "\\bspam-stat\\b" "mail.emacs")
+ "mail.misc"))
+@end lisp
+
+
+@node Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
+@subsubsection Low-level interface to the spam-stat dictionary
+
+The main interface to using @code{spam-stat}, are the following functions:
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-is-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new spam mail.
+Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-is-no-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is considered to be a new non-spam
+mail. Use this for new mail that has not been processed before.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be normal
+mail but spam. Use this to change the status of a mail that has
+already been processed as non-spam.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-buffer-change-to-non-spam
+Called in a buffer, that buffer is no longer considered to be spam but
+normal mail. Use this to change the status of a mail that has already
+been processed as spam.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-save
+Save the hash table to the file. The filename used is stored in the
+variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-load
+Load the hash table from a file. The filename used is stored in the
+variable @code{spam-stat-file}.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-score-word
+Return the spam score for a word.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-score-buffer
+Return the spam score for a buffer.
+@end defun
+
+@defun spam-stat-split-fancy
+Use this function for fancy mail splitting. Add the rule @samp{(:
+spam-stat-split-fancy)} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
+@end defun
+
+Make sure you load the dictionary before using it. This requires the
+following in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file:
+
+@lisp
+(require 'spam-stat)
+(spam-stat-load)
+@end lisp
+
+Typical test will involve calls to the following functions:
+
+@smallexample
+Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
+Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
+Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
+Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+File size: (nth 7 (file-attributes spam-stat-file))
+Number of words: (hash-table-count spam-stat)
+Test spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Test non-spam: (spam-stat-test-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+@end smallexample
+
+Here is how you would create your dictionary:
+
+@smallexample
+Reset: (setq spam-stat (make-hash-table :test 'equal))
+Learn spam: (spam-stat-process-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/spam")
+Learn non-spam: (spam-stat-process-non-spam-directory "~/Mail/mail/misc")
+Repeat for any other non-spam group you need...
+Reduce table size: (spam-stat-reduce-size)
+Save table: (spam-stat-save)
+@end smallexample
+
+@node Other modes
+@section Interaction with other modes
+
+@subsection Dired
+@cindex dired
+
+@code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} provided some useful functions for dired
+buffers. It is enabled with
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'dired-mode-hook 'turn-on-gnus-dired-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@table @kbd
+@item C-c C-m C-a
+@findex gnus-dired-attach
+Send dired's marked files as an attachment (@code{gnus-dired-attach}).
+You will be prompted for a message buffer.
+
+@item C-c C-m C-l
+@findex gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap
+Visit a file according to the appropriate mailcap entry
+(@code{gnus-dired-find-file-mailcap}). With prefix, open file in a new
+buffer.
+
+@item C-c C-m C-p
+@findex gnus-dired-print
+Print file according to the mailcap entry (@code{gnus-dired-print}). If
+there is no print command, print in a PostScript image.
+@end table
+
+@node Various Various
+@section Various Various
+@cindex mode lines
+@cindex highlights
+
+@table @code
+
+@item gnus-home-directory
+@vindex gnus-home-directory
+All Gnus file and directory variables will be initialized from this
+variable, which defaults to @file{~/}.
+
+@item gnus-directory
+@vindex gnus-directory
+Most Gnus storage file and directory variables will be initialized from
+this variable, which defaults to the @env{SAVEDIR} environment
+variable, or @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
+
+Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{~/.gnus.el} file is read.
+This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
+variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
+@file{~/.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
+
+@item gnus-default-directory
+@vindex gnus-default-directory
+Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
+default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
+like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
+default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
+default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
+buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
+
+@item gnus-verbose
+@vindex gnus-verbose
+This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
+the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
+will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
+most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
+shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
+
+@item gnus-verbose-backends
+@vindex gnus-verbose-backends
+This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
+to the Gnus back ends instead of Gnus proper.
+
+@item nnheader-max-head-length
+@vindex nnheader-max-head-length
+When the back ends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
+as little as possible. This variable (default 8192) specifies
+the absolute max length the back ends will try to read before giving up
+on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
+variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
+@code{t}, the back ends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
+but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
+@code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
+
+@item nnheader-head-chop-length
+@vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
+This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
+read when doing the operation described above.
+
+@item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+@cindex file names
+@cindex invalid characters in file names
+@cindex characters in file names
+This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
+For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
+on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
+
+@lisp
+@group
+(setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
+ '((?: . ?_)))
+@end group
+@end lisp
+
+In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
+Windows (phooey) systems.
+
+@item gnus-hidden-properties
+@vindex gnus-hidden-properties
+This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
+@code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
+makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
+
+@item gnus-parse-headers-hook
+@vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
+A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
+gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
+some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
+
+@item gnus-shell-command-separator
+@vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
+String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
+
+@item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
+@vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
+
+Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
+name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
+names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
+@samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
+group).
+
+@acronym{IMAP} users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
+
+
+@end table
+
+@node The End
+@chapter The End
+
+Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
+touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
+
+My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
+
+Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
+
+@quotation
+@strong{Te Deum}
+
+@sp 1
+Not because of victories @*
+I sing,@*
+having none,@*
+but for the common sunshine,@*
+the breeze,@*
+the largess of the spring.
+
+@sp 1
+Not for victory@*
+but for the day's work done@*
+as well as I was able;@*
+not for a seat upon the dais@*
+but at the common table.@*
+@end quotation
+
+
+@node Appendices
+@chapter Appendices
+
+@menu
+* XEmacs:: Requirements for installing under XEmacs.
+* History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
+* On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
+* Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
+* Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
+* Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
+* Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
+* Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
+* Frequently Asked Questions:: The Gnus FAQ
+@end menu
+
+
+@node XEmacs
+@section XEmacs
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex installing under XEmacs
+
+XEmacs is distributed as a collection of packages. You should install
+whatever packages the Gnus XEmacs package requires. The current
+requirements are @samp{gnus}, @samp{mail-lib}, @samp{xemacs-base},
+@samp{eterm}, @samp{sh-script}, @samp{net-utils}, @samp{os-utils},
+@samp{dired}, @samp{mh-e}, @samp{sieve}, @samp{ps-print}, @samp{W3},
+@samp{pgg}, @samp{mailcrypt}, @samp{ecrypto}, and @samp{sasl}.
+
+
+@node History
+@section History
+
+@cindex history
+@sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
+'94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
+
+If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
+you can point your (feh!) web browser to
+@uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
+distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
+known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
+
+During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
+called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
+@dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
+(Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
+pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
+appropriate name, don't you think?)
+
+In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
+spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
+renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
+``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
+
+@menu
+* Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
+* Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
+* Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
+* Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
+* Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
+* Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
+* Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
+* Contributors:: Oodles of people.
+* New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
+@end menu
+
+
+@node Gnus Versions
+@subsection Gnus Versions
+@cindex ding Gnus
+@cindex September Gnus
+@cindex Red Gnus
+@cindex Quassia Gnus
+@cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
+@cindex Oort Gnus
+@cindex No Gnus
+@cindex Gnus versions
+
+The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
+was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
+plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
+
+In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
+releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
+
+On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
+January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
+
+On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
+It was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
+
+Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
+``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
+1999.
+
+On the 26th of October 2000, Oort Gnus was begun and was released as
+Gnus 5.10 on May 1st 2003 (24 releases).
+
+On the January 4th 2004, No Gnus was begun.
+
+If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
+``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'',
+``Pterodactyl Gnus'', ``Oort Gnus'', ``No Gnus'' -- don't panic.
+Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away. Slowly. Whatever
+you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're out of its reach.
+Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up to that instead.
+
+
+@node Other Gnus Versions
+@subsection Other Gnus Versions
+@cindex Semi-gnus
+
+In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
+coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
+Japan. It's based on a library called @acronym{SEMI}, which provides
+@acronym{MIME} capabilities.
+
+These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
+Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
+called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
+@acronym{MIME} and multilingualization things, especially important for
+Japanese users.
+
+
+@node Why?
+@subsection Why?
+
+What's the point of Gnus?
+
+I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
+newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
+original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
+me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
+Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
+volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
+newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
+newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
+keep track of millions of people who post?
+
+Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
+like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
+reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
+to separate the newsreader from the back ends, Gnus now offers a simple
+interface for anybody who wants to write new back ends for fetching mail
+and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
+everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
+every one of you to explore and invent.
+
+May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
+@kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
+
+
+@node Compatibility
+@subsection Compatibility
+
+@cindex compatibility
+Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
+bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
+but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
+
+Our motto is:
+@quotation
+@cartouche
+@center In a cloud bones of steel.
+@end cartouche
+@end quotation
+
+All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
+their names.
+
+The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
+Articles}.
+
+One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
+buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
+buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
+important variables have their values copied into their global
+counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
+change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
+
+All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
+fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
+changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
+maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
+speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
+peculiar results.
+
+@cindex hilit19
+@cindex highlighting
+Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
+remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
+(@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
+Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
+faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
+by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
+Away!
+
+Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
+fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
+code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
+does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
+
+Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
+new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
+doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
+to stop doing it the old way.
+
+Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
+
+@kindex M-x gnus-bug
+@findex gnus-bug
+@cindex reporting bugs
+@cindex bugs
+Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
+@sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
+please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
+
+@vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
+If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
+may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
+@code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
+up at you.
+
+
+@node Conformity
+@subsection Conformity
+
+No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
+to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
+with, of course.
+
+@table @strong
+
+@item RFC (2)822
+@cindex RFC 822
+@cindex RFC 2822
+There are no known breaches of this standard.
+
+@item RFC 1036
+@cindex RFC 1036
+There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
+
+@item Son-of-RFC 1036
+@cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
+We do have some breaches to this one.
+
+@table @emph
+
+@item X-Newsreader
+@itemx User-Agent
+These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
+to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
+articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
+either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
+it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
+@end table
+
+@item USEFOR
+@cindex USEFOR
+USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
+on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
+various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
+look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
+
+@item MIME - RFC 2045-2049 etc
+@cindex @acronym{MIME}
+All the various @acronym{MIME} RFCs are supported.
+
+@item Disposition Notifications - RFC 2298
+Message Mode is able to request notifications from the receiver.
+
+@item PGP - RFC 1991 and RFC 2440
+@cindex RFC 1991
+@cindex RFC 2440
+RFC 1991 is the original @acronym{PGP} message specification,
+published as an informational RFC. RFC 2440 was the follow-up, now
+called Open PGP, and put on the Standards Track. Both document a
+non-@acronym{MIME} aware @acronym{PGP} format. Gnus supports both
+encoding (signing and encryption) and decoding (verification and
+decryption).
+
+@item PGP/MIME - RFC 2015/3156
+RFC 2015 (superseded by 3156 which references RFC 2440 instead of RFC
+1991) describes the @acronym{MIME}-wrapping around the RFC 1991/2440 format.
+Gnus supports both encoding and decoding.
+
+@item S/MIME - RFC 2633
+RFC 2633 describes the @acronym{S/MIME} format.
+
+@item IMAP - RFC 1730/2060, RFC 2195, RFC 2086, RFC 2359, RFC 2595, RFC 1731
+RFC 1730 is @acronym{IMAP} version 4, updated somewhat by RFC 2060
+(@acronym{IMAP} 4 revision 1). RFC 2195 describes CRAM-MD5
+authentication for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2086 describes access control
+lists (ACLs) for @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 2359 describes a @acronym{IMAP}
+protocol enhancement. RFC 2595 describes the proper @acronym{TLS}
+integration (STARTTLS) with @acronym{IMAP}. RFC 1731 describes the
+GSSAPI/Kerberos4 mechanisms for @acronym{IMAP}.
+
+@end table
+
+If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
+mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
+know.
+
+
+@node Emacsen
+@subsection Emacsen
+@cindex Emacsen
+@cindex XEmacs
+@cindex Mule
+@cindex Emacs
+
+Gnus should work on:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Emacs 21.1 and up.
+
+@item
+XEmacs 21.4 and up.
+
+@end itemize
+
+This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
+that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
+Emacs versions.
+
+There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
+platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
+other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
+Emacsen.
+
+
+@node Gnus Development
+@subsection Gnus Development
+
+Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
+discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
+propose changes and new features, post patches and new back ends. This
+phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
+phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
+circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
+unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
+have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
+
+After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
+@dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
+and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
+supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
+
+@cindex Incoming*
+@vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
+Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
+In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
+alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
+lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
+
+The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
+newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
+having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
+can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
+importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
+introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
+introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
+either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
+usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
+can't be assumed to do so.
+
+
+
+@node Contributors
+@subsection Contributors
+@cindex contributors
+
+The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
+people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
+gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
+every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
+tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
+type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
+work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
+off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
+Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
+``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
+
+I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for@dots{} oops,
+wrong show.
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
+
+@item
+Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
+nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @acronym{MIME} and
+other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
+functionality and stuff.
+
+@item
+Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
+well as numerous other things).
+
+@item
+Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
+
+@item
+Joe Reiss---creator of the smiley faces.
+
+@item
+Justin Sheehy---the @acronym{FAQ} maintainer.
+
+@item
+Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
+
+@item
+Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
+@dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+@item
+Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
+
+@item
+Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section.
+
+@item
+Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
+
+@item
+Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
+
+@item
+Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
+
+@item
+Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
+
+@item
+Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
+distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
+
+@item
+Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
+
+@item
+Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
+
+@item
+Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
+
+@item
+Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
+.newsrc files.
+
+@item
+Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
+
+@item
+David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
+
+@item
+Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
+
+@item
+Fran@,{c}ois Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
+well as autoconf support.
+
+@end itemize
+
+This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
+Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
+
+The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
+
+Christopher Davis,
+Andrew Eskilsson,
+Kai Grossjohann,
+Kevin Greiner,
+Jesper Harder,
+Paul Jarc,
+Simon Josefsson,
+David K@aa{}gedal,
+Richard Pieri,
+Fabrice Popineau,
+Daniel Quinlan,
+Michael Shields,
+Reiner Steib,
+Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
+Jack Vinson,
+Katsumi Yamaoka, @c Yamaoka
+and
+Teodor Zlatanov.
+
+Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
+
+Jari Aalto,
+Adrian Aichner,
+Vladimir Alexiev,
+Russ Allbery,
+Peter Arius,
+Matt Armstrong,
+Marc Auslander,
+Miles Bader,
+Alexei V. Barantsev,
+Frank Bennett,
+Robert Bihlmeyer,
+Chris Bone,
+Mark Borges,
+Mark Boyns,
+Lance A. Brown,
+Rob Browning,
+Kees de Bruin,
+Martin Buchholz,
+Joe Buehler,
+Kevin Buhr,
+Alastair Burt,
+Joao Cachopo,
+Zlatko Calusic,
+Massimo Campostrini,
+Castor,
+David Charlap,
+Dan Christensen,
+Kevin Christian,
+Jae-you Chung, @c ?
+James H. Cloos, Jr.,
+Laura Conrad,
+Michael R. Cook,
+Glenn Coombs,
+Andrew J. Cosgriff,
+Neil Crellin,
+Frank D. Cringle,
+Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
+Andre Deparade,
+Ulrik Dickow,
+Dave Disser,
+Rui-Tao Dong, @c ?
+Joev Dubach,
+Michael Welsh Duggan,
+Dave Edmondson,
+Paul Eggert,
+Mark W. Eichin,
+Karl Eichwalder,
+Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
+Michael Ernst,
+Luc Van Eycken,
+Sam Falkner,
+Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
+Sigbjorn Finne,
+Sven Fischer,
+Paul Fisher,
+Decklin Foster,
+Gary D. Foster,
+Paul Franklin,
+Guy Geens,
+Arne Georg Gleditsch,
+David S. Goldberg,
+Michelangelo Grigni,
+Dale Hagglund,
+D. Hall,
+Magnus Hammerin,
+Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
+Raja R. Harinath,
+Yoshiki Hayashi, @c Hayashi
+P. E. Jareth Hein,
+Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
+Scott Hofmann,
+Marc Horowitz,
+Gunnar Horrigmo,
+Richard Hoskins,
+Brad Howes,
+Miguel de Icaza,
+Fran@,{c}ois Felix Ingrand,
+Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c Ichikawa
+Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
+Lee Iverson,
+Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
+Rajappa Iyer,
+Andreas Jaeger,
+Adam P. Jenkins,
+Randell Jesup,
+Fred Johansen,
+Gareth Jones,
+Greg Klanderman,
+Karl Kleinpaste,
+Michael Klingbeil,
+Peter Skov Knudsen,
+Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
+Petr Konecny,
+Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
+Thor Kristoffersen,
+Jens Lautenbacher,
+Martin Larose,
+Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
+Joerg Lenneis,
+Carsten Leonhardt,
+James LewisMoss,
+Christian Limpach,
+Markus Linnala,
+Dave Love,
+Mike McEwan,
+Tonny Madsen,
+Shlomo Mahlab,
+Nat Makarevitch,
+Istvan Marko,
+David Martin,
+Jason R. Mastaler,
+Gordon Matzigkeit,
+Timo Metzemakers,
+Richard Mlynarik,
+Lantz Moore,
+Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
+Erik Toubro Nielsen,
+Hrvoje Niksic,
+Andy Norman,
+Fred Oberhauser,
+C. R. Oldham,
+Alexandre Oliva,
+Ken Olstad,
+Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
+Hideki Ono, @c Ono
+Ettore Perazzoli,
+William Perry,
+Stephen Peters,
+Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
+Ulrich Pfeifer,
+Matt Pharr,
+Andy Piper,
+John McClary Prevost,
+Bill Pringlemeir,
+Mike Pullen,
+Jim Radford,
+Colin Rafferty,
+Lasse Rasinen,
+Lars Balker Rasmussen,
+Joe Reiss,
+Renaud Rioboo,
+Roland B. Roberts,
+Bart Robinson,
+Christian von Roques,
+Markus Rost,
+Jason Rumney,
+Wolfgang Rupprecht,
+Jay Sachs,
+Dewey M. Sasser,
+Conrad Sauerwald,
+Loren Schall,
+Dan Schmidt,
+Ralph Schleicher,
+Philippe Schnoebelen,
+Andreas Schwab,
+Randal L. Schwartz,
+Danny Siu,
+Matt Simmons,
+Paul D. Smith,
+Jeff Sparkes,
+Toby Speight,
+Michael Sperber,
+Darren Stalder,
+Richard Stallman,
+Greg Stark,
+Sam Steingold,
+Paul Stevenson,
+Jonas Steverud,
+Paul Stodghill,
+Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
+Kurt Swanson,
+Samuel Tardieu,
+Teddy,
+Chuck Thompson,
+Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
+Philippe Troin,
+James Troup,
+Trung Tran-Duc,
+Jack Twilley,
+Aaron M. Ucko,
+Aki Vehtari,
+Didier Verna,
+Vladimir Volovich,
+Jan Vroonhof,
+Stefan Waldherr,
+Pete Ware,
+Barry A. Warsaw,
+Christoph Wedler,
+Joe Wells,
+Lee Willis,
+and
+Lloyd Zusman.
+
+
+For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
+included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
+(550kB and counting).
+
+Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
+sure.
+
+Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
+actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
+
+
+@node New Features
+@subsection New Features
+@cindex new features
+
+@menu
+* ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
+* September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.2/5.3.
+* Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
+* Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
+* Pterodactyl Gnus:: Pentad also starts with P, AKA Gnus 5.8/5.9.
+* Oort Gnus:: It's big. It's far out. Gnus 5.10/5.11.
+* No Gnus:: Very punny.
+@end menu
+
+These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
+@emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
+Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
+
+@node ding Gnus
+@subsubsection (ding) Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
+(@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
+
+@item
+Local spool and several @acronym{NNTP} servers can be used at once
+(@pxref{Select Methods}).
+
+@item
+You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
+All the mail back ends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
+(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
+their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
+can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
+@item
+Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
+them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
+entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
+(@pxref{The Active File}).
+
+@item
+Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
+(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+
+@item
+You can score articles according to any number of criteria
+(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
+articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+
+@item
+Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
+manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
+read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+
+@item
+Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{~/.gnus.el}) to avoid
+cluttering up the @file{.emacs} file.
+
+@item
+You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
+operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+
+@item
+You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
+results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
+(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@item
+You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
+servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
+server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+
+@item
+You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
+
+@item
+The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
+(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+
+@item
+You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
+of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+
+@item
+Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
+glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+
+@item
+Gnus can fetch @acronym{FAQ}s and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+
+@item
+Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
+(@pxref{Document Groups}).
+
+@item
+Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
+Articles}).
+
+@item
+URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
+Buttons}).
+
+@item
+You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
+configuration (@pxref{Window Layout}).
+
+@item
+You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
+(@pxref{Buttons}).
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node September Gnus
+@subsubsection September Gnus
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/september,height=20cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
+for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
+now obsolete.
+
+@item
+Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
+missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
+Threading}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
+(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+
+@item
+Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
+referred.
+
+@item
+Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions.
+
+@item
+Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
+
+@item
+A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-trees t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
+buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
+Groups}).
+
+@item
+Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
+Topics}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+
+@item
+Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
+is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
+
+@lisp
+(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
+groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
+
+@item
+Caching is possible in virtual groups.
+
+@item
+@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
+news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
+else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
+
+@item
+Gnus has a new back end (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
+(@pxref{SOUP}).
+
+@item
+The Gnus cache is much faster.
+
+@item
+Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
+Groups}).
+
+@item
+New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
+expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+
+@item
+All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
+(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
+
+@item
+There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
+marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+
+@item
+The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
+articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
+bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
+
+@item
+Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
+(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
+
+@item
+All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
+
+@item
+Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
+
+@item
+All mail back ends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+
+@item
+Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
+
+@item
+All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
+buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
+
+@item
+Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Window
+Layout}).
+
+@item
+Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fseptember,height=5cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+@item
+Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-nocem t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
+
+@item
+Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
+
+@item
+Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
+(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
+ 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
+refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
+buffer to allow easier treatment.
+
+@item
+Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
+
+@item
+Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
+Articles}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
+articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
+(@pxref{Article Washing}).
+
+@item
+Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
+cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
+@end lisp
+
+@item
+Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+
+@item
+Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
+
+@item
+Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
+
+@end itemize
+
+
+@node Red Gnus
+@subsubsection Red Gnus
+
+New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
+
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=ps/red,height=20cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
+
+@itemize @bullet
+
+@item
+@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
+
+@item
+Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
+Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+
+@item
+Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
+@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
+Scoring}).
+
+@item
+Article washing status can be displayed in the
+article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
+
+@item
+@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
+
+@item
+Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
+(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
+@end lisp
@item
-Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
-(@pxref{Select Methods}).
+New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
+considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
+been added.
@item
-You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
+@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
+Server Internals}).
@item
-You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
-All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
-(@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
+Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
+Parameters}).
@item
-Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
-their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
-can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
-(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
@item
-Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
-them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
+(@pxref{Article Signature}).
@item
-Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
-entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
-(@pxref{The Active File}).
+Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
+numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
+articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
@item
-Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
-(@pxref{Group Levels}).
+Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
+another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
@item
-You can score articles according to any number of criteria
-(@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
-articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
+when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
@item
-Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
-manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
-read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
+Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{C-M-_}
+(@pxref{Undo}).
@item
-Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
-the @file{.emacs} file.
+Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
+(@pxref{Score File Format}).
@item
-You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
-operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
+Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
+(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
+@end lisp
@item
-You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
-results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
+Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
+
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-decay-scores t)
+@end lisp
@item
-You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
-(@pxref{Listing Groups}).
+Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
+normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
@item
-You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
-servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
+A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
+the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
@item
-Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
-server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+A new command for reading collections of documents
+(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{C-M-d}
+(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
@item
-You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
+Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
+Marks}).
@item
-The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
-(@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
+A new mail-to-news back end makes it possible to post even when the @acronym{NNTP}
+server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
@item
-You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
-of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
+A new back end for reading searches from Web search engines
+(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
+(@pxref{Web Searches}).
@item
-Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
-glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
+Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
+functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
+Sorting}).
@item
-Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
+Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
+Groups}).
@item
-Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
-(@pxref{Document Groups}).
+Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
+Commands}).
+@iftex
+@iflatex
+\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=ps/fred,width=3cm}}
+@end iflatex
+@end iftex
@item
-Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
-Articles}).
+Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
+Variables}).
@item
-URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
-Buttons}).
+Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
+Mail}).
@item
-You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
-configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
+More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
+mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
@item
-You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
-(@pxref{Buttons}).
+Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
@end itemize
-@node September Gnus
-@subsubsection September Gnus
-
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+@node Quassia Gnus
+@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
-New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
+New features in Gnus 5.6:
@itemize @bullet
@item
-A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
-for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
-now obsolete.
+New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
+added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added.
+@xref{Gnus Unplugged}, for the full story.
@item
-Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
-missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
-Threading}).
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
-@end lisp
+The @code{nndraft} back end has returned, but works differently than
+before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
+group, which is created automatically.
@item
-Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
-(@pxref{Archived Messages}).
+@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
+values.
@item
-Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
-referred.
+@code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
@item
-Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
+A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
+outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
@item
-Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
+You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
+@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}.
@item
-A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-trees t)
-@end lisp
+ @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
@item
-An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
-buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
-
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
-@end lisp
+@code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
+re-highlighting of the article buffer.
@item
-In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
-Groups}).
+New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
@item
-Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
-Topics}).
-
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
-@end lisp
+@kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. @xref{Symbolic Prefixes}, for
+details.
@item
-Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
+@kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
+@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the @file{all.SCORE} file.
@item
-Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
-is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
-
-@lisp
-(add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
-@end lisp
+@code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
+control over simplification.
@item
-Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
-groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
+@kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
@item
-Caching is possible in virtual groups.
+@kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
+limit.
@item
-@code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
-news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
-else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
+@kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
@item
-Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
-(@pxref{SOUP}).
+@samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
@item
-The Gnus cache is much faster.
+The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
+If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
+rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
@item
-Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
-Groups}).
+Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
+@kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
@item
-New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
-expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
+New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
+text---@kbd{W d}.
@item
-All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
-(@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
+For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
+@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
@item
-There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
-marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
+@code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
+controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @acronym{NNTP} servers.
@item
-The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
-articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
-bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
+A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
+has been added.
@item
-Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
-(@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
+A history of where mails have been split is available.
@item
-All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
+A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
@item
-Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
+Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
+@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
@item
-All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
+A new function for citing in Message has been
+added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
@item
-Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
+@code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
@item
-All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
-buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
+A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
+been added.
@item
-Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
-Configuration}).
+A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
+@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
@item
-Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+The ``lapsed date'' article header can be kept continually
+updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
@item
-Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-nocem t)
-@end lisp
+Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} back end.
@item
-Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
-
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
-@end lisp
+Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
-@item
-Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
+@end itemize
-@item
-Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
+@node Pterodactyl Gnus
+@subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
-@item
-Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
-(@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
+New features in Gnus 5.8:
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
- 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
-@end lisp
+@itemize @bullet
@item
-Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
-refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
+The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
+many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
+
+If you used procmail like in
@lisp
-(setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
+(setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
+(setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
+(setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
+(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
@end lisp
-@item
-A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
-buffer to allow easier treatment.
-
-@item
-Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
-
-@item
-Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
-Articles}).
+this now has changed to
@lisp
-(setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
+(setq mail-sources
+ '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
+ :suffix ".in")))
@end lisp
+@xref{Mail Source Specifiers}.
+
@item
-@code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
-articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
+Gnus is now a @acronym{MIME}-capable reader. This affects many parts of
+Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
-@end lisp
+@item
+Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
+many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
@item
-Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
-(@pxref{Article Washing}).
+@code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
+called to position point.
@item
-Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
-cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
+summary buffers and @acronym{NOV} files.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
-@end lisp
+@item
+@code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
+of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
@item
-Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
+The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
+subtly different manner.
@item
-Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
+New web-based back ends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
+@code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
+again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
@item
-Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
+Gnus can now read @acronym{IMAP} mail via @code{nnimap}.
@end itemize
+@node Oort Gnus
+@subsubsection Oort Gnus
+@cindex Oort Gnus
-@node Red Gnus
-@subsubsection Red Gnus
-
-New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
-
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+New features in Gnus 5.10:
@itemize @bullet
@item
-@file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
+@kbd{F} (@code{gnus-article-followup-with-original}) and @kbd{R}
+(@code{gnus-article-reply-with-original}) only yank the text in the
+region if the region is active.
@item
-Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
-Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
+@code{gnus-group-read-ephemeral-group} can be called interactively,
+using @kbd{G M}.
@item
-Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
-@code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
-Scoring}).
+In draft groups, @kbd{e} is now bound to @code{gnus-draft-edit-message}.
+Use @kbd{B w} for @code{gnus-summary-edit-article} instead.
@item
-Article washing status can be displayed in the
-article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
+The revised Gnus @acronym{FAQ} is included in the manual,
+@xref{Frequently Asked Questions}.
@item
-@file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
+Upgrading from previous (stable) version if you have used Oort.
+
+If you have tried Oort (the unstable Gnus branch leading to this
+release) but went back to a stable version, be careful when upgrading to
+this version. In particular, you will probably want to remove all
+@file{.marks} (nnml) and @file{.mrk} (nnfolder) files, so that flags are
+read from your @file{.newsrc.eld} instead of from the
+@file{.marks}/@file{.mrk} file where this release store flags. See a
+later entry for more information about marks. Note that downgrading
+isn't save in general.
@item
-Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
-(@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
+Article Buttons
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
-@end lisp
+More buttons for URLs, mail addresses, Message-IDs, Info links, man
+pages and Emacs or Gnus related references. @xref{Article Buttons}. The
+variables @code{gnus-button-@var{*}-level} can be used to control the
+appearance of all article buttons. @xref{Article Button Levels}.
@item
-New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
-considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
-been added.
+Dired integration
+
+@code{gnus-dired-minor-mode} (see @ref{Other modes}) installs key
+bindings in dired buffers to send a file as an attachment, open a file
+using the appropriate mailcap entry, and print a file using the mailcap
+entry.
@item
-@code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
-Server Internals}).
+Gnus can display RSS newsfeeds as a newsgroup. @xref{RSS}.
@item
-Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
-Parameters}).
+Single-part yenc encoded attachments can be decoded.
@item
-Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
+Picons
+
+The picons code has been reimplemented to work in GNU Emacs---some of
+the previous options have been removed or renamed.
+
+Picons are small ``personal icons'' representing users, domain and
+newsgroups, which can be displayed in the Article buffer.
+@xref{Picons}.
@item
-Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
-(@pxref{Article Signature}).
+If the new option @code{gnus-treat-body-boundary} is non-@code{nil}, a
+boundary line is drawn at the end of the headers.
@item
-Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
-numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
-articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
+Retrieval of charters and control messages
+
+There are new commands for fetching newsgroup charters (@kbd{H c}) and
+control messages (@kbd{H C}).
@item
-Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
-another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+Delayed articles
+
+You can delay the sending of a message with @kbd{C-c C-j} in the Message
+buffer. The messages are delivered at specified time. This is useful
+for sending yourself reminders. @xref{Delayed Articles}.
@item
-There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
-when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
+If @code{auto-compression-mode} is enabled, attachments are automatically
+decompressed when activated.
@item
-Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
-(@pxref{Undo}).
+If the new option @code{nnml-use-compressed-files} is non-@code{nil},
+the nnml back end allows compressed message files.
@item
-Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
-(@pxref{Score File Format}).
+Signed article headers (X-PGP-Sig) can be verified with @kbd{W p}.
@item
-Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
-(@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
+The Summary Buffer uses an arrow in the fringe to indicate the current
+article. Use @code{(setq gnus-summary-display-arrow nil)} to disable it.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
-@end lisp
+@item
+Warn about email replies to news
+
+Do you often find yourself replying to news by email by mistake? Then
+the new option @code{gnus-confirm-mail-reply-to-news} is just the thing for
+you.
@item
-Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
+If the new option @code{gnus-summary-display-while-building} is
+non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer is shown and updated as it's being
+built.
-@lisp
-(setq gnus-decay-scores t)
-@end lisp
+@item
+The new @code{recent} mark @samp{.} indicates newly arrived messages (as
+opposed to old but unread messages).
@item
-Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
-normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
+The new option @code{gnus-gcc-mark-as-read} automatically marks
+Gcc articles as read.
@item
-A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
-the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
+The nndoc back end now supports mailman digests and exim bounces.
@item
-A new command for reading collections of documents
-(@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
-(@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
+Gnus supports RFC 2369 mailing list headers, and adds a number of
+related commands in mailing list groups. @xref{Mailing List}.
@item
-Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
-Marks}).
+The Date header can be displayed in a format that can be read aloud
+in English. @xref{Article Date}.
@item
-A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
-server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
+The envelope sender address can be customized when using Sendmail.
+@xref{Mail Variables, Mail Variables,, message, Message Manual}.
@item
-A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
-(@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
-(@pxref{Web Searches}).
+diffs are automatically highlighted in groups matching
+@code{mm-uu-diff-groups-regexp}
@item
-Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
-functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
-Sorting}).
+@acronym{TLS} wrapper shipped with Gnus
+
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} is now supported in @acronym{IMAP} and
+@acronym{NNTP} via @file{tls.el} and GNUTLS. The old
+@acronym{TLS}/@acronym{SSL} support via (external third party)
+@file{ssl.el} and OpenSSL still works.
@item
-Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
-Groups}).
+New @file{make.bat} for compiling and installing Gnus under MS Windows
+
+Use @file{make.bat} if you want to install Gnus under MS Windows, the
+first argument to the batch-program should be the directory where
+@file{xemacs.exe} respectively @file{emacs.exe} is located, iff you want
+to install Gnus after compiling it, give @file{make.bat} @code{/copy} as
+the second parameter.
+
+@file{make.bat} has been rewritten from scratch, it now features
+automatic recognition of XEmacs and GNU Emacs, generates
+@file{gnus-load.el}, checks if errors occur while compilation and
+generation of info files and reports them at the end of the build
+process. It now uses @code{makeinfo} if it is available and falls
+back to @file{infohack.el} otherwise. @file{make.bat} should now
+install all files which are necessary to run Gnus and be generally a
+complete replacement for the @code{configure; make; make install}
+cycle used under Unix systems.
+
+The new @file{make.bat} makes @file{make-x.bat} superfluous, so it has
+been removed.
@item
-Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
-Commands}).
-@iftex
-@iflatex
-\marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
-@end iflatex
-@end iftex
+Support for non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names
+
+Message supports non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To: and
+Cc: and will query you whether to perform encoding when you try to
+send a message. The variable @code{message-use-idna} controls this.
+Gnus will also decode non-@acronym{ASCII} domain names in From:, To:
+and Cc: when you view a message. The variable @code{gnus-use-idna}
+controls this.
@item
-Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
-Variables}).
+Better handling of Microsoft citation styles
+
+Gnus now tries to recognize the mangled header block that some Microsoft
+mailers use to indicate that the rest of the message is a citation, even
+though it is not quoted in any way. The variable
+@code{gnus-cite-unsightly-citation-regexp} matches the start of these
+citations.
@item
-Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
-Mail}).
+@code{gnus-article-skip-boring}
+
+If you set @code{gnus-article-skip-boring} to @code{t}, then Gnus will
+not scroll down to show you a page that contains only boring text,
+which by default means cited text and signature. You can customize
+what is skippable using @code{gnus-article-boring-faces}.
+
+This feature is especially useful if you read many articles that
+consist of a little new content at the top with a long, untrimmed
+message cited below.
@item
-More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
-mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
+The format spec @code{%C} for positioning point has changed to @code{%*}.
@item
-Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
+The new variable @code{gnus-parameters} can be used to set group parameters.
-@end itemize
+Earlier this was done only via @kbd{G p} (or @kbd{G c}), which stored
+the parameters in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, but via this variable you can
+enjoy the powers of customize, and simplified backups since you set the
+variable in @file{~/.gnus.el} instead of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}. The
+variable maps regular expressions matching group names to group
+parameters, a'la:
+@lisp
+(setq gnus-parameters
+ '(("mail\\..*"
+ (gnus-show-threads nil)
+ (gnus-use-scoring nil))
+ ("^nnimap:\\(foo.bar\\)$"
+ (to-group . "\\1"))))
+@end lisp
+@item
+Smileys (@samp{:-)}, @samp{;-)} etc) are now iconized for Emacs too.
-@node Quassia Gnus
-@subsubsection Quassia Gnus
+Put @code{(setq gnus-treat-display-smileys nil)} in @file{~/.gnus.el} to
+disable it.
-New features in Gnus 5.6:
+@item
+Gnus no longer generate the Sender: header automatically.
-@itemize @bullet
+Earlier it was generated iff the user configurable email address was
+different from the Gnus guessed default user address. As the guessing
+algorithm is rarely correct these days, and (more controversially) the
+only use of the Sender: header was to check if you are entitled to
+cancel/supersede news (which is now solved by Cancel Locks instead,
+see another entry), generation of the header has been disabled by
+default. See the variables @code{message-required-headers},
+@code{message-required-news-headers}, and
+@code{message-required-mail-headers}.
@item
-New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
-added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
-@pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
+Features from third party @file{message-utils.el} added to @file{message.el}.
+
+Message now asks if you wish to remove @samp{(was: <old subject>)} from
+subject lines (see @code{message-subject-trailing-was-query}). @kbd{C-c
+M-m} and @kbd{C-c M-f} inserts markers indicating included text.
+@kbd{C-c C-f a} adds a X-No-Archive: header. @kbd{C-c C-f x} inserts
+appropriate headers and a note in the body for cross-postings and
+followups (see the variables @code{message-cross-post-@var{*}}).
@item
- The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
-before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
-group, which is created automatically.
+References and X-Draft-From headers are no longer generated when you
+start composing messages and @code{message-generate-headers-first} is
+@code{nil}.
@item
-@code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
-values.
+Improved anti-spam features.
+
+Gnus is now able to take out spam from your mail and news streams
+using a wide variety of programs and filter rules. Among the supported
+methods are RBL blocklists, bogofilter and white/blacklists. Hooks
+for easy use of external packages such as SpamAssassin and Hashcash
+are also new. @xref{Thwarting Email Spam}.
@item
- @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
+Easy inclusion of X-Faces headers.
@item
- A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
-outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
+Face headers handling.
@item
- You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
-@kbd{C-u C-c C-c}.
+In the summary buffer, the new command @kbd{/ N} inserts new messages
+and @kbd{/ o} inserts old messages.
@item
- @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
+Gnus decodes morse encoded messages if you press @kbd{W m}.
@item
- @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
-re-highlighting of the article buffer.
+Unread count correct in nnimap groups.
+
+The estimated number of unread articles in the group buffer should now
+be correct for nnimap groups. This is achieved by calling
+@code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} from the
+@code{gnus-setup-news-hook} (called on startup) and
+@code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook}. (called after getting new
+mail). If you have modified those variables from the default, you may
+want to add @code{nnimap-fixup-unread-after-getting-new-news} again. If
+you were happy with the estimate and want to save some (minimal) time
+when getting new mail, remove the function.
@item
- New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
+Group Carbon Copy (GCC) quoting
+
+To support groups that contains SPC and other weird characters, groups
+are quoted before they are placed in the Gcc: header. This means
+variables such as @code{gnus-message-archive-group} should no longer
+contain quote characters to make groups containing SPC work. Also, if
+you are using the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar} (indicating Gcc
+into two groups) you must change it to return the list
+@code{("nnml:foo" "nnml:bar")}, otherwise the Gcc: line will be quoted
+incorrectly. Note that returning the string @samp{nnml:foo, nnml:bar}
+was incorrect earlier, it just didn't generate any problems since it
+was inserted directly.
@item
- @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
-Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
+@file{~/News/overview/} not used.
+
+As a result of the following change, the @file{~/News/overview/}
+directory is not used any more. You can safely delete the entire
+hierarchy.
@item
- @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
-@kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
+@code{gnus-agent}
+
+The Gnus Agent has seen a major updated and is now enabled by default,
+and all nntp and nnimap servers from @code{gnus-select-method} and
+@code{gnus-secondary-select-method} are agentized by default. Earlier
+only the server in @code{gnus-select-method} was agentized by the
+default, and the agent was disabled by default. When the agent is
+enabled, headers are now also retrieved from the Agent cache instead
+of the back ends when possible. Earlier this only happened in the
+unplugged state. You can enroll or remove servers with @kbd{J a} and
+@kbd{J r} in the server buffer. Gnus will not download articles into
+the Agent cache, unless you instruct it to do so, though, by using
+@kbd{J u} or @kbd{J s} from the Group buffer. You revert to the old
+behavior of having the Agent disabled with @code{(setq gnus-agent
+nil)}. Note that putting @code{(gnus-agentize)} in @file{~/.gnus.el}
+is not needed any more.
@item
- @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
-control over simplification.
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format}
+
+The default value changed to @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-23,23f%]%)
+%s\n}. Moreover @code{gnus-extra-headers},
+@code{nnmail-extra-headers} and @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses}
+changed their default so that the users name will be replaced by the
+recipient's name or the group name posting to for @acronym{NNTP}
+groups.
@item
- @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
+@file{deuglify.el} (@code{gnus-article-outlook-deuglify-article})
+A new file from Raymond Scholz @email{rscholz@@zonix.de} for deuglifying
+broken Outlook (Express) articles.
+
+@c FIXME: `gnus-load' is mentioned in README, which is not included in
+@c CVS. We should find a better place for this item.
@item
- @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
-limit.
+@code{(require 'gnus-load)}
+
+If you use a stand-alone Gnus distribution, you'd better add
+@code{(require 'gnus-load)} into your @file{~/.emacs} after adding the Gnus
+lisp directory into load-path.
+
+File @file{gnus-load.el} contains autoload commands, functions and variables,
+some of which may not be included in distributions of Emacsen.
@item
- @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
+@code{gnus-slave-unplugged}
+
+A new command which starts Gnus offline in slave mode.
@item
- @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
+@code{message-insinuate-rmail}
+
+Adding @code{(message-insinuate-rmail)} and @code{(setq
+mail-user-agent 'gnus-user-agent)} in @file{.emacs} convinces Rmail to
+compose, reply and forward messages in message-mode, where you can
+enjoy the power of @acronym{MML}.
@item
- The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
-If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
-rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
+@code{message-minibuffer-local-map}
+
+The line below enables BBDB in resending a message:
+@lisp
+(define-key message-minibuffer-local-map [(tab)]
+ 'bbdb-complete-name)
+@end lisp
@item
- Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
-@kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
+Externalizing and deleting of attachments.
+
+If @code{gnus-gcc-externalize-attachments} or
+@code{message-fcc-externalize-attachments} is non-@code{nil}, attach
+local files as external parts.
+
+The command @code{gnus-mime-save-part-and-strip} (bound to @kbd{C-o}
+on @acronym{MIME} buttons) saves a part and replaces the part with an
+external one. @code{gnus-mime-delete-part} (bound to @kbd{d} on
+@acronym{MIME} buttons) removes a part. It works only on back ends
+that support editing.
@item
- New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
-text---@kbd{W d}.
+@code{gnus-default-charset}
+
+The default value is determined from the
+@code{current-language-environment} variable, instead of
+@code{iso-8859-1}. Also the @samp{.*} item in
+@code{gnus-group-charset-alist} is removed.
@item
- For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
-@code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
+@code{gnus-posting-styles}
+
+Add a new format of match like
+@lisp
+((header "to" "larsi.*org")
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+@end lisp
+The old format like the lines below is obsolete, but still accepted.
+@lisp
+(header "to" "larsi.*org"
+ (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
+@end lisp
@item
- @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
-controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
+@code{message-ignored-news-headers} and @code{message-ignored-mail-headers}
+
+@samp{X-Draft-From} and @samp{X-Gnus-Agent-Meta-Information} have been
+added into these two variables. If you customized those, perhaps you
+need add those two headers too.
@item
- A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
-has been added.
+Gnus reads the @acronym{NOV} and articles in the Agent if plugged.
+
+If one reads an article while plugged, and the article already exists
+in the Agent, it won't get downloaded once more. @code{(setq
+gnus-agent-cache nil)} reverts to the old behavior.
@item
- A history of where mails have been split is available.
+Gnus supports the ``format=flowed'' (RFC 2646) parameter. On
+composing messages, it is enabled by @code{use-hard-newlines}.
+Decoding format=flowed was present but not documented in earlier
+versions.
@item
- A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
+The option @code{mm-fill-flowed} can be used to disable treatment of
+``format=flowed'' messages. Also, flowed text is disabled when sending
+inline PGP signed messages. (New in Gnus 5.10.7)
@item
- Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
-@code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
+Gnus supports the generation of RFC 2298 Disposition Notification requests.
+
+This is invoked with the @kbd{C-c M-n} key binding from message mode.
@item
- A new function for citing in Message has been
-added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
+Gnus supports Maildir groups.
+
+Gnus includes a new back end @file{nnmaildir.el}. @xref{Maildir}.
@item
- @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
+Printing capabilities are enhanced.
+
+Gnus supports Muttprint natively with @kbd{O P} from the Summary and
+Article buffers. Also, each individual @acronym{MIME} part can be
+printed using @kbd{p} on the @acronym{MIME} button.
@item
- A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
-been added.
+Message supports the Importance: (RFC 2156) header.
+
+In the message buffer, @kbd{C-c C-f C-i} or @kbd{C-c C-u} cycles through
+the valid values.
@item
- A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
-@code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
+Gnus supports Cancel Locks in News.
+
+This means a header @samp{Cancel-Lock} is inserted in news posting. It is
+used to determine if you wrote an article or not (for canceling and
+superseding). Gnus generates a random password string the first time
+you post a message, and saves it in your @file{~/.emacs} using the Custom
+system. While the variable is called @code{canlock-password}, it is not
+security sensitive data. Publishing your canlock string on the web
+will not allow anyone to be able to anything she could not already do.
+The behavior can be changed by customizing @code{message-insert-canlock}.
@item
- The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
-updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
+Gnus supports server-side mail filtering using Sieve.
+
+Sieve rules can be added as Group Parameters for groups, and the
+complete Sieve script is generated using @kbd{D g} from the Group
+buffer, and then uploaded to the server using @kbd{C-c C-l} in the
+generated Sieve buffer. @xref{Sieve Commands}, and the new Sieve
+manual @ref{Top, , Top, sieve, Emacs Sieve}.
@item
- Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
+Extended format specs.
+
+Format spec @samp{%&user-date;} is added into
+@code{gnus-summary-line-format-alist}. Also, user defined extended
+format specs are supported. The extended format specs look like
+@samp{%u&foo;}, which invokes function
+@code{gnus-user-format-function-@var{foo}}. Because @samp{&} is used as the
+escape character, old user defined format @samp{%u&} is no longer supported.
@item
- Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
+@kbd{/ *} (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}) is rewritten.
-@end itemize
+It was aliased to @kbd{Y c}
+(@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}). The new function filters
+out other articles.
-@node Pterodactyl Gnus
-@subsubsection Pterodactyl Gnus
+@item
+Some limiting commands accept a @kbd{C-u} prefix to negate the match.
-New features in Gnus 5.8:
+If @kbd{C-u} is used on subject, author or extra headers, i.e., @kbd{/
+s}, @kbd{/ a}, and @kbd{/ x}
+(@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-@{subject,author,extra@}}) respectively, the
+result will be to display all articles that do not match the expression.
-@itemize @bullet
+@item
+Group names are treated as UTF-8 by default.
-@item The mail-fetching functions have changed. See the manual for the
-many details. In particular, all procmail fetching variables are gone.
+This is supposedly what USEFOR wanted to migrate to. See
+@code{gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist} and
+@code{gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist} for customization.
-If you used procmail like in
+@item
+The nnml and nnfolder back ends store marks for each groups.
-@lisp
-(setq nnmail-use-procmail t)
-(setq nnmail-spool-file 'procmail)
-(setq nnmail-procmail-directory "~/mail/incoming/")
-(setq nnmail-procmail-suffix "\\.in")
-@end lisp
+This makes it possible to take backup of nnml/nnfolder servers/groups
+separately of @file{~/.newsrc.eld}, while preserving marks. It also
+makes it possible to share articles and marks between users (without
+sharing the @file{~/.newsrc.eld} file) within e.g. a department. It
+works by storing the marks stored in @file{~/.newsrc.eld} in a per-group
+file @file{.marks} (for nnml) and @file{@var{groupname}.mrk} (for
+nnfolder, named @var{groupname}). If the nnml/nnfolder is moved to
+another machine, Gnus will automatically use the @file{.marks} or
+@file{.mrk} file instead of the information in @file{~/.newsrc.eld}.
+The new server variables @code{nnml-marks-is-evil} and
+@code{nnfolder-marks-is-evil} can be used to disable this feature.
+
+@item
+The menu bar item (in Group and Summary buffer) named ``Misc'' has
+been renamed to ``Gnus''.
-this now has changed to
+@item
+The menu bar item (in Message mode) named ``@acronym{MML}'' has been
+renamed to ``Attachments''. Note that this menu also contains security
+related stuff, like signing and encryption (@pxref{Security, Security,,
+message, Message Manual}).
+
+@item
+@code{gnus-group-charset-alist} and
+@code{gnus-group-ignored-charsets-alist}.
+The regexps in these variables are compared with full group names
+instead of real group names in 5.8. Users who customize these
+variables should change those regexps accordingly. For example:
@lisp
-(setq mail-sources
- '((directory :path "~/mail/incoming/"
- :suffix ".in")))
+("^han\\>" euc-kr) -> ("\\(^\\|:\\)han\\>" euc-kr)
@end lisp
-More information is available in the info doc at Select Methods ->
-Getting Mail -> Mail Sources
+@item
+Gnus supports @acronym{PGP} (RFC 1991/2440), @acronym{PGP/MIME} (RFC
+2015/3156) and @acronym{S/MIME} (RFC 2630-2633).
-@item Gnus is now a MIME-capable reader. This affects many parts of
-Gnus, and adds a slew of new commands. See the manual for details.
+It needs an external @acronym{S/MIME} and OpenPGP implementation, but no
+additional Lisp libraries. This add several menu items to the
+Attachments menu, and @kbd{C-c RET} key bindings, when composing
+messages. This also obsoletes @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook}.
-@item Gnus has also been multilingualized. This also affects too
-many parts of Gnus to summarize here, and adds many new variables.
+@item
+Gnus inlines external parts (message/external).
-@item @code{gnus-auto-select-first} can now be a function to be
-called to position point.
+@item
+@acronym{MML} (Mime compose) prefix changed from @kbd{M-m} to @kbd{C-c
+C-m}.
-@item The user can now decide which extra headers should be included in
-summary buffers and NOV files.
+This change was made to avoid conflict with the standard binding of
+@code{back-to-indentation}, which is also useful in message mode.
-@item @code{gnus-article-display-hook} has been removed. Instead, a number
-of variables starting with @code{gnus-treat-} have been added.
+@item
+The default for @code{message-forward-show-mml} changed to symbol @code{best}.
-@item The Gnus posting styles have been redone again and now works in a
-subtly different manner.
+The behavior for the @code{best} value is to show @acronym{MML} (i.e.,
+convert to @acronym{MIME}) when appropriate. @acronym{MML} will not be
+used when forwarding signed or encrypted messages, as the conversion
+invalidate the digital signature.
+@end itemize
-@item New web-based backends have been added: @code{nnslashdot},
-@code{nnwarchive} and @code{nnultimate}. nnweb has been revamped,
-again, to keep up with ever-changing layouts.
+@node No Gnus
+@subsubsection No Gnus
+@cindex No Gnus
-@item Gnus can now read IMAP mail via @code{nnimap}.
+New features in No Gnus:
+@c FIXME: Gnus 5.12?
-@end itemize
+@include gnus-news.texi
@iftex
that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
-functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
+functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
hand in hand.
This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
-looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
+looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
started with Gnus.
-That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
+That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
@item news
@cindex news
This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
-News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
+News is generally fetched from a nearby @acronym{NNTP} server, and is
generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
are reading.
-@item backend
-@cindex backend
-Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
-backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
-is all done by the backends.
+@item back end
+@cindex back end
+Gnus considers mail and news to be mostly the same, really. The only
+difference is how to access the actual articles. News articles are
+commonly fetched via the protocol @acronym{NNTP}, whereas mail
+messages could be read from a file on the local disk. The internal
+architecture of Gnus thus comprises a ``front end'' and a number of
+``back ends''. Internally, when you enter a group (by hitting
+@key{RET}, say), you thereby invoke a function in the front end in
+Gnus. The front end then ``talks'' to a back end and says things like
+``Give me the list of articles in the foo group'' or ``Show me article
+number 4711''.
+
+So a back end mainly defines either a protocol (the @code{nntp} back
+end accesses news via @acronym{NNTP}, the @code{nnimap} back end
+accesses mail via @acronym{IMAP}) or a file format and directory
+layout (the @code{nnspool} back end accesses news via the common
+``spool directory'' format, the @code{nnml} back end access mail via a
+file format and directory layout that's quite similar).
+
+Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this is all
+done by the back ends. A back end is a collection of functions to
+access the articles.
+
+However, sometimes the term ``back end'' is also used where ``server''
+would have been more appropriate. And then there is the term ``select
+method'' which can mean either. The Gnus terminology can be quite
+confusing.
@item native
@cindex native
-Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
+Gnus will always use one method (and back end) as the @dfn{native}, or
default, way of getting news.
@item foreign
@cindex foreign
You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
-These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
+These are groups that use non-native non-secondary back ends for getting
news.
@item secondary
@cindex secondary
-Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
+Secondary back ends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
@item article
@item headers
@cindex headers
A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
-collection of @sc{nov} lines.
+collection of @acronym{NOV} lines.
-@item @sc{nov}
-@cindex nov
-When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
+@item @acronym{NOV}
+@cindex @acronym{NOV}
+When Gnus enters a group, it asks the back end for the headers of all
unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
normal @sc{head} format.
number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
+@item spool
+@cindex spool
+News servers store their articles locally in one fashion or other.
+One old-fashioned storage method is to have just one file per
+article. That's called a ``traditional spool''.
+
@item server
@cindex server
A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
@item select method
@cindex select method
-A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
+A structure that specifies the back end, the server and the virtual
server settings.
@item virtual server
@item ephemeral groups
@cindex ephemeral groups
+@cindex temporary groups
Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
group, it'll disappear into the aether.
A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
specified by RFC 1153.
+@item splitting
+@cindex splitting, terminolgy
+@cindex mail sorting
+@cindex mail filtering (splitting)
+The action of sorting your emails according to certain rules. Sometimes
+incorrectly called mail filtering.
+
@end table
for some quite common situations.
@menu
-* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
-* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
-* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
-* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
+* Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
+* Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
+* Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
+* Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
@end menu
@node Slow/Expensive Connection
-@subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
+@subsection Slow/Expensive NNTP Connection
If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
-Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
+Gnus has to get from the @acronym{NNTP} server.
@table @code
@item gnus-read-active-file
Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
-entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
+entire active file from the server. This file is often very large. You
also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
@code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
@item gnus-nov-is-evil
This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
-the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
+the @acronym{NNTP} server will not be very fast. Not all @acronym{NNTP} servers
support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
@end table
useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
@samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
-Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
+Use the following to enable all the available hiding features:
@lisp
(setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
gnus-treat-hide-signature t
If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
hidden initially.
+
@item gnus-updated-mode-lines
If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
lines, which might save some time.
@item
Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
-like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
-on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
-flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
+like @samp{Gnus v5.10.6} you have the right files loaded. Otherwise
+you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
@item
-Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
-how-to.
+Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a
+@acronym{FAQ} and a how-to.
@item
@vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
the bug report.
-If you just need help, you are better off asking on
-@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
+@cindex patches
+If you would like to contribute a patch to fix bugs or make
+improvements, please produce the patch using @samp{diff -u}.
+
+@cindex edebug
+If you want to debug your problem further before reporting, possibly
+in order to solve the problem yourself and send a patch, you can use
+edebug. Debugging Lisp code is documented in the Elisp manual
+(@pxref{Debugging, , Debugging Lisp Programs, elisp, The GNU Emacs
+Lisp Reference Manual}). To get you started with edebug, consider if
+you discover some weird behavior when pressing @kbd{c}, the first
+step is to do @kbd{C-h k c} and click on the hyperlink (Emacs only) in
+the documentation buffer that leads you to the function definition,
+then press @kbd{M-x edebug-defun RET} with point inside that function,
+return to Gnus and press @kbd{c} to invoke the code. You will be
+placed in the lisp buffer and can single step using @kbd{SPC} and
+evaluate expressions using @kbd{M-:} or inspect variables using
+@kbd{C-h v}, abort execution with @kbd{q}, and resume execution with
+@kbd{c} or @kbd{g}.
+
+@cindex elp
+@cindex profile
+@cindex slow
+Sometimes, a problem do not directly generate an elisp error but
+manifests itself by causing Gnus to be very slow. In these cases, you
+can use @kbd{M-x toggle-debug-on-quit} and press @kbd{C-g} when things are
+slow, and then try to analyze the backtrace (repeating the procedure
+helps isolating the real problem areas).
+
+A fancier approach is to use the elisp profiler, ELP. The profiler is
+(or should be) fully documented elsewhere, but to get you started
+there are a few steps that need to be followed. First, instrument the
+part of Gnus you are interested in for profiling, e.g. @kbd{M-x
+elp-instrument-package RET gnus} or @kbd{M-x elp-instrument-package
+RET message}. Then perform the operation that is slow and press
+@kbd{M-x elp-results}. You will then see which operations that takes
+time, and can debug them further. If the entire operation takes much
+longer than the time spent in the slowest function in the profiler
+output, you probably profiled the wrong part of Gnus. To reset
+profiling statistics, use @kbd{M-x elp-reset-all}. @kbd{M-x
+elp-restore-all} is supposed to remove profiling, but given the
+complexities and dynamic code generation in Gnus, it might not always
+work perfectly.
@cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
@cindex ding mailing list
-You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
-Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
+If you just need help, you are better off asking on
+@samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful. You can also ask on
+@email{ding@@gnus.org, the ding mailing list}. Write to
+@email{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
@page
You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
-backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
+back ends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
(ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
and general methods of operation.
@menu
-* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
-* Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
-* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
-* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
-* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
-* Group Info:: The group info format.
-* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
-* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
-* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
+* Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
+* Back End Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
+* Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
+* Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
+* Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
+* Group Info:: The group info format.
+* Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
+* Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
+* Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
@end menu
@item gnus-news-group-p
@findex gnus-news-group-p
-Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
+Says whether @var{group} came from a news back end.
@item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
@findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
@findex gnus-group-foreign-p
Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
-@item group-group-find-parameter
-@findex group-group-find-parameter
+@item gnus-group-find-parameter
+@findex gnus-group-find-parameter
Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
@item gnus-check-backend-function
@findex gnus-check-backend-function
-Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
+Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the back end
@var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
@lisp
@end table
-@node Backend Interface
-@subsection Backend Interface
+@node Back End Interface
+@subsection Back End Interface
-Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
+Gnus doesn't know anything about @acronym{NNTP}, spools, mail or virtual
groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
-server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
+server is a @dfn{back end} and some @dfn{back end variables}. As examples
of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
@code{nnmbox-directory}.
-When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
+When Gnus asks for information from a back end---say @code{nntp}---on
something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
-function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
+function parameters. (If not, the back end should use the ``current''
virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
been opened, the function should fail.
Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
-The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
-The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
+The back ends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
+The standard back ends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
return value.
-Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
-some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
+Some back ends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} back ends, and
+some might be said not to be. The latter are back ends that generally
only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
--- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
+---they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
more.
-In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
+Gnus identifies each message by way of group name and article number. A
+few remarks about these article numbers might be useful. First of all,
+the numbers are positive integers. Secondly, it is normally not
+possible for later articles to ``re-use'' older article numbers without
+confusing Gnus. That is, if a group has ever contained a message
+numbered 42, then no other message may get that number, or Gnus will get
+mightily confused.@footnote{See the function
+@code{nnchoke-request-update-info}, @ref{Optional Back End Functions}.}
+Third, article numbers must be assigned in order of arrival in the
+group; this is not necessarily the same as the date of the message.
+
+The previous paragraph already mentions all the ``hard'' restrictions that
+article numbers must fulfill. But it seems that it might be useful to
+assign @emph{consecutive} article numbers, for Gnus gets quite confused
+if there are holes in the article numbering sequence. However, due to
+the ``no-reuse'' restriction, holes cannot be avoided altogether. It's
+also useful for the article numbers to start at 1 to avoid running out
+of numbers as long as possible.
+
+Note that by convention, back ends are named @code{nnsomething}, but
+Gnus also comes with some @code{nnnotbackends}, such as
+@file{nnheader.el}, @file{nnmail.el} and @file{nnoo.el}.
+
+In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary back end
@code{nnchoke}.
@cindex @code{nnchoke}
@menu
-* Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
-* Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
-* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
-* Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
-* Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
-* Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
+* Required Back End Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
+* Optional Back End Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
+* Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
+* Writing New Back Ends:: Extending old back ends.
+* Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
+* Mail-like Back Ends:: Some tips on mail back ends.
@end menu
-@node Required Backend Functions
-@subsubsection Required Backend Functions
+@node Required Back End Functions
+@subsubsection Required Back End Functions
@table @code
@item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
@var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
-@code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
-sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
+@code{Message-ID}s. Current back ends do not fully support either---only
+sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most back ends do not support
retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
-The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
+The result data should either be HEADs or @acronym{NOV} lines, and the result
value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
-of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
+of HEADs and @acronym{NOV} lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
-If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
-headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
+If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching ``extra
+headers'', in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
-presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
+presence of this parameter can be ignored if the back end finds it
cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
number, do maximum fetches.
header = <text> eol
@end example
+@cindex BNF
+(The version of BNF used here is the one used in RFC822.)
+
If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
@dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
separated by tabs.
@example
nov-buffer = *nov-line
-nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
+nov-line = field 7*8[ <TAB> field ] eol
field = <text except TAB>
@end example
@var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
-If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
+If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The back end
may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
server. In fact, it should do so.
@item (nnchoke-request-close)
-Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
-have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
+Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the back end
+have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that back end
should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
physical server is alive, then this function should return a
-non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
+non-@code{nil} value. This function should under no circumstances
attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
There should be no data returned.
considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
-problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
+problem) is left as an exercise to the reader. If the group contains no
+articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1 and the
+highest as 0.
@example
group-status = [ error / info ] eol
@item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
-a no-op on most backends.
+a no-op on most back ends.
There should be no data returned.
@end example
On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
-that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
+that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag. If the group
+contains no articles, the lowest article number should be reported as 1
+and the highest as 0.
@example
active-file = *active-line
@end table
-@node Optional Backend Functions
-@subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
+@node Optional Back End Functions
+@subsubsection Optional Back End Functions
@table @code
@item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
-A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
-alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
-information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
+A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the back end for
+alterations. This comes in handy if the back end really carries all
+the information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
-should return the (altered) group info.
+should return a non-@code{nil} value (exceptionally,
+@code{nntp-request-update-info} always returns @code{nil} not to waste
+the network resources).
There should be no result data from this function.
Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
-@code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
+@file{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some back ends (such as @acronym{IMAP}) however carry
all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
propagate the mark information to the server.
-ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
+@var{action} is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
@example
(RANGE ACTION MARK)
@end example
-RANGE is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. ACTION is
-@code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
-existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
-marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
-mentioned) marks. MARK is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
-Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
-@code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
-@code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
-not limit itself to these.
+@var{range} is a range of articles you wish to update marks on.
+@var{action} is @code{add} or @code{del}, used to add marks or remove
+marks (preserving all marks not mentioned). @var{mark} is a list of
+marks; where each mark is a symbol. Currently used marks are
+@code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply}, @code{expire}, @code{killed},
+@code{dormant}, @code{save}, @code{download}, @code{unsend},
+@code{forward} and @code{recent}, but your back end should, if
+possible, not limit itself to these.
Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
@item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
-If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
+If the user tries to set a mark that the back end doesn't like, this
function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
-@var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
+@var{mark}. If the back end doesn't care, it must return the original
@var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
@item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
-request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
-another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
-POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
-to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
-scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
-would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
+request that the back end check for incoming articles, in one way or
+another. A mail back end will typically read the spool file or query
+the @acronym{POP} server when this function is invoked. The
+@var{group} doesn't have to be heeded---if the back end decides that
+it is too much work just scanning for a single group, it may do a
+total scan of all groups. It would be nice, however, to keep things
+local if that's practical.
There should be no result data from this function.
@item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
The result data from this function should be all groups that were
-created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
-format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
+created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date format
+(i.e., the date format used in mail and news headers, and returned by
+the function @code{message-make-date} by default). The data should be
+in the active buffer format.
+
+It is okay for this function to return ``too many'' groups; some back ends
+might find it cheaper to return the full list of groups, rather than
+just the new groups. But don't do this for back ends with many groups.
+Normally, if the user creates the groups herself, there won't be too
+many groups, so @code{nnml} and the like are probably safe. But for
+back ends like @code{nntp}, where the groups have been created by the
+server, it is quite likely that there can be many groups.
@item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
@var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
-numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
+numbers.) It is left up to the back end to decide how old articles
should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
they are.
There should be no result data returned.
-@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
-&optional LAST)
+@item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM &optional LAST)
This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
@var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
+The group should exist before the back end is asked to accept the
+article for that group.
+
There should be no data returned.
@findex nnheader-report
@findex nnheader-get-report
-The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
+The back ends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
-perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
+perform a request. The first argument to this function is the back end
symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
This function must always returns @code{nil}.
Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
@code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
-recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
+recently reported message for the back end in question. This function
takes one argument---the server symbol.
-Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
-so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
+Internally, these functions access @var{back-end}@code{-status-string},
+so the @code{nnchoke} back end will have its error message stored in
@code{nnchoke-status-string}.
-@node Writing New Backends
-@subsubsection Writing New Backends
+@node Writing New Back Ends
+@subsubsection Writing New Back Ends
-Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
+Many back ends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
@code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
@code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
editing articles.
It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
-backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
+back ends when writing new back ends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
-All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
+All the back ends declare their public variables and functions by using a
package called @code{nnoo}.
-To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
-inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
+To inherit functions from other back ends (and allow other back ends to
+inherit functions from the current back end), you should use the
following macros:
@table @code
declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
-variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
-a function in those backends.
+variables in the parent back ends to map the variable to when executing
+a function in those back ends.
@lisp
(defvoo nndir-directory nil
of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
@item nnoo-define-basics
-This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
+This macro defines some common functions that almost all back ends should
have.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
-@end example
+@end lisp
@item deffoo
This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
-function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
+function as being public so that other back ends can inherit it.
@item nnoo-map-functions
-This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
-functions from the parent backends.
+This macro allows mapping of functions from the current back end to
+functions from the parent back ends.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-map-functions nndir
(nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
(nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
-@end example
+@end lisp
This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
@item nnoo-import
-This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
+This macro allows importing functions from back ends. It should be the
last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
haven't already been defined.
-@example
+@lisp
(nnoo-import nndir
(nnmh
nnmh-request-list
nnmh-request-newgroups)
(nnml))
-@end example
+@end lisp
This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
@end table
-Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
+Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} back end.
@lisp
-;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
-;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
+;;; @r{nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus}
+;; @r{Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.}
-;;; Code:
+;;; @r{Code:}
(require 'nnheader)
(require 'nnmh)
"*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
nnml-nov-is-evil)
-(defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
+(defvoo nndir-current-group ""
+ nil
+ nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
(defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
(defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
(defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
(defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
-;;; Interface functions.
+;;; @r{Interface functions.}
(nnoo-define-basics nndir)
(unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
(push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
(push `(nndir-current-group
- ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
+ ,(file-name-nondirectory
+ (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
defs)
(push `(nndir-top-directory
,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
@end lisp
-@node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
-@subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
+@node Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
+@subsubsection Hooking New Back Ends Into Gnus
@vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
-Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
+@findex gnus-declare-backend
+Having Gnus start using your new back end is rather easy---you just
declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
-enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
+enter the back end into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
-@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
+@code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the back end name and
an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
Here's an example:
(gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
@end lisp
+The above line would then go in the @file{nnchoke.el} file.
+
The abilities can be:
@table @code
@item mail
-This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
+This is a mailish back end---followups should (probably) go via mail.
@item post
-This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
+This is a newsish back end---followups should (probably) go via news.
@item post-mail
-This backend supports both mail and news.
+This back end supports both mail and news.
@item none
-This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
+This is neither a post nor mail back end---it's something completely
different.
@item respool
It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
articles and groups.
@item address
The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
-true for almost all backends.
+true for almost all back ends.
@item prompt-address
The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
-@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
+@kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for back ends like
@code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
@end table
-@node Mail-like Backends
-@subsubsection Mail-like Backends
+@node Mail-like Back Ends
+@subsubsection Mail-like Back Ends
-One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
-backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
-functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
-@code{nnml-request-scan}:
+One of the things that separate the mail back ends from the rest of the
+back ends is the heavy dependence by most of the mail back ends on
+common functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the
+definition of @code{nnml-request-scan}:
@lisp
(deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
@table @var
@item method
-This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
+This should be a symbol to designate which back end is responsible for
the call.
@item exit-function
performed for one group only.
@end table
-@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
-save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
+@code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{back-end}@code{-save-mail} to
+save each article. @var{back-end}@code{-active-number} will be called to
find the article number assigned to this article.
The function also uses the following variables:
-@var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
-this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
-@var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
-@var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
+@var{back-end}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
+this back end); and @var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} and
+@var{back-end}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
+@var{back-end}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
this:
@example
@subsection Score File Syntax
Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
-mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
+mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
Here's a typical score file:
BNF definition of a score file:
@example
-score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
-element = rule / atom
-rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
-string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
-number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
-date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
-quote = <ascii 34>
-string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
- "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
-number-header = "lines" / "chars"
-date-header = "date"
-string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
-score = "nil" / <integer>
-date = "nil" / <natural number>
-string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
- "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
- "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
- "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
-number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
-number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
-date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
- space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
-date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
-atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
-required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
- exclude-files / read-only / touched
-optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
-mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
-nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
-expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
+score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
+element = rule / atom
+rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
+string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
+number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
+date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
+quote = <ascii 34>
+string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
+ "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
+number-header = "lines" / "chars"
+date-header = "date"
+string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+score = "nil" / <integer>
+date = "nil" / <natural number>
+string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
+ "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
+ "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
+ "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
+number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
+number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
+date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
+ space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
+date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
+atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
+required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
+ exclude-files / read-only / touched
+optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
+mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
+nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
+expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
-files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
-exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
-read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
-adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
-adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
-local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
-eval = "eval" space <form>
-space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
+files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
+exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
+read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
+adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
+adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
+local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
+eval = "eval" space <form>
+space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
@end example
Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
@subsection Headers
Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
-corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
-almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
+corresponds to the @acronym{NOV} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
+almost suspect that the author looked at the @acronym{NOV} specification and
just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
@dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
@subsection Various File Formats
@menu
-* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
-* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
+* Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
+* Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
@end menu
@example
active = *group-line
-group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
+group-line = group spc high-number spc low-number spc flag <NEWLINE>
group = <non-white-space string>
-space = " "
+spc = " "
high-number = <non-negative integer>
low-number = <positive integer>
flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
-If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
+If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{C-M-a}'', ``kill the
region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
cat instead.
@menu
-* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
-* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
+* Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
+* Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
@end menu
to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
-because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
+because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{C-M-m}
key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
-``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
+``Press @kbd{C-M-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
(Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
-some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
-to customize Gnus.
+some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{~/.gnus.el}
+file to customize Gnus. (You can also use the @file{~/.emacs} file, but
+in order to set things of Gnus up, it is much better to use the
+@file{~/.gnus.el} file, @xref{Startup Files}.)
If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
write the following:
This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
-you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
-how Gnus works.
+you can go and fill your @file{~/.gnus.el} file with lots of these to
+change how Gnus works.
-If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
-and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
-start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
+If you have put that thing in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file, it will be
+read and @code{eval}ed (which is Lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
+start Gnus. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
@kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
@end iflatex
@end iftex
+@c Local Variables:
+@c mode: texinfo
+@c coding: iso-8859-1
@c End:
-% LocalWords: Backend BNF mucho Backends backends detailmenu cindex kindex kbd
-% LocalWords: findex Gnusae vindex dfn dfn samp nntp setq nnspool nntpserver
-% LocalWords: nnmbox backend newusers Blllrph NEWGROUPS dingnusdingnusdingnus
-% LocalWords: pre fab rec comp nnslashdot regex ga ga sci nnml nnbabyl nnmh
-% LocalWords: nnfolder emph looong eld newsreaders defun init elc pxref
+
+@ignore
+ arch-tag: c9fa47e7-78ca-4681-bda9-9fef45d1c819
+@end ignore
projects / elisp / gnus.git- / blobdiff