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10 * Gnus: (gnus). The newsreader Gnus.
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266 \gnusauthor{by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen}
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275 Copyright \copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99,2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
278 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
279 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
280 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
281 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
282 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
283 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
284 License'' in the Emacs manual.
286 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
287 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
288 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
290 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
291 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
292 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
293 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
301 This file documents Gnus, the GNU Emacs newsreader.
303 Copyright (C) 1995,96,97,98,99,2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
305 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
306 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
307 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with the
308 Invariant Sections being none, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
309 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
310 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
311 License'' in the Emacs manual.
313 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
314 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
315 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
317 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
318 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
319 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
320 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
328 @author by Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen
331 @vskip 0pt plus 1filll
332 Copyright @copyright{} 1995,96,97,98,99,2000 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
334 Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document
335 under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.1 or
336 any later version published by the Free Software Foundation; with no
337 Invariant Sections, with the Front-Cover texts being ``A GNU
338 Manual'', and with the Back-Cover Texts as in (a) below. A copy of the
339 license is included in the section entitled ``GNU Free Documentation
340 License'' in the Emacs manual.
342 (a) The FSF's Back-Cover Text is: ``You have freedom to copy and modify
343 this GNU Manual, like GNU software. Copies published by the Free
344 Software Foundation raise funds for GNU development.''
346 This document is part of a collection distributed under the GNU Free
347 Documentation License. If you want to distribute this document
348 separately from the collection, you can do so by adding a copy of the
349 license to the document, as described in section 6 of the license.
358 @top The Gnus Newsreader
362 You can read news (and mail) from within Emacs by using Gnus. The news
363 can be gotten by any nefarious means you can think of---@sc{nntp}, local
364 spool or your mbox file. All at the same time, if you want to push your
367 This manual corresponds to Gnus 5.9.0.
378 Gnus is the advanced, self-documenting, customizable, extensible
379 unreal-time newsreader for GNU Emacs.
381 Oops. That sounds oddly familiar, so let's start over again to avoid
382 being accused of plagiarism:
384 Gnus is a message-reading laboratory. It will let you look at just
385 about anything as if it were a newsgroup. You can read mail with it,
386 you can browse directories with it, you can @code{ftp} with it---you
387 can even read news with it!
389 Gnus tries to empower people who read news the same way Emacs empowers
390 people who edit text. Gnus sets no limits to what the user should be
391 allowed to do. Users are encouraged to extend Gnus to make it behave
392 like they want it to behave. A program should not control people;
393 people should be empowered to do what they want by using (or abusing)
399 * Starting Up:: Finding news can be a pain.
400 * The Group Buffer:: Selecting, subscribing and killing groups.
401 * The Summary Buffer:: Reading, saving and posting articles.
402 * The Article Buffer:: Displaying and handling articles.
403 * Composing Messages:: Information on sending mail and news.
404 * Select Methods:: Gnus reads all messages from various select methods.
405 * Scoring:: Assigning values to articles.
406 * Various:: General purpose settings.
407 * The End:: Farewell and goodbye.
408 * Appendices:: Terminology, Emacs intro, FAQ, History, Internals.
409 * Index:: Variable, function and concept index.
410 * Key Index:: Key Index.
413 --- The Detailed Node Listing ---
417 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
418 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
419 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
420 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
421 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
422 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
423 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
424 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
425 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
426 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
427 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
431 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
432 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
433 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
437 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
438 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
439 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
440 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
441 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
442 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
443 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
444 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
445 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
446 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
447 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
448 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
449 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
450 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
451 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
452 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
453 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
457 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
458 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
459 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
463 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
464 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
465 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
466 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
467 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
471 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
472 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
473 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
474 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
478 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
479 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
480 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
481 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
482 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
483 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
484 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
485 * Threading:: How threads are made.
486 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
487 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
488 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
489 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
490 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
491 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
492 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
493 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
494 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
495 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
496 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
497 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
498 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
499 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
500 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
501 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
502 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
503 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer.
504 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
505 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
507 Summary Buffer Format
509 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
510 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
511 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
512 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
516 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
517 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
519 Reply, Followup and Post
521 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
522 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
523 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
524 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
528 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
529 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
530 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
531 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
532 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
533 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
537 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
538 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
540 Customizing Threading
542 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
543 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
544 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
545 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
549 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
550 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
551 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
552 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
553 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
554 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
558 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
559 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
560 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
564 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
565 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
566 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
567 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
568 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
569 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
570 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
571 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
573 Alternative Approaches
575 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
576 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
578 Various Summary Stuff
580 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
581 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
582 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
583 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
587 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
588 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
589 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
590 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
591 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
595 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
596 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
597 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
598 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
599 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
600 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
601 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
605 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
606 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
607 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
608 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
609 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
610 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
611 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
615 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
616 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
617 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
618 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
619 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
620 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
621 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
625 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
626 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
630 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
631 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
632 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
633 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
634 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
635 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
636 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
637 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
638 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
639 * Washing Mail:: Removing cruft from the mail you get.
640 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
641 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
642 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
646 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
647 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
648 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
650 Choosing a Mail Backend
652 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
653 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
654 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
655 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
656 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
657 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
661 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
662 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
663 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
664 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
668 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
669 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
670 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
671 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
672 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
673 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
677 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
681 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
682 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
683 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
687 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
688 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
689 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
693 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
694 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
698 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
699 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
700 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
701 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
702 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
703 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
704 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
705 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
706 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
707 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
711 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
712 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
713 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
717 * Group Agent Commands::
718 * Summary Agent Commands::
719 * Server Agent Commands::
723 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
724 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
725 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
726 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
727 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
728 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
729 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
730 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
731 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
732 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
733 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
734 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
735 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
736 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
737 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
738 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
742 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
743 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
744 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
745 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
749 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
750 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
751 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
755 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
756 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
757 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
758 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
759 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
760 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
761 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
762 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
763 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
764 * Buttons:: Get tendinitis in ten easy steps!
765 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
766 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
767 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
768 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
769 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
770 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
771 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
772 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
776 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
777 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
778 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
779 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
780 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
784 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
785 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
786 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
787 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
791 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
792 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
793 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
794 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
795 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
799 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
800 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
801 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
802 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
803 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
804 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
805 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
806 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
810 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
811 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
812 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
813 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
814 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
815 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
816 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
817 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
818 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
819 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
823 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
824 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
825 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
826 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
830 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
831 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
832 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
833 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
837 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
838 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
839 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
840 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
841 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
842 * Group Info:: The group info format.
843 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
844 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
845 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
849 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
850 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
851 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
852 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
853 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
854 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
858 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
859 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
863 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
864 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
870 @chapter Starting Gnus
875 If your system administrator has set things up properly, starting Gnus
876 and reading news is extremely easy---you just type @kbd{M-x gnus} in
879 @findex gnus-other-frame
880 @kindex M-x gnus-other-frame
881 If you want to start Gnus in a different frame, you can use the command
882 @kbd{M-x gnus-other-frame} instead.
884 If things do not go smoothly at startup, you have to twiddle some
885 variables in your @file{~/.gnus} file. This file is similar to
886 @file{~/.emacs}, but is read when gnus starts.
888 If you puzzle at any terms used in this manual, please refer to the
889 terminology section (@pxref{Terminology}).
892 * Finding the News:: Choosing a method for getting news.
893 * The First Time:: What does Gnus do the first time you start it?
894 * The Server is Down:: How can I read my mail then?
895 * Slave Gnusae:: You can have more than one Gnus active at a time.
896 * Fetching a Group:: Starting Gnus just to read a group.
897 * New Groups:: What is Gnus supposed to do with new groups?
898 * Startup Files:: Those pesky startup files---@file{.newsrc}.
899 * Auto Save:: Recovering from a crash.
900 * The Active File:: Reading the active file over a slow line Takes Time.
901 * Changing Servers:: You may want to move from one server to another.
902 * Startup Variables:: Other variables you might change.
906 @node Finding the News
907 @section Finding the News
910 @vindex gnus-select-method
912 The @code{gnus-select-method} variable says where Gnus should look for
913 news. This variable should be a list where the first element says
914 @dfn{how} and the second element says @dfn{where}. This method is your
915 native method. All groups not fetched with this method are
918 For instance, if the @samp{news.somewhere.edu} @sc{nntp} server is where
919 you want to get your daily dosage of news from, you'd say:
922 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.somewhere.edu"))
925 If you want to read directly from the local spool, say:
928 (setq gnus-select-method '(nnspool ""))
931 If you can use a local spool, you probably should, as it will almost
932 certainly be much faster.
934 @vindex gnus-nntpserver-file
936 @cindex @sc{nntp} server
937 If this variable is not set, Gnus will take a look at the
938 @code{NNTPSERVER} environment variable. If that variable isn't set,
939 Gnus will see whether @code{gnus-nntpserver-file}
940 (@file{/etc/nntpserver} by default) has any opinions on the matter. If
941 that fails as well, Gnus will try to use the machine running Emacs as an @sc{nntp} server. That's a long shot, though.
943 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
944 If @code{gnus-nntp-server} is set, this variable will override
945 @code{gnus-select-method}. You should therefore set
946 @code{gnus-nntp-server} to @code{nil}, which is what it is by default.
948 @vindex gnus-secondary-servers
949 @vindex gnus-nntp-server
950 You can also make Gnus prompt you interactively for the name of an
951 @sc{nntp} server. If you give a non-numerical prefix to @code{gnus}
952 (i.e., @kbd{C-u M-x gnus}), Gnus will let you choose between the servers
953 in the @code{gnus-secondary-servers} list (if any). You can also just
954 type in the name of any server you feel like visiting. (Note that this
955 will set @code{gnus-nntp-server}, which means that if you then @kbd{M-x
956 gnus} later in the same Emacs session, Gnus will contact the same
959 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
961 However, if you use one @sc{nntp} server regularly and are just
962 interested in a couple of groups from a different server, you would be
963 better served by using the @kbd{B} command in the group buffer. It will
964 let you have a look at what groups are available, and you can subscribe
965 to any of the groups you want to. This also makes @file{.newsrc}
966 maintenance much tidier. @xref{Foreign Groups}.
968 @vindex gnus-secondary-select-methods
970 A slightly different approach to foreign groups is to set the
971 @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods} variable. The select methods
972 listed in this variable are in many ways just as native as the
973 @code{gnus-select-method} server. They will also be queried for active
974 files during startup (if that's required), and new newsgroups that
975 appear on these servers will be subscribed (or not) just as native
978 For instance, if you use the @code{nnmbox} backend to read your mail, you
979 would typically set this variable to
982 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnmbox "")))
987 @section The First Time
988 @cindex first time usage
990 If no startup files exist, Gnus will try to determine what groups should
991 be subscribed by default.
993 @vindex gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups
994 If the variable @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is set, Gnus
995 will subscribe you to just those groups in that list, leaving the rest
996 killed. Your system administrator should have set this variable to
999 Since she hasn't, Gnus will just subscribe you to a few arbitrarily
1000 picked groups (i.e., @samp{*.newusers}). (@dfn{Arbitrary} is defined
1001 here as @dfn{whatever Lars thinks you should read}.)
1003 You'll also be subscribed to the Gnus documentation group, which should
1004 help you with most common problems.
1006 If @code{gnus-default-subscribed-newsgroups} is @code{t}, Gnus will just
1007 use the normal functions for handling new groups, and not do anything
1011 @node The Server is Down
1012 @section The Server is Down
1013 @cindex server errors
1015 If the default server is down, Gnus will understandably have some
1016 problems starting. However, if you have some mail groups in addition to
1017 the news groups, you may want to start Gnus anyway.
1019 Gnus, being the trusting sort of program, will ask whether to proceed
1020 without a native select method if that server can't be contacted. This
1021 will happen whether the server doesn't actually exist (i.e., you have
1022 given the wrong address) or the server has just momentarily taken ill
1023 for some reason or other. If you decide to continue and have no foreign
1024 groups, you'll find it difficult to actually do anything in the group
1025 buffer. But, hey, that's your problem. Blllrph!
1027 @findex gnus-no-server
1028 @kindex M-x gnus-no-server
1030 If you know that the server is definitely down, or you just want to read
1031 your mail without bothering with the server at all, you can use the
1032 @code{gnus-no-server} command to start Gnus. That might come in handy
1033 if you're in a hurry as well. This command will not attempt to contact
1034 your primary server---instead, it will just activate all groups on level
1035 1 and 2. (You should preferably keep no native groups on those two
1040 @section Slave Gnusae
1043 You might want to run more than one Emacs with more than one Gnus at the
1044 same time. If you are using different @file{.newsrc} files (e.g., if you
1045 are using the two different Gnusae to read from two different servers),
1046 that is no problem whatsoever. You just do it.
1048 The problem appears when you want to run two Gnusae that use the same
1049 @code{.newsrc} file.
1051 To work around that problem some, we here at the Think-Tank at the Gnus
1052 Towers have come up with a new concept: @dfn{Masters} and
1053 @dfn{slaves}. (We have applied for a patent on this concept, and have
1054 taken out a copyright on those words. If you wish to use those words in
1055 conjunction with each other, you have to send $1 per usage instance to
1056 me. Usage of the patent (@dfn{Master/Slave Relationships In Computer
1057 Applications}) will be much more expensive, of course.)
1059 Anyway, you start one Gnus up the normal way with @kbd{M-x gnus} (or
1060 however you do it). Each subsequent slave Gnusae should be started with
1061 @kbd{M-x gnus-slave}. These slaves won't save normal @file{.newsrc}
1062 files, but instead save @dfn{slave files} that contain information only
1063 on what groups have been read in the slave session. When a master Gnus
1064 starts, it will read (and delete) these slave files, incorporating all
1065 information from them. (The slave files will be read in the sequence
1066 they were created, so the latest changes will have precedence.)
1068 Information from the slave files has, of course, precedence over the
1069 information in the normal (i.e., master) @code{.newsrc} file.
1072 @node Fetching a Group
1073 @section Fetching a Group
1074 @cindex fetching a group
1076 @findex gnus-fetch-group
1077 It is sometimes convenient to be able to just say ``I want to read this
1078 group and I don't care whether Gnus has been started or not''. This is
1079 perhaps more useful for people who write code than for users, but the
1080 command @code{gnus-fetch-group} provides this functionality in any case.
1081 It takes the group name as a parameter.
1087 @cindex subscription
1089 @vindex gnus-check-new-newsgroups
1090 If you are satisfied that you really never want to see any new groups,
1091 you can set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil}. This will
1092 also save you some time at startup. Even if this variable is
1093 @code{nil}, you can always subscribe to the new groups just by pressing
1094 @kbd{U} in the group buffer (@pxref{Group Maintenance}). This variable
1095 is @code{ask-server} by default. If you set this variable to
1096 @code{always}, then Gnus will query the backends for new groups even
1097 when you do the @kbd{g} command (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
1100 * Checking New Groups:: Determining what groups are new.
1101 * Subscription Methods:: What Gnus should do with new groups.
1102 * Filtering New Groups:: Making Gnus ignore certain new groups.
1106 @node Checking New Groups
1107 @subsection Checking New Groups
1109 Gnus normally determines whether a group is new or not by comparing the
1110 list of groups from the active file(s) with the lists of subscribed and
1111 dead groups. This isn't a particularly fast method. If
1112 @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} is @code{ask-server}, Gnus will ask the
1113 server for new groups since the last time. This is both faster and
1114 cheaper. This also means that you can get rid of the list of killed
1115 groups altogether, so you may set @code{gnus-save-killed-list} to
1116 @code{nil}, which will save time both at startup, at exit, and all over.
1117 Saves disk space, too. Why isn't this the default, then?
1118 Unfortunately, not all servers support this command.
1120 I bet I know what you're thinking now: How do I find out whether my
1121 server supports @code{ask-server}? No? Good, because I don't have a
1122 fail-safe answer. I would suggest just setting this variable to
1123 @code{ask-server} and see whether any new groups appear within the next
1124 few days. If any do, then it works. If none do, then it doesn't
1125 work. I could write a function to make Gnus guess whether the server
1126 supports @code{ask-server}, but it would just be a guess. So I won't.
1127 You could @code{telnet} to the server and say @code{HELP} and see
1128 whether it lists @samp{NEWGROUPS} among the commands it understands. If
1129 it does, then it might work. (But there are servers that lists
1130 @samp{NEWGROUPS} without supporting the function properly.)
1132 This variable can also be a list of select methods. If so, Gnus will
1133 issue an @code{ask-server} command to each of the select methods, and
1134 subscribe them (or not) using the normal methods. This might be handy
1135 if you are monitoring a few servers for new groups. A side effect is
1136 that startup will take much longer, so you can meditate while waiting.
1137 Use the mantra ``dingnusdingnusdingnus'' to achieve permanent bliss.
1140 @node Subscription Methods
1141 @subsection Subscription Methods
1143 @vindex gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method
1144 What Gnus does when it encounters a new group is determined by the
1145 @code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} variable.
1147 This variable should contain a function. This function will be called
1148 with the name of the new group as the only parameter.
1150 Some handy pre-fab functions are:
1154 @item gnus-subscribe-zombies
1155 @vindex gnus-subscribe-zombies
1156 Make all new groups zombies. This is the default. You can browse the
1157 zombies later (with @kbd{A z}) and either kill them all off properly
1158 (with @kbd{S z}), or subscribe to them (with @kbd{u}).
1160 @item gnus-subscribe-randomly
1161 @vindex gnus-subscribe-randomly
1162 Subscribe all new groups in arbitrary order. This really means that all
1163 new groups will be added at ``the top'' of the group buffer.
1165 @item gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1166 @vindex gnus-subscribe-alphabetically
1167 Subscribe all new groups in alphabetical order.
1169 @item gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1170 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchically
1171 Subscribe all new groups hierarchically. The difference between this
1172 function and @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} is slight.
1173 @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically} will subscribe new groups in a strictly
1174 alphabetical fashion, while this function will enter groups into its
1175 hierarchy. So if you want to have the @samp{rec} hierarchy before the
1176 @samp{comp} hierarchy, this function will not mess that configuration
1177 up. Or something like that.
1179 @item gnus-subscribe-interactively
1180 @vindex gnus-subscribe-interactively
1181 Subscribe new groups interactively. This means that Gnus will ask
1182 you about @strong{all} new groups. The groups you choose to subscribe
1183 to will be subscribed hierarchically.
1185 @item gnus-subscribe-killed
1186 @vindex gnus-subscribe-killed
1187 Kill all new groups.
1189 @item gnus-subscribe-topics
1190 @vindex gnus-subscribe-topics
1191 Put the groups into the topic that has a matching @code{subscribe} topic
1192 parameter (@pxref{Topic Parameters}). For instance, a @code{subscribe}
1193 topic parameter that looks like
1199 will mean that all groups that match that regex will be subscribed under
1202 If no topics match the groups, the groups will be subscribed in the
1207 @vindex gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive
1208 A closely related variable is
1209 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. (That's quite a
1210 mouthful.) If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will ask you in a
1211 hierarchical fashion whether to subscribe to new groups or not. Gnus
1212 will ask you for each sub-hierarchy whether you want to descend the
1215 One common mistake is to set the variable a few paragraphs above
1216 (@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method}) to
1217 @code{gnus-subscribe-hierarchical-interactive}. This is an error. This
1218 will not work. This is ga-ga. So don't do it.
1221 @node Filtering New Groups
1222 @subsection Filtering New Groups
1224 A nice and portable way to control which new newsgroups should be
1225 subscribed (or ignored) is to put an @dfn{options} line at the start of
1226 the @file{.newsrc} file. Here's an example:
1229 options -n !alt.all !rec.all sci.all
1232 @vindex gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method
1233 This line obviously belongs to a serious-minded intellectual scientific
1234 person (or she may just be plain old boring), because it says that all
1235 groups that have names beginning with @samp{alt} and @samp{rec} should
1236 be ignored, and all groups with names beginning with @samp{sci} should
1237 be subscribed. Gnus will not use the normal subscription method for
1238 subscribing these groups.
1239 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method} is used instead. This
1240 variable defaults to @code{gnus-subscribe-alphabetically}.
1242 @vindex gnus-options-not-subscribe
1243 @vindex gnus-options-subscribe
1244 If you don't want to mess with your @file{.newsrc} file, you can just
1245 set the two variables @code{gnus-options-subscribe} and
1246 @code{gnus-options-not-subscribe}. These two variables do exactly the
1247 same as the @file{.newsrc} @samp{options -n} trick. Both are regexps,
1248 and if the new group matches the former, it will be unconditionally
1249 subscribed, and if it matches the latter, it will be ignored.
1251 @vindex gnus-auto-subscribed-groups
1252 Yet another variable that meddles here is
1253 @code{gnus-auto-subscribed-groups}. It works exactly like
1254 @code{gnus-options-subscribe}, and is therefore really superfluous, but I
1255 thought it would be nice to have two of these. This variable is more
1256 meant for setting some ground rules, while the other variable is used
1257 more for user fiddling. By default this variable makes all new groups
1258 that come from mail backends (@code{nnml}, @code{nnbabyl},
1259 @code{nnfolder}, @code{nnmbox}, and @code{nnmh}) subscribed. If you
1260 don't like that, just set this variable to @code{nil}.
1262 New groups that match this regexp are subscribed using
1263 @code{gnus-subscribe-options-newsgroup-method}.
1266 @node Changing Servers
1267 @section Changing Servers
1268 @cindex changing servers
1270 Sometimes it is necessary to move from one @sc{nntp} server to another.
1271 This happens very rarely, but perhaps you change jobs, or one server is
1272 very flaky and you want to use another.
1274 Changing the server is pretty easy, right? You just change
1275 @code{gnus-select-method} to point to the new server?
1279 Article numbers are not (in any way) kept synchronized between different
1280 @sc{nntp} servers, and the only way Gnus keeps track of what articles
1281 you have read is by keeping track of article numbers. So when you
1282 change @code{gnus-select-method}, your @file{.newsrc} file becomes
1285 Gnus provides a few functions to attempt to translate a @file{.newsrc}
1286 file from one server to another. They all have one thing in
1287 common---they take a looong time to run. You don't want to use these
1288 functions more than absolutely necessary.
1290 @kindex M-x gnus-change-server
1291 @findex gnus-change-server
1292 If you have access to both servers, Gnus can request the headers for all
1293 the articles you have read and compare @code{Message-ID}s and map the
1294 article numbers of the read articles and article marks. The @kbd{M-x
1295 gnus-change-server} command will do this for all your native groups. It
1296 will prompt for the method you want to move to.
1298 @kindex M-x gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1299 @findex gnus-group-move-group-to-server
1300 You can also move individual groups with the @kbd{M-x
1301 gnus-group-move-group-to-server} command. This is useful if you want to
1302 move a (foreign) group from one server to another.
1304 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1305 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
1306 If you don't have access to both the old and new server, all your marks
1307 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use the @kbd{M-x
1308 gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups} command to clear out all data
1309 that you have on your native groups. Use with caution.
1311 After changing servers, you @strong{must} move the cache hierarchy away,
1312 since the cached articles will have wrong article numbers, which will
1313 affect which articles Gnus thinks are read.
1317 @section Startup Files
1318 @cindex startup files
1323 Now, you all know about the @file{.newsrc} file. All subscription
1324 information is traditionally stored in this file.
1326 Things got a bit more complicated with @sc{gnus}. In addition to
1327 keeping the @file{.newsrc} file updated, it also used a file called
1328 @file{.newsrc.el} for storing all the information that didn't fit into
1329 the @file{.newsrc} file. (Actually, it also duplicated everything in
1330 the @file{.newsrc} file.) @sc{gnus} would read whichever one of these
1331 files was the most recently saved, which enabled people to swap between
1332 @sc{gnus} and other newsreaders.
1334 That was kinda silly, so Gnus went one better: In addition to the
1335 @file{.newsrc} and @file{.newsrc.el} files, Gnus also has a file called
1336 @file{.newsrc.eld}. It will read whichever of these files that are most
1337 recent, but it will never write a @file{.newsrc.el} file. You should
1338 never delete the @file{.newsrc.eld} file---it contains much information
1339 not stored in the @file{.newsrc} file.
1341 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-file
1342 @vindex gnus-read-newsrc-file
1343 You can turn off writing the @file{.newsrc} file by setting
1344 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-file} to @code{nil}, which means you can delete
1345 the file and save some space, as well as exiting from Gnus faster.
1346 However, this will make it impossible to use other newsreaders than
1347 Gnus. But hey, who would want to, right? Similarly, setting
1348 @code{gnus-read-newsrc-file} to @code{nil} makes Gnus ignore the
1349 @file{.newsrc} file and any @file{.newsrc-SERVER} files, which is
1350 convenient if you have a tendency to use Netscape once in a while.
1352 @vindex gnus-save-killed-list
1353 If @code{gnus-save-killed-list} (default @code{t}) is @code{nil}, Gnus
1354 will not save the list of killed groups to the startup file. This will
1355 save both time (when starting and quitting) and space (on disk). It
1356 will also mean that Gnus has no record of what groups are new or old,
1357 so the automatic new groups subscription methods become meaningless.
1358 You should always set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{nil} or
1359 @code{ask-server} if you set this variable to @code{nil} (@pxref{New
1360 Groups}). This variable can also be a regular expression. If that's
1361 the case, remove all groups that do not match this regexp before
1362 saving. This can be useful in certain obscure situations that involve
1363 several servers where not all servers support @code{ask-server}.
1365 @vindex gnus-startup-file
1366 The @code{gnus-startup-file} variable says where the startup files are.
1367 The default value is @file{~/.newsrc}, with the Gnus (El Dingo) startup
1368 file being whatever that one is, with a @samp{.eld} appended.
1370 @vindex gnus-save-newsrc-hook
1371 @vindex gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook
1372 @vindex gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook
1373 @code{gnus-save-newsrc-hook} is called before saving any of the newsrc
1374 files, while @code{gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook} is called just before
1375 saving the @file{.newsrc.eld} file, and
1376 @code{gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook} is called just before saving the
1377 @file{.newsrc} file. The latter two are commonly used to turn version
1378 control on or off. Version control is on by default when saving the
1379 startup files. If you want to turn backup creation off, say something like:
1382 (defun turn-off-backup ()
1383 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
1385 (add-hook 'gnus-save-quick-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1386 (add-hook 'gnus-save-standard-newsrc-hook 'turn-off-backup)
1389 @vindex gnus-init-file
1390 When Gnus starts, it will read the @code{gnus-site-init-file}
1391 (@file{.../site-lisp/gnus} by default) and @code{gnus-init-file}
1392 (@file{~/.gnus} by default) files. These are normal Emacs Lisp files
1393 and can be used to avoid cluttering your @file{~/.emacs} and
1394 @file{site-init} files with Gnus stuff. Gnus will also check for files
1395 with the same names as these, but with @file{.elc} and @file{.el}
1396 suffixes. In other words, if you have set @code{gnus-init-file} to
1397 @file{~/.gnus}, it will look for @file{~/.gnus.elc}, @file{~/.gnus.el},
1398 and finally @file{~/.gnus} (in this order).
1404 @cindex dribble file
1407 Whenever you do something that changes the Gnus data (reading articles,
1408 catching up, killing/subscribing groups), the change is added to a
1409 special @dfn{dribble buffer}. This buffer is auto-saved the normal
1410 Emacs way. If your Emacs should crash before you have saved the
1411 @file{.newsrc} files, all changes you have made can be recovered from
1414 If Gnus detects this file at startup, it will ask the user whether to
1415 read it. The auto save file is deleted whenever the real startup file is
1418 @vindex gnus-use-dribble-file
1419 If @code{gnus-use-dribble-file} is @code{nil}, Gnus won't create and
1420 maintain a dribble buffer. The default is @code{t}.
1422 @vindex gnus-dribble-directory
1423 Gnus will put the dribble file(s) in @code{gnus-dribble-directory}. If
1424 this variable is @code{nil}, which it is by default, Gnus will dribble
1425 into the directory where the @file{.newsrc} file is located. (This is
1426 normally the user's home directory.) The dribble file will get the same
1427 file permissions as the @code{.newsrc} file.
1429 @vindex gnus-always-read-dribble-file
1430 If @code{gnus-always-read-dribble-file} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will
1431 read the dribble file on startup without querying the user.
1434 @node The Active File
1435 @section The Active File
1437 @cindex ignored groups
1439 When Gnus starts, or indeed whenever it tries to determine whether new
1440 articles have arrived, it reads the active file. This is a very large
1441 file that lists all the active groups and articles on the server.
1443 @vindex gnus-ignored-newsgroups
1444 Before examining the active file, Gnus deletes all lines that match the
1445 regexp @code{gnus-ignored-newsgroups}. This is done primarily to reject
1446 any groups with bogus names, but you can use this variable to make Gnus
1447 ignore hierarchies you aren't ever interested in. However, this is not
1448 recommended. In fact, it's highly discouraged. Instead, @pxref{New
1449 Groups} for an overview of other variables that can be used instead.
1452 @c @code{nil} by default, and will slow down active file handling somewhat
1453 @c if you set it to anything else.
1455 @vindex gnus-read-active-file
1457 The active file can be rather Huge, so if you have a slow network, you
1458 can set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{nil} to prevent Gnus from
1459 reading the active file. This variable is @code{some} by default.
1461 Gnus will try to make do by getting information just on the groups that
1462 you actually subscribe to.
1464 Note that if you subscribe to lots and lots of groups, setting this
1465 variable to @code{nil} will probably make Gnus slower, not faster. At
1466 present, having this variable @code{nil} will slow Gnus down
1467 considerably, unless you read news over a 2400 baud modem.
1469 This variable can also have the value @code{some}. Gnus will then
1470 attempt to read active info only on the subscribed groups. On some
1471 servers this is quite fast (on sparkling, brand new INN servers that
1472 support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command), on others this isn't fast
1473 at all. In any case, @code{some} should be faster than @code{nil}, and
1474 is certainly faster than @code{t} over slow lines.
1476 Some news servers (Leafnode and old versions of INN, for instance) do
1477 not support the @code{LIST ACTIVE group}. For these servers, @code{nil}
1478 is probably the most efficient value for this variable.
1480 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will ask for group info in total
1481 lock-step, which isn't very fast. If it is @code{some} and you use an
1482 @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will pump out commands as fast as it can, and
1483 read all the replies in one swoop. This will normally result in better
1484 performance, but if the server does not support the aforementioned
1485 @code{LIST ACTIVE group} command, this isn't very nice to the server.
1487 If you think that starting up Gnus takes too long, try all the three
1488 different values for this variable and see what works best for you.
1490 In any case, if you use @code{some} or @code{nil}, you should definitely
1491 kill all groups that you aren't interested in to speed things up.
1493 Note that this variable also affects active file retrieval from
1494 secondary select methods.
1497 @node Startup Variables
1498 @section Startup Variables
1502 @item gnus-load-hook
1503 @vindex gnus-load-hook
1504 A hook run while Gnus is being loaded. Note that this hook will
1505 normally be run just once in each Emacs session, no matter how many
1506 times you start Gnus.
1508 @item gnus-before-startup-hook
1509 @vindex gnus-before-startup-hook
1510 A hook run after starting up Gnus successfully.
1512 @item gnus-startup-hook
1513 @vindex gnus-startup-hook
1514 A hook run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1516 @item gnus-started-hook
1517 @vindex gnus-started-hook
1518 A hook that is run as the very last thing after starting up Gnus
1521 @item gnus-setup-news-hook
1522 @vindex gnus-setup-news-hook
1523 A hook that is run after reading the @file{.newsrc} file(s), but before
1524 generating the group buffer.
1526 @item gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1527 @vindex gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups
1528 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will check for and delete all bogus groups at
1529 startup. A @dfn{bogus group} is a group that you have in your
1530 @file{.newsrc} file, but doesn't exist on the news server. Checking for
1531 bogus groups can take quite a while, so to save time and resources it's
1532 best to leave this option off, and do the checking for bogus groups once
1533 in a while from the group buffer instead (@pxref{Group Maintenance}).
1535 @item gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1536 @vindex gnus-inhibit-startup-message
1537 If non-@code{nil}, the startup message won't be displayed. That way,
1538 your boss might not notice as easily that you are reading news instead
1539 of doing your job. Note that this variable is used before
1540 @file{.gnus.el} is loaded, so it should be set in @code{.emacs} instead.
1542 @item gnus-no-groups-message
1543 @vindex gnus-no-groups-message
1544 Message displayed by Gnus when no groups are available.
1546 @item gnus-play-startup-jingle
1547 @vindex gnus-play-startup-jingle
1548 If non-@code{nil}, play the Gnus jingle at startup.
1550 @item gnus-startup-jingle
1551 @vindex gnus-startup-jingle
1552 Jingle to be played if the above variable is non-@code{nil}. The
1553 default is @samp{Tuxedomoon.Jingle4.au}.
1558 @node The Group Buffer
1559 @chapter The Group Buffer
1560 @cindex group buffer
1562 The @dfn{group buffer} lists all (or parts) of the available groups. It
1563 is the first buffer shown when Gnus starts, and will never be killed as
1564 long as Gnus is active.
1568 \gnusfigure{The Group Buffer}{320}{
1569 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group.ps,height=9cm}}
1570 \put(120,37){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Buffer name}}
1571 \put(120,38){\vector(1,2){10}}
1572 \put(40,60){\makebox(0,0)[r]{Mode line}}
1573 \put(40,58){\vector(1,0){30}}
1574 \put(200,28){\makebox(0,0)[t]{Native select method}}
1575 \put(200,26){\vector(-1,2){15}}
1581 * Group Buffer Format:: Information listed and how you can change it.
1582 * Group Maneuvering:: Commands for moving in the group buffer.
1583 * Selecting a Group:: Actually reading news.
1584 * Group Data:: Changing the info for a group.
1585 * Subscription Commands:: Unsubscribing, killing, subscribing.
1586 * Group Levels:: Levels? What are those, then?
1587 * Group Score:: A mechanism for finding out what groups you like.
1588 * Marking Groups:: You can mark groups for later processing.
1589 * Foreign Groups:: Creating and editing groups.
1590 * Group Parameters:: Each group may have different parameters set.
1591 * Listing Groups:: Gnus can list various subsets of the groups.
1592 * Sorting Groups:: Re-arrange the group order.
1593 * Group Maintenance:: Maintaining a tidy @file{.newsrc} file.
1594 * Browse Foreign Server:: You can browse a server. See what it has to offer.
1595 * Exiting Gnus:: Stop reading news and get some work done.
1596 * Group Topics:: A folding group mode divided into topics.
1597 * Misc Group Stuff:: Other stuff that you can to do.
1601 @node Group Buffer Format
1602 @section Group Buffer Format
1605 * Group Line Specification:: Deciding how the group buffer is to look.
1606 * Group Modeline Specification:: The group buffer modeline.
1607 * Group Highlighting:: Having nice colors in the group buffer.
1611 @node Group Line Specification
1612 @subsection Group Line Specification
1613 @cindex group buffer format
1615 The default format of the group buffer is nice and dull, but you can
1616 make it as exciting and ugly as you feel like.
1618 Here's a couple of example group lines:
1621 25: news.announce.newusers
1622 * 0: alt.fan.andrea-dworkin
1627 You can see that there are 25 unread articles in
1628 @samp{news.announce.newusers}. There are no unread articles, but some
1629 ticked articles, in @samp{alt.fan.andrea-dworkin} (see that little
1630 asterisk at the beginning of the line?).
1632 @vindex gnus-group-line-format
1633 You can change that format to whatever you want by fiddling with the
1634 @code{gnus-group-line-format} variable. This variable works along the
1635 lines of a @code{format} specification, which is pretty much the same as
1636 a @code{printf} specifications, for those of you who use (feh!) C.
1637 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
1639 @samp{%M%S%5y: %(%g%)\n} is the value that produced those lines above.
1641 There should always be a colon on the line; the cursor always moves to
1642 the colon after performing an operation. Nothing else is required---not
1643 even the group name. All displayed text is just window dressing, and is
1644 never examined by Gnus. Gnus stores all real information it needs using
1647 (Note that if you make a really strange, wonderful, spreadsheet-like
1648 layout, everybody will believe you are hard at work with the accounting
1649 instead of wasting time reading news.)
1651 Here's a list of all available format characters:
1656 An asterisk if the group only has marked articles.
1659 Whether the group is subscribed.
1662 Level of subscribedness.
1665 Number of unread articles.
1668 Number of dormant articles.
1671 Number of ticked articles.
1674 Number of read articles.
1677 Estimated total number of articles. (This is really @var{max-number}
1678 minus @var{min-number} plus 1.)
1681 Number of unread, unticked, non-dormant articles.
1684 Number of ticked and dormant articles.
1693 Newsgroup description.
1696 @samp{m} if moderated.
1699 @samp{(m)} if moderated.
1708 A string that looks like @samp{<%s:%n>} if a foreign select method is
1712 Indentation based on the level of the topic (@pxref{Group Topics}).
1715 @vindex gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels
1716 Short (collapsed) group name. The @code{gnus-group-uncollapsed-levels}
1717 variable says how many levels to leave at the end of the group name.
1718 The default is 1---this will mean that group names like
1719 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} will be shortened to @samp{g.e.gnus}.
1722 @vindex gnus-new-mail-mark
1724 @samp{%} (@code{gnus-new-mail-mark}) if there has arrived new mail to
1728 @samp{#} (@code{gnus-process-mark}) if the group is process marked.
1731 A string that says when you last read the group (@pxref{Group
1735 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
1736 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
1737 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
1738 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed a single dummy
1739 parameter as argument. The function should return a string, which will
1740 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
1745 All the ``number-of'' specs will be filled with an asterisk (@samp{*})
1746 if no info is available---for instance, if it is a non-activated foreign
1747 group, or a bogus native group.
1750 @node Group Modeline Specification
1751 @subsection Group Modeline Specification
1752 @cindex group modeline
1754 @vindex gnus-group-mode-line-format
1755 The mode line can be changed by setting
1756 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
1757 doesn't understand that many format specifiers:
1761 The native news server.
1763 The native select method.
1767 @node Group Highlighting
1768 @subsection Group Highlighting
1769 @cindex highlighting
1770 @cindex group highlighting
1772 @vindex gnus-group-highlight
1773 Highlighting in the group buffer is controlled by the
1774 @code{gnus-group-highlight} variable. This is an alist with elements
1775 that look like @code{(@var{form} . @var{face})}. If @var{form} evaluates to
1776 something non-@code{nil}, the @var{face} will be used on the line.
1778 Here's an example value for this variable that might look nice if the
1782 (cond (window-system
1783 (setq custom-background-mode 'light)
1784 (defface my-group-face-1
1785 '((t (:foreground "Red" :bold t))) "First group face")
1786 (defface my-group-face-2
1787 '((t (:foreground "DarkSeaGreen4" :bold t))) "Second group face")
1788 (defface my-group-face-3
1789 '((t (:foreground "Green4" :bold t))) "Third group face")
1790 (defface my-group-face-4
1791 '((t (:foreground "SteelBlue" :bold t))) "Fourth group face")
1792 (defface my-group-face-5
1793 '((t (:foreground "Blue" :bold t))) "Fifth group face")))
1795 (setq gnus-group-highlight
1796 '(((> unread 200) . my-group-face-1)
1797 ((and (< level 3) (zerop unread)) . my-group-face-2)
1798 ((< level 3) . my-group-face-3)
1799 ((zerop unread) . my-group-face-4)
1800 (t . my-group-face-5)))
1803 Also @pxref{Faces and Fonts}.
1805 Variables that are dynamically bound when the forms are evaluated
1812 The number of unread articles in the group.
1816 Whether the group is a mail group.
1818 The level of the group.
1820 The score of the group.
1822 The number of ticked articles in the group.
1824 The total number of articles in the group. Or rather, MAX-NUMBER minus
1825 MIN-NUMBER plus one.
1827 When using the topic minor mode, this variable is bound to the current
1828 topic being inserted.
1831 When the forms are @code{eval}ed, point is at the beginning of the line
1832 of the group in question, so you can use many of the normal Gnus
1833 functions for snarfing info on the group.
1835 @vindex gnus-group-update-hook
1836 @findex gnus-group-highlight-line
1837 @code{gnus-group-update-hook} is called when a group line is changed.
1838 It will not be called when @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}. This hook
1839 calls @code{gnus-group-highlight-line} by default.
1842 @node Group Maneuvering
1843 @section Group Maneuvering
1844 @cindex group movement
1846 All movement commands understand the numeric prefix and will behave as
1847 expected, hopefully.
1853 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group
1854 Go to the next group that has unread articles
1855 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group}).
1861 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group
1862 Go to the previous group that has unread articles
1863 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group}).
1867 @findex gnus-group-next-group
1868 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
1872 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
1873 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
1877 @findex gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level
1878 Go to the next unread group on the same (or lower) level
1879 (@code{gnus-group-next-unread-group-same-level}).
1883 @findex gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level
1884 Go to the previous unread group on the same (or lower) level
1885 (@code{gnus-group-prev-unread-group-same-level}).
1888 Three commands for jumping to groups:
1894 @findex gnus-group-jump-to-group
1895 Jump to a group (and make it visible if it isn't already)
1896 (@code{gnus-group-jump-to-group}). Killed groups can be jumped to, just
1901 @findex gnus-group-best-unread-group
1902 Jump to the unread group with the lowest level
1903 (@code{gnus-group-best-unread-group}).
1907 @findex gnus-group-first-unread-group
1908 Jump to the first group with unread articles
1909 (@code{gnus-group-first-unread-group}).
1912 @vindex gnus-group-goto-unread
1913 If @code{gnus-group-goto-unread} is @code{nil}, all the movement
1914 commands will move to the next group, not the next unread group. Even
1915 the commands that say they move to the next unread group. The default
1919 @node Selecting a Group
1920 @section Selecting a Group
1921 @cindex group selection
1926 @kindex SPACE (Group)
1927 @findex gnus-group-read-group
1928 Select the current group, switch to the summary buffer and display the
1929 first unread article (@code{gnus-group-read-group}). If there are no
1930 unread articles in the group, or if you give a non-numerical prefix to
1931 this command, Gnus will offer to fetch all the old articles in this
1932 group from the server. If you give a numerical prefix @var{N}, @var{N}
1933 determines the number of articles Gnus will fetch. If @var{N} is
1934 positive, Gnus fetches the @var{N} newest articles, if @var{N} is
1935 negative, Gnus fetches the @code{abs(@var{N})} oldest articles.
1939 @findex gnus-group-select-group
1940 Select the current group and switch to the summary buffer
1941 (@code{gnus-group-select-group}). Takes the same arguments as
1942 @code{gnus-group-read-group}---the only difference is that this command
1943 does not display the first unread article automatically upon group
1947 @kindex M-RET (Group)
1948 @findex gnus-group-quick-select-group
1949 This does the same as the command above, but tries to do it with the
1950 minimum amount of fuzz (@code{gnus-group-quick-select-group}). No
1951 scoring/killing will be performed, there will be no highlights and no
1952 expunging. This might be useful if you're in a real hurry and have to
1953 enter some humongous group. If you give a 0 prefix to this command
1954 (i.e., @kbd{0 M-RET}), Gnus won't even generate the summary buffer,
1955 which is useful if you want to toggle threading before generating the
1956 summary buffer (@pxref{Summary Generation Commands}).
1959 @kindex M-SPACE (Group)
1960 @findex gnus-group-visible-select-group
1961 This is yet one more command that does the same as the @kbd{RET}
1962 command, but this one does it without expunging and hiding dormants
1963 (@code{gnus-group-visible-select-group}).
1966 @kindex M-C-RET (Group)
1967 @findex gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally
1968 Finally, this command selects the current group ephemerally without
1969 doing any processing of its contents
1970 (@code{gnus-group-select-group-ephemerally}). Even threading has been
1971 turned off. Everything you do in the group after selecting it in this
1972 manner will have no permanent effects.
1976 @vindex gnus-large-newsgroup
1977 The @code{gnus-large-newsgroup} variable says what Gnus should consider
1978 to be a big group. This is 200 by default. If the group has more
1979 (unread and/or ticked) articles than this, Gnus will query the user
1980 before entering the group. The user can then specify how many articles
1981 should be fetched from the server. If the user specifies a negative
1982 number (@code{-n}), the @code{n} oldest articles will be fetched. If it
1983 is positive, the @code{n} articles that have arrived most recently will
1986 @vindex gnus-select-group-hook
1987 @vindex gnus-auto-select-first
1988 @code{gnus-auto-select-first} control whether any articles are selected
1989 automatically when entering a group with the @kbd{SPACE} command.
1994 Don't select any articles when entering the group. Just display the
1995 full summary buffer.
1998 Select the first unread article when entering the group.
2001 Select the highest scored article in the group when entering the
2006 This variable can also be a function. In that case, that function will
2007 be called to place point on a subject line, and/or select some article.
2008 Useful functions include:
2011 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-subject
2012 Place point on the subject line of the first unread article, but
2013 don't select the article.
2015 @item gnus-summary-first-unread-article
2016 Select the first unread article.
2018 @item gnus-summary-best-unread-article
2019 Select the highest-scored unread article.
2023 If you want to prevent automatic selection in some group (say, in a
2024 binary group with Huge articles) you can set this variable to @code{nil}
2025 in @code{gnus-select-group-hook}, which is called when a group is
2029 @node Subscription Commands
2030 @section Subscription Commands
2031 @cindex subscription
2039 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group
2040 @c @icon{gnus-group-unsubscribe}
2041 Toggle subscription to the current group
2042 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-current-group}).
2048 @findex gnus-group-unsubscribe-group
2049 Prompt for a group to subscribe, and then subscribe it. If it was
2050 subscribed already, unsubscribe it instead
2051 (@code{gnus-group-unsubscribe-group}).
2057 @findex gnus-group-kill-group
2058 @c @icon{gnus-group-kill-group}
2059 Kill the current group (@code{gnus-group-kill-group}).
2065 @findex gnus-group-yank-group
2066 Yank the last killed group (@code{gnus-group-yank-group}).
2069 @kindex C-x C-t (Group)
2070 @findex gnus-group-transpose-groups
2071 Transpose two groups (@code{gnus-group-transpose-groups}). This isn't
2072 really a subscription command, but you can use it instead of a
2073 kill-and-yank sequence sometimes.
2079 @findex gnus-group-kill-region
2080 Kill all groups in the region (@code{gnus-group-kill-region}).
2084 @findex gnus-group-kill-all-zombies
2085 Kill all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-kill-all-zombies}).
2088 @kindex S C-k (Group)
2089 @findex gnus-group-kill-level
2090 Kill all groups on a certain level (@code{gnus-group-kill-level}).
2091 These groups can't be yanked back after killing, so this command should
2092 be used with some caution. The only time where this command comes in
2093 really handy is when you have a @file{.newsrc} with lots of unsubscribed
2094 groups that you want to get rid off. @kbd{S C-k} on level 7 will
2095 kill off all unsubscribed groups that do not have message numbers in the
2096 @file{.newsrc} file.
2100 Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
2110 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current
2111 @vindex gnus-group-catchup-group-hook
2112 @c @icon{gnus-group-catchup-current}
2113 Mark all unticked articles in this group as read
2114 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current}).
2115 @code{gnus-group-catchup-group-hook} is called when catching up a group from
2120 @findex gnus-group-catchup-current-all
2121 Mark all articles in this group, even the ticked ones, as read
2122 (@code{gnus-group-catchup-current-all}).
2126 @findex gnus-group-clear-data
2127 Clear the data from the current group---nix out marks and the list of
2128 read articles (@code{gnus-group-clear-data}).
2130 @item M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2131 @kindex M-x gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2132 @findex gnus-group-clear-data-on-native-groups
2133 If you have switched from one @sc{nntp} server to another, all your marks
2134 and read ranges have become worthless. You can use this command to
2135 clear out all data that you have on your native groups. Use with
2142 @section Group Levels
2146 All groups have a level of @dfn{subscribedness}. For instance, if a
2147 group is on level 2, it is more subscribed than a group on level 5. You
2148 can ask Gnus to just list groups on a given level or lower
2149 (@pxref{Listing Groups}), or to just check for new articles in groups on
2150 a given level or lower (@pxref{Scanning New Messages}).
2152 Remember: The higher the level of the group, the less important it is.
2158 @findex gnus-group-set-current-level
2159 Set the level of the current group. If a numeric prefix is given, the
2160 next @var{n} groups will have their levels set. The user will be
2161 prompted for a level.
2164 @vindex gnus-level-killed
2165 @vindex gnus-level-zombie
2166 @vindex gnus-level-unsubscribed
2167 @vindex gnus-level-subscribed
2168 Gnus considers groups from levels 1 to
2169 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (inclusive) (default 5) to be subscribed,
2170 @code{gnus-level-subscribed} (exclusive) and
2171 @code{gnus-level-unsubscribed} (inclusive) (default 7) to be
2172 unsubscribed, @code{gnus-level-zombie} to be zombies (walking dead)
2173 (default 8) and @code{gnus-level-killed} to be killed (completely dead)
2174 (default 9). Gnus treats subscribed and unsubscribed groups exactly the
2175 same, but zombie and killed groups have no information on what articles
2176 you have read, etc, stored. This distinction between dead and living
2177 groups isn't done because it is nice or clever, it is done purely for
2178 reasons of efficiency.
2180 It is recommended that you keep all your mail groups (if any) on quite
2181 low levels (e.g. 1 or 2).
2183 Maybe the following description of the default behavior of Gnus helps to
2184 understand what these levels are all about. By default, Gnus shows you
2185 subscribed nonempty groups, but by hitting @kbd{L} you can have it show
2186 empty subscribed groups and unsubscribed groups, too. Type @kbd{l} to
2187 go back to showing nonempty subscribed groups again. Thus, unsubscribed
2188 groups are hidden, in a way.
2190 Zombie and killed groups are similar to unsubscribed groups in that they
2191 are hidden by default. But they are different from subscribed and
2192 unsubscribed groups in that Gnus doesn't ask the news server for
2193 information (number of messages, number of unread messages) on zombie
2194 and killed groups. Normally, you use @kbd{C-k} to kill the groups you
2195 aren't interested in. If most groups are killed, Gnus is faster.
2197 Why does Gnus distinguish between zombie and killed groups? Well, when
2198 a new group arrives on the server, Gnus by default makes it a zombie
2199 group. This means that you are normally not bothered with new groups,
2200 but you can type @kbd{A z} to get a list of all new groups. Subscribe
2201 the ones you like and kill the ones you don't want. (@kbd{A k} shows a
2202 list of killed groups.)
2204 If you want to play with the level variables, you should show some care.
2205 Set them once, and don't touch them ever again. Better yet, don't touch
2206 them at all unless you know exactly what you're doing.
2208 @vindex gnus-level-default-unsubscribed
2209 @vindex gnus-level-default-subscribed
2210 Two closely related variables are @code{gnus-level-default-subscribed}
2211 (default 3) and @code{gnus-level-default-unsubscribed} (default 6),
2212 which are the levels that new groups will be put on if they are
2213 (un)subscribed. These two variables should, of course, be inside the
2214 relevant valid ranges.
2216 @vindex gnus-keep-same-level
2217 If @code{gnus-keep-same-level} is non-@code{nil}, some movement commands
2218 will only move to groups of the same level (or lower). In
2219 particular, going from the last article in one group to the next group
2220 will go to the next group of the same level (or lower). This might be
2221 handy if you want to read the most important groups before you read the
2224 If this variable is @code{best}, Gnus will make the next newsgroup the
2225 one with the best level.
2227 @vindex gnus-group-default-list-level
2228 All groups with a level less than or equal to
2229 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level} will be listed in the group buffer
2232 @vindex gnus-group-list-inactive-groups
2233 If @code{gnus-group-list-inactive-groups} is non-@code{nil}, non-active
2234 groups will be listed along with the unread groups. This variable is
2235 @code{t} by default. If it is @code{nil}, inactive groups won't be
2238 @vindex gnus-group-use-permanent-levels
2239 If @code{gnus-group-use-permanent-levels} is non-@code{nil}, once you
2240 give a level prefix to @kbd{g} or @kbd{l}, all subsequent commands will
2241 use this level as the ``work'' level.
2243 @vindex gnus-activate-level
2244 Gnus will normally just activate (i. e., query the server about) groups
2245 on level @code{gnus-activate-level} or less. If you don't want to
2246 activate unsubscribed groups, for instance, you might set this variable
2247 to 5. The default is 6.
2251 @section Group Score
2256 You would normally keep important groups on high levels, but that scheme
2257 is somewhat restrictive. Don't you wish you could have Gnus sort the
2258 group buffer according to how often you read groups, perhaps? Within
2261 This is what @dfn{group score} is for. You can have Gnus assign a score
2262 to each group through the mechanism described below. You can then sort
2263 the group buffer based on this score. Alternatively, you can sort on
2264 score and then level. (Taken together, the level and the score is
2265 called the @dfn{rank} of the group. A group that is on level 4 and has
2266 a score of 1 has a higher rank than a group on level 5 that has a score
2267 of 300. (The level is the most significant part and the score is the
2268 least significant part.))
2270 @findex gnus-summary-bubble-group
2271 If you want groups you read often to get higher scores than groups you
2272 read seldom you can add the @code{gnus-summary-bubble-group} function to
2273 the @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} hook. This will result (after
2274 sorting) in a bubbling sort of action. If you want to see that in
2275 action after each summary exit, you can add
2276 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank} or
2277 @code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score} to the same hook, but that will
2278 slow things down somewhat.
2281 @node Marking Groups
2282 @section Marking Groups
2283 @cindex marking groups
2285 If you want to perform some command on several groups, and they appear
2286 subsequently in the group buffer, you would normally just give a
2287 numerical prefix to the command. Most group commands will then do your
2288 bidding on those groups.
2290 However, if the groups are not in sequential order, you can still
2291 perform a command on several groups. You simply mark the groups first
2292 with the process mark and then execute the command.
2300 @findex gnus-group-mark-group
2301 Set the mark on the current group (@code{gnus-group-mark-group}).
2307 @findex gnus-group-unmark-group
2308 Remove the mark from the current group
2309 (@code{gnus-group-unmark-group}).
2313 @findex gnus-group-unmark-all-groups
2314 Remove the mark from all groups (@code{gnus-group-unmark-all-groups}).
2318 @findex gnus-group-mark-region
2319 Mark all groups between point and mark (@code{gnus-group-mark-region}).
2323 @findex gnus-group-mark-buffer
2324 Mark all groups in the buffer (@code{gnus-group-mark-buffer}).
2328 @findex gnus-group-mark-regexp
2329 Mark all groups that match some regular expression
2330 (@code{gnus-group-mark-regexp}).
2333 Also @pxref{Process/Prefix}.
2335 @findex gnus-group-universal-argument
2336 If you want to execute some command on all groups that have been marked
2337 with the process mark, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
2338 (@code{gnus-group-universal-argument}) command. It will prompt you for
2339 the command to be executed.
2342 @node Foreign Groups
2343 @section Foreign Groups
2344 @cindex foreign groups
2346 Below are some group mode commands for making and editing general foreign
2347 groups, as well as commands to ease the creation of a few
2348 special-purpose groups. All these commands insert the newly created
2349 groups under point---@code{gnus-subscribe-newsgroup-method} is not
2356 @findex gnus-group-make-group
2357 @cindex making groups
2358 Make a new group (@code{gnus-group-make-group}). Gnus will prompt you
2359 for a name, a method and possibly an @dfn{address}. For an easier way
2360 to subscribe to @sc{nntp} groups, @pxref{Browse Foreign Server}.
2364 @findex gnus-group-rename-group
2365 @cindex renaming groups
2366 Rename the current group to something else
2367 (@code{gnus-group-rename-group}). This is valid only on some
2368 groups---mail groups mostly. This command might very well be quite slow
2374 @findex gnus-group-customize
2375 Customize the group parameters (@code{gnus-group-customize}).
2379 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-method
2380 @cindex renaming groups
2381 Enter a buffer where you can edit the select method of the current
2382 group (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-method}).
2386 @findex gnus-group-edit-group-parameters
2387 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group parameters
2388 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group-parameters}).
2392 @findex gnus-group-edit-group
2393 Enter a buffer where you can edit the group info
2394 (@code{gnus-group-edit-group}).
2398 @findex gnus-group-make-directory-group
2400 Make a directory group (@pxref{Directory Groups}). You will be prompted
2401 for a directory name (@code{gnus-group-make-directory-group}).
2406 @findex gnus-group-make-help-group
2407 Make the Gnus help group (@code{gnus-group-make-help-group}).
2411 @cindex (ding) archive
2412 @cindex archive group
2413 @findex gnus-group-make-archive-group
2414 @vindex gnus-group-archive-directory
2415 @vindex gnus-group-recent-archive-directory
2416 Make a Gnus archive group (@code{gnus-group-make-archive-group}). By
2417 default a group pointing to the most recent articles will be created
2418 (@code{gnus-group-recent-archive-directory}), but given a prefix, a full
2419 group will be created from @code{gnus-group-archive-directory}.
2423 @findex gnus-group-make-kiboze-group
2425 Make a kiboze group. You will be prompted for a name, for a regexp to
2426 match groups to be ``included'' in the kiboze group, and a series of
2427 strings to match on headers (@code{gnus-group-make-kiboze-group}).
2428 @xref{Kibozed Groups}.
2432 @findex gnus-group-enter-directory
2434 Read an arbitrary directory as if it were a newsgroup with the
2435 @code{nneething} backend (@code{gnus-group-enter-directory}).
2436 @xref{Anything Groups}.
2440 @findex gnus-group-make-doc-group
2441 @cindex ClariNet Briefs
2443 Make a group based on some file or other
2444 (@code{gnus-group-make-doc-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2445 command, you will be prompted for a file name and a file type.
2446 Currently supported types are @code{babyl}, @code{mbox}, @code{digest},
2447 @code{mmdf}, @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{clari-briefs},
2448 @code{rfc934}, @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{nsmail} and @code{forward}.
2449 If you run this command without a prefix, Gnus will guess at the file
2450 type. @xref{Document Groups}.
2454 @vindex gnus-useful-groups
2455 @findex gnus-group-make-useful-group
2456 Create one of the groups mentioned in @code{gnus-useful-groups}
2457 (@code{gnus-group-make-useful-group}).
2461 @findex gnus-group-make-web-group
2466 Make an ephemeral group based on a web search
2467 (@code{gnus-group-make-web-group}). If you give a prefix to this
2468 command, make a solid group instead. You will be prompted for the
2469 search engine type and the search string. Valid search engine types
2470 include @code{dejanews}, @code{altavista} and @code{reference}.
2471 @xref{Web Searches}.
2473 If you use the @code{dejanews} search engine, you can limit the search
2474 to a particular group by using a match string like
2475 @samp{~g alt.sysadmin.recovery shaving}.
2478 @kindex G DEL (Group)
2479 @findex gnus-group-delete-group
2480 This function will delete the current group
2481 (@code{gnus-group-delete-group}). If given a prefix, this function will
2482 actually delete all the articles in the group, and forcibly remove the
2483 group itself from the face of the Earth. Use a prefix only if you are
2484 absolutely sure of what you are doing. This command can't be used on
2485 read-only groups (like @code{nntp} group), though.
2489 @findex gnus-group-make-empty-virtual
2490 Make a new, fresh, empty @code{nnvirtual} group
2491 (@code{gnus-group-make-empty-virtual}). @xref{Virtual Groups}.
2495 @findex gnus-group-add-to-virtual
2496 Add the current group to an @code{nnvirtual} group
2497 (@code{gnus-group-add-to-virtual}). Uses the process/prefix convention.
2500 @xref{Select Methods}, for more information on the various select
2503 @vindex gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups
2504 If @code{gnus-activate-foreign-newsgroups} is a positive number,
2505 Gnus will check all foreign groups with this level or lower at startup.
2506 This might take quite a while, especially if you subscribe to lots of
2507 groups from different @sc{nntp} servers. Also @pxref{Group Levels};
2508 @code{gnus-activate-level} also affects activation of foreign
2512 @node Group Parameters
2513 @section Group Parameters
2514 @cindex group parameters
2516 The group parameters store information local to a particular group.
2517 Here's an example group parameter list:
2520 ((to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")
2524 We see that each element consists of a "dotted pair"---the thing before
2525 the dot is the key, while the thing after the dot is the value. All the
2526 parameters have this form @emph{except} local variable specs, which are
2527 not dotted pairs, but proper lists.
2529 The following group parameters can be used:
2534 Address used by when doing followups and new posts.
2537 (to-address . "some@@where.com")
2540 This is primarily useful in mail groups that represent closed mailing
2541 lists---mailing lists where it's expected that everybody that writes to
2542 the mailing list is subscribed to it. Since using this parameter
2543 ensures that the mail only goes to the mailing list itself, it means
2544 that members won't receive two copies of your followups.
2546 Using @code{to-address} will actually work whether the group is foreign
2547 or not. Let's say there's a group on the server that is called
2548 @samp{fa.4ad-l}. This is a real newsgroup, but the server has gotten
2549 the articles from a mail-to-news gateway. Posting directly to this
2550 group is therefore impossible---you have to send mail to the mailing
2551 list address instead.
2555 Address used when doing @kbd{a} in that group.
2558 (to-list . "some@@where.com")
2561 It is totally ignored
2562 when doing a followup---except that if it is present in a news group,
2563 you'll get mail group semantics when doing @kbd{f}.
2565 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you have neither a
2566 @code{to-list} group parameter nor a @code{to-address} group parameter,
2567 then a @code{to-list} group parameter will be added automatically upon
2568 sending the message if @code{gnus-add-to-list} is set to @code{t}.
2569 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
2571 If you do an @kbd{a} command in a mail group and you don't have a
2572 @code{to-list} group parameter, one will be added automatically upon
2573 sending the message.
2577 If the group parameter list has the element @code{(visible . t)},
2578 that group will always be visible in the Group buffer, regardless
2579 of whether it has any unread articles.
2581 @item broken-reply-to
2582 @cindex broken-reply-to
2583 Elements like @code{(broken-reply-to . t)} signals that @code{Reply-To}
2584 headers in this group are to be ignored. This can be useful if you're
2585 reading a mailing list group where the listserv has inserted
2586 @code{Reply-To} headers that point back to the listserv itself. This is
2587 broken behavior. So there!
2591 Elements like @code{(to-group . "some.group.name")} means that all
2592 posts in that group will be sent to @code{some.group.name}.
2596 If you have @code{(newsgroup . t)} in the group parameter list, Gnus
2597 will treat all responses as if they were responses to news articles.
2598 This can be useful if you have a mail group that's really a mirror of a
2603 If @code{(gcc-self . t)} is present in the group parameter list, newly
2604 composed messages will be @code{Gcc}'d to the current group. If
2605 @code{(gcc-self . none)} is present, no @code{Gcc:} header will be
2606 generated, if @code{(gcc-self . "string")} is present, this string will
2607 be inserted literally as a @code{gcc} header. This parameter takes
2608 precedence over any default @code{Gcc} rules as described later
2609 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
2613 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(auto-expire
2614 . t)}, all articles read will be marked as expirable. For an
2615 alternative approach, @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
2618 @cindex total-expire
2619 If the group parameter has an element that looks like
2620 @code{(total-expire . t)}, all read articles will be put through the
2621 expiry process, even if they are not marked as expirable. Use with
2622 caution. Unread, ticked and dormant articles are not eligible for
2627 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
2628 If the group parameter has an element that looks like @code{(expiry-wait
2629 . 10)}, this value will override any @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} and
2630 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} when expiring expirable messages.
2631 The value can either be a number of days (not necessarily an integer) or
2632 the symbols @code{never} or @code{immediate}.
2635 @cindex score file group parameter
2636 Elements that look like @code{(score-file . "file")} will make
2637 @file{file} into the current score file for the group in question. All
2638 interactive score entries will be put into this file.
2641 @cindex adapt file group parameter
2642 Elements that look like @code{(adapt-file . "file")} will make
2643 @file{file} into the current adaptive file for the group in question.
2644 All adaptive score entries will be put into this file.
2647 When unsubscribing from a mailing list you should never send the
2648 unsubscription notice to the mailing list itself. Instead, you'd send
2649 messages to the administrative address. This parameter allows you to
2650 put the admin address somewhere convenient.
2653 Elements that look like @code{(display . MODE)} say which articles to
2654 display on entering the group. Valid values are:
2658 Display all articles, both read and unread.
2661 Display the default visible articles, which normally includes unread and
2666 Elements that look like @code{(comment . "This is a comment")}
2667 are arbitrary comments on the group. They are currently ignored by
2668 Gnus, but provide a place for you to store information on particular
2672 Elements that look like @code{(charset . iso-8859-1)} will make
2673 @code{iso-8859-1} the default charset; that is, the charset that will be
2674 used for all articles that do not specify a charset.
2676 @item (@var{variable} @var{form})
2677 You can use the group parameters to set variables local to the group you
2678 are entering. If you want to turn threading off in @samp{news.answers},
2679 you could put @code{(gnus-show-threads nil)} in the group parameters of
2680 that group. @code{gnus-show-threads} will be made into a local variable
2681 in the summary buffer you enter, and the form @code{nil} will be
2682 @code{eval}ed there.
2684 This can also be used as a group-specific hook function, if you'd like.
2685 If you want to hear a beep when you enter a group, you could put
2686 something like @code{(dummy-variable (ding))} in the parameters of that
2687 group. @code{dummy-variable} will be set to the result of the
2688 @code{(ding)} form, but who cares?
2691 You can store additional posting style information for this group only
2692 here (@pxref{Posting Styles}). The format is that of an entry in the
2693 @code{gnus-posting-styles} alist, except that there's no regexp matching
2694 the group name (of course). Style elements in this group parameter will
2695 take precedence over the ones found in @code{gnus-posting-styles}.
2697 For instance, if you want a funky name and signature in this group only,
2698 instead of hacking @code{gnus-posting-styles}, you could put something
2699 like this in the group parameters:
2704 (signature "Funky Signature"))
2708 An item like @code{(banner . "regex")} causes any part of an article
2709 that matches the regular expression "regex" to be stripped. Instead of
2710 "regex", you can also use the symbol @code{signature} which strips the
2711 last signature or any of the elements of the alist
2712 @code{gnus-article-banner-alist}.
2716 Use the @kbd{G p} command to edit group parameters of a group. You
2717 might also be interested in reading about topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
2721 @node Listing Groups
2722 @section Listing Groups
2723 @cindex group listing
2725 These commands all list various slices of the groups available.
2733 @findex gnus-group-list-groups
2734 List all groups that have unread articles
2735 (@code{gnus-group-list-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used, this
2736 command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default, it
2737 only lists groups of level five (i. e.,
2738 @code{gnus-group-default-list-level}) or lower (i.e., just subscribed
2745 @findex gnus-group-list-all-groups
2746 List all groups, whether they have unread articles or not
2747 (@code{gnus-group-list-all-groups}). If the numeric prefix is used,
2748 this command will list only groups of level ARG and lower. By default,
2749 it lists groups of level seven or lower (i.e., just subscribed and
2750 unsubscribed groups).
2754 @findex gnus-group-list-level
2755 List all unread groups on a specific level
2756 (@code{gnus-group-list-level}). If given a prefix, also list the groups
2757 with no unread articles.
2761 @findex gnus-group-list-killed
2762 List all killed groups (@code{gnus-group-list-killed}). If given a
2763 prefix argument, really list all groups that are available, but aren't
2764 currently (un)subscribed. This could entail reading the active file
2769 @findex gnus-group-list-zombies
2770 List all zombie groups (@code{gnus-group-list-zombies}).
2774 @findex gnus-group-list-matching
2775 List all unread, subscribed groups with names that match a regexp
2776 (@code{gnus-group-list-matching}).
2780 @findex gnus-group-list-all-matching
2781 List groups that match a regexp (@code{gnus-group-list-all-matching}).
2785 @findex gnus-group-list-active
2786 List absolutely all groups in the active file(s) of the
2787 server(s) you are connected to (@code{gnus-group-list-active}). This
2788 might very well take quite a while. It might actually be a better idea
2789 to do a @kbd{A M} to list all matching, and just give @samp{.} as the
2790 thing to match on. Also note that this command may list groups that
2791 don't exist (yet)---these will be listed as if they were killed groups.
2792 Take the output with some grains of salt.
2796 @findex gnus-group-apropos
2797 List all groups that have names that match a regexp
2798 (@code{gnus-group-apropos}).
2802 @findex gnus-group-description-apropos
2803 List all groups that have names or descriptions that match a regexp
2804 (@code{gnus-group-description-apropos}).
2808 @findex gnus-group-list-cached
2809 List all groups with cached articles (@code{gnus-group-list-cached}).
2813 @findex gnus-group-list-dormant
2814 List all groups with dormant articles (@code{gnus-group-list-dormant}).
2818 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
2819 @cindex visible group parameter
2820 Groups that match the @code{gnus-permanently-visible-groups} regexp will
2821 always be shown, whether they have unread articles or not. You can also
2822 add the @code{visible} element to the group parameters in question to
2823 get the same effect.
2825 @vindex gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles
2826 Groups that have just ticked articles in it are normally listed in the
2827 group buffer. If @code{gnus-list-groups-with-ticked-articles} is
2828 @code{nil}, these groups will be treated just like totally empty
2829 groups. It is @code{t} by default.
2832 @node Sorting Groups
2833 @section Sorting Groups
2834 @cindex sorting groups
2836 @kindex C-c C-s (Group)
2837 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups
2838 @vindex gnus-group-sort-function
2839 The @kbd{C-c C-s} (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups}) command sorts the
2840 group buffer according to the function(s) given by the
2841 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} variable. Available sorting functions
2846 @item gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2847 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-alphabet
2848 Sort the group names alphabetically. This is the default.
2850 @item gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2851 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-real-name
2852 Sort the group alphabetically on the real (unprefixed) group names.
2854 @item gnus-group-sort-by-level
2855 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-level
2856 Sort by group level.
2858 @item gnus-group-sort-by-score
2859 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-score
2860 Sort by group score. @xref{Group Score}.
2862 @item gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2863 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-rank
2864 Sort by group score and then the group level. The level and the score
2865 are, when taken together, the group's @dfn{rank}. @xref{Group Score}.
2867 @item gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2868 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-unread
2869 Sort by number of unread articles.
2871 @item gnus-group-sort-by-method
2872 @findex gnus-group-sort-by-method
2873 Sort alphabetically on the select method.
2878 @code{gnus-group-sort-function} can also be a list of sorting
2879 functions. In that case, the most significant sort key function must be
2883 There are also a number of commands for sorting directly according to
2884 some sorting criteria:
2888 @kindex G S a (Group)
2889 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet
2890 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by group name
2891 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
2894 @kindex G S u (Group)
2895 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread
2896 Sort the group buffer by the number of unread articles
2897 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-unread}).
2900 @kindex G S l (Group)
2901 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level
2902 Sort the group buffer by group level
2903 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-level}).
2906 @kindex G S v (Group)
2907 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score
2908 Sort the group buffer by group score
2909 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2912 @kindex G S r (Group)
2913 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank
2914 Sort the group buffer by group rank
2915 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2918 @kindex G S m (Group)
2919 @findex gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method
2920 Sort the group buffer alphabetically by backend name
2921 (@code{gnus-group-sort-groups-by-method}).
2925 All the commands below obey the process/prefix convention
2926 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
2928 When given a symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}), all these
2929 commands will sort in reverse order.
2931 You can also sort a subset of the groups:
2935 @kindex G P a (Group)
2936 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet
2937 Sort the groups alphabetically by group name
2938 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-alphabet}).
2941 @kindex G P u (Group)
2942 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread
2943 Sort the groups by the number of unread articles
2944 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-unread}).
2947 @kindex G P l (Group)
2948 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level
2949 Sort the groups by group level
2950 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-level}).
2953 @kindex G P v (Group)
2954 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score
2955 Sort the groups by group score
2956 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
2959 @kindex G P r (Group)
2960 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank
2961 Sort the groups by group rank
2962 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
2965 @kindex G P m (Group)
2966 @findex gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method
2967 Sort the groups alphabetically by backend name
2968 (@code{gnus-group-sort-selected-groups-by-method}).
2974 @node Group Maintenance
2975 @section Group Maintenance
2976 @cindex bogus groups
2981 @findex gnus-group-check-bogus-groups
2982 Find bogus groups and delete them
2983 (@code{gnus-group-check-bogus-groups}).
2987 @findex gnus-group-find-new-groups
2988 Find new groups and process them (@code{gnus-group-find-new-groups}).
2989 With 1 @kbd{C-u}, use the @code{ask-server} method to query the server
2990 for new groups. With 2 @kbd{C-u}'s, use most complete method possible
2991 to query the server for new groups, and subscribe the new groups as
2995 @kindex C-c C-x (Group)
2996 @findex gnus-group-expire-articles
2997 Run all expirable articles in the current group through the expiry
2998 process (if any) (@code{gnus-group-expire-articles}).
3001 @kindex C-c M-C-x (Group)
3002 @findex gnus-group-expire-all-groups
3003 Run all articles in all groups through the expiry process
3004 (@code{gnus-group-expire-all-groups}).
3009 @node Browse Foreign Server
3010 @section Browse Foreign Server
3011 @cindex foreign servers
3012 @cindex browsing servers
3017 @findex gnus-group-browse-foreign-server
3018 You will be queried for a select method and a server name. Gnus will
3019 then attempt to contact this server and let you browse the groups there
3020 (@code{gnus-group-browse-foreign-server}).
3023 @findex gnus-browse-mode
3024 A new buffer with a list of available groups will appear. This buffer
3025 will use the @code{gnus-browse-mode}. This buffer looks a bit (well,
3026 a lot) like a normal group buffer.
3028 Here's a list of keystrokes available in the browse mode:
3033 @findex gnus-group-next-group
3034 Go to the next group (@code{gnus-group-next-group}).
3038 @findex gnus-group-prev-group
3039 Go to the previous group (@code{gnus-group-prev-group}).
3042 @kindex SPACE (Browse)
3043 @findex gnus-browse-read-group
3044 Enter the current group and display the first article
3045 (@code{gnus-browse-read-group}).
3048 @kindex RET (Browse)
3049 @findex gnus-browse-select-group
3050 Enter the current group (@code{gnus-browse-select-group}).
3054 @findex gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group
3055 Unsubscribe to the current group, or, as will be the case here,
3056 subscribe to it (@code{gnus-browse-unsubscribe-current-group}).
3062 @findex gnus-browse-exit
3063 Exit browse mode (@code{gnus-browse-exit}).
3067 @findex gnus-browse-describe-briefly
3068 Describe browse mode briefly (well, there's not much to describe, is
3069 there) (@code{gnus-browse-describe-briefly}).
3074 @section Exiting Gnus
3075 @cindex exiting Gnus
3077 Yes, Gnus is ex(c)iting.
3082 @findex gnus-group-suspend
3083 Suspend Gnus (@code{gnus-group-suspend}). This doesn't really exit Gnus,
3084 but it kills all buffers except the Group buffer. I'm not sure why this
3085 is a gain, but then who am I to judge?
3089 @findex gnus-group-exit
3090 @c @icon{gnus-group-exit}
3091 Quit Gnus (@code{gnus-group-exit}).
3095 @findex gnus-group-quit
3096 Quit Gnus without saving the @file{.newsrc} files (@code{gnus-group-quit}).
3097 The dribble file will be saved, though (@pxref{Auto Save}).
3100 @vindex gnus-exit-gnus-hook
3101 @vindex gnus-suspend-gnus-hook
3102 @code{gnus-suspend-gnus-hook} is called when you suspend Gnus and
3103 @code{gnus-exit-gnus-hook} is called when you quit Gnus, while
3104 @code{gnus-after-exiting-gnus-hook} is called as the final item when
3109 If you wish to completely unload Gnus and all its adherents, you can use
3110 the @code{gnus-unload} command. This command is also very handy when
3111 trying to customize meta-variables.
3116 Miss Lisa Cannifax, while sitting in English class, felt her feet go
3117 numbly heavy and herself fall into a hazy trance as the boy sitting
3118 behind her drew repeated lines with his pencil across the back of her
3124 @section Group Topics
3127 If you read lots and lots of groups, it might be convenient to group
3128 them hierarchically according to topics. You put your Emacs groups over
3129 here, your sex groups over there, and the rest (what, two groups or so?)
3130 you put in some misc section that you never bother with anyway. You can
3131 even group the Emacs sex groups as a sub-topic to either the Emacs
3132 groups or the sex groups---or both! Go wild!
3136 \gnusfigure{Group Topics}{400}{
3137 \put(75,50){\epsfig{figure=tmp/group-topic.ps,height=9cm}}
3148 2: alt.religion.emacs
3151 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3153 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3154 13: comp.sources.unix
3157 @findex gnus-topic-mode
3159 To get this @emph{fab} functionality you simply turn on (ooh!) the
3160 @code{gnus-topic} minor mode---type @kbd{t} in the group buffer. (This
3161 is a toggling command.)
3163 Go ahead, just try it. I'll still be here when you get back. La de
3164 dum... Nice tune, that... la la la... What, you're back? Yes, and now
3165 press @kbd{l}. There. All your groups are now listed under
3166 @samp{misc}. Doesn't that make you feel all warm and fuzzy? Hot and
3169 If you want this permanently enabled, you should add that minor mode to
3170 the hook for the group mode:
3173 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
3177 * Topic Variables:: How to customize the topics the Lisp Way.
3178 * Topic Commands:: Interactive E-Z commands.
3179 * Topic Sorting:: Sorting each topic individually.
3180 * Topic Topology:: A map of the world.
3181 * Topic Parameters:: Parameters that apply to all groups in a topic.
3185 @node Topic Variables
3186 @subsection Topic Variables
3187 @cindex topic variables
3189 Now, if you select a topic, it will fold/unfold that topic, which is
3190 really neat, I think.
3192 @vindex gnus-topic-line-format
3193 The topic lines themselves are created according to the
3194 @code{gnus-topic-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3207 Number of groups in the topic.
3209 Number of unread articles in the topic.
3211 Number of unread articles in the topic and all its subtopics.
3214 @vindex gnus-topic-indent-level
3215 Each sub-topic (and the groups in the sub-topics) will be indented with
3216 @code{gnus-topic-indent-level} times the topic level number of spaces.
3219 @vindex gnus-topic-mode-hook
3220 @code{gnus-topic-mode-hook} is called in topic minor mode buffers.
3222 @vindex gnus-topic-display-empty-topics
3223 The @code{gnus-topic-display-empty-topics} says whether to display even
3224 topics that have no unread articles in them. The default is @code{t}.
3227 @node Topic Commands
3228 @subsection Topic Commands
3229 @cindex topic commands
3231 When the topic minor mode is turned on, a new @kbd{T} submap will be
3232 available. In addition, a few of the standard keys change their
3233 definitions slightly.
3239 @findex gnus-topic-create-topic
3240 Prompt for a new topic name and create it
3241 (@code{gnus-topic-create-topic}).
3245 @findex gnus-topic-move-group
3246 Move the current group to some other topic
3247 (@code{gnus-topic-move-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3248 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3252 @findex gnus-topic-jump-to-topic
3253 Go to a topic (@code{gnus-topic-jump-to-topic}).
3257 @findex gnus-topic-copy-group
3258 Copy the current group to some other topic
3259 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-group}). This command uses the process/prefix
3260 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3264 @findex gnus-topic-hide-topic
3265 Hide the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-hide-topic}). If given
3266 a prefix, hide the topic permanently.
3270 @findex gnus-topic-show-topic
3271 Show the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-show-topic}). If given
3272 a prefix, show the topic permanently.
3276 @findex gnus-topic-remove-group
3277 Remove a group from the current topic (@code{gnus-topic-remove-group}).
3278 This command is mainly useful if you have the same group in several
3279 topics and wish to remove it from one of the topics. You may also
3280 remove a group from all topics, but in that case, Gnus will add it to
3281 the root topic the next time you start Gnus. In fact, all new groups
3282 (which, naturally, don't belong to any topic) will show up in the root
3285 This command uses the process/prefix convention
3286 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
3290 @findex gnus-topic-move-matching
3291 Move all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3292 (@code{gnus-topic-move-matching}).
3296 @findex gnus-topic-copy-matching
3297 Copy all groups that match some regular expression to a topic
3298 (@code{gnus-topic-copy-matching}).
3302 @findex gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics
3303 Toggle hiding empty topics
3304 (@code{gnus-topic-toggle-display-empty-topics}).
3308 @findex gnus-topic-mark-topic
3309 Mark all groups in the current topic with the process mark
3310 (@code{gnus-topic-mark-topic}).
3313 @kindex T M-# (Topic)
3314 @findex gnus-topic-unmark-topic
3315 Remove the process mark from all groups in the current topic
3316 (@code{gnus-topic-unmark-topic}).
3320 @kindex T TAB (Topic)
3322 @findex gnus-topic-indent
3323 ``Indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3324 previous topic (@code{gnus-topic-indent}). If given a prefix,
3325 ``un-indent'' the topic instead.
3328 @kindex M-TAB (Topic)
3329 @findex gnus-topic-unindent
3330 ``Un-indent'' the current topic so that it becomes a sub-topic of the
3331 parent of its current parent (@code{gnus-topic-unindent}).
3335 @findex gnus-topic-select-group
3337 Either select a group or fold a topic (@code{gnus-topic-select-group}).
3338 When you perform this command on a group, you'll enter the group, as
3339 usual. When done on a topic line, the topic will be folded (if it was
3340 visible) or unfolded (if it was folded already). So it's basically a
3341 toggling command on topics. In addition, if you give a numerical
3342 prefix, group on that level (and lower) will be displayed.
3345 @kindex C-c C-x (Topic)
3346 @findex gnus-topic-expire-articles
3347 Run all expirable articles in the current group or topic through the expiry
3348 process (if any) (@code{gnus-topic-expire-articles}).
3352 @findex gnus-topic-kill-group
3353 Kill a group or topic (@code{gnus-topic-kill-group}). All groups in the
3354 topic will be removed along with the topic.
3358 @findex gnus-topic-yank-group
3359 Yank the previously killed group or topic
3360 (@code{gnus-topic-yank-group}). Note that all topics will be yanked
3365 @findex gnus-topic-rename
3366 Rename a topic (@code{gnus-topic-rename}).
3369 @kindex T DEL (Topic)
3370 @findex gnus-topic-delete
3371 Delete an empty topic (@code{gnus-topic-delete}).
3375 @findex gnus-topic-list-active
3376 List all groups that Gnus knows about in a topics-ified way
3377 (@code{gnus-topic-list-active}).
3381 @findex gnus-topic-edit-parameters
3382 @cindex group parameters
3383 @cindex topic parameters
3385 Edit the topic parameters (@code{gnus-topic-edit-parameters}).
3386 @xref{Topic Parameters}.
3392 @subsection Topic Sorting
3393 @cindex topic sorting
3395 You can sort the groups in each topic individually with the following
3401 @kindex T S a (Topic)
3402 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet
3403 Sort the current topic alphabetically by group name
3404 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-alphabet}).
3407 @kindex T S u (Topic)
3408 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread
3409 Sort the current topic by the number of unread articles
3410 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-unread}).
3413 @kindex T S l (Topic)
3414 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level
3415 Sort the current topic by group level
3416 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-level}).
3419 @kindex T S v (Topic)
3420 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score
3421 Sort the current topic by group score
3422 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-score}). @xref{Group Score}.
3425 @kindex T S r (Topic)
3426 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank
3427 Sort the current topic by group rank
3428 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-rank}). @xref{Group Score}.
3431 @kindex T S m (Topic)
3432 @findex gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method
3433 Sort the current topic alphabetically by backend name
3434 (@code{gnus-topic-sort-groups-by-method}).
3438 @xref{Sorting Groups}, for more information about group sorting.
3441 @node Topic Topology
3442 @subsection Topic Topology
3443 @cindex topic topology
3446 So, let's have a look at an example group buffer:
3452 2: alt.religion.emacs
3455 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3457 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3458 13: comp.sources.unix
3461 So, here we have one top-level topic (@samp{Gnus}), two topics under
3462 that, and one sub-topic under one of the sub-topics. (There is always
3463 just one (1) top-level topic). This topology can be expressed as
3468 (("Emacs -- I wuw it!" visible)
3469 (("Naughty Emacs" visible)))
3473 @vindex gnus-topic-topology
3474 This is in fact how the variable @code{gnus-topic-topology} would look
3475 for the display above. That variable is saved in the @file{.newsrc.eld}
3476 file, and shouldn't be messed with manually---unless you really want
3477 to. Since this variable is read from the @file{.newsrc.eld} file,
3478 setting it in any other startup files will have no effect.
3480 This topology shows what topics are sub-topics of what topics (right),
3481 and which topics are visible. Two settings are currently
3482 allowed---@code{visible} and @code{invisible}.
3485 @node Topic Parameters
3486 @subsection Topic Parameters
3487 @cindex topic parameters
3489 All groups in a topic will inherit group parameters from the parent (and
3490 ancestor) topic parameters. All valid group parameters are valid topic
3491 parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
3493 In addition, the following parameters are only valid as topic
3498 When subscribing new groups by topic (@pxref{Subscription Methods}), the
3499 @code{subscribe} topic parameter says what groups go in what topic. Its
3500 value should be a regexp to match the groups that should go in that
3505 Group parameters (of course) override topic parameters, and topic
3506 parameters in sub-topics override topic parameters in super-topics. You
3507 know. Normal inheritance rules. (@dfn{Rules} is here a noun, not a
3508 verb, although you may feel free to disagree with me here.)
3514 2: alt.religion.emacs
3518 0: comp.talk.emacs.recovery
3520 8: comp.binaries.fractals
3521 13: comp.sources.unix
3525 The @samp{Emacs} topic has the topic parameter @code{(score-file
3526 . "emacs.SCORE")}; the @samp{Relief} topic has the topic parameter
3527 @code{(score-file . "relief.SCORE")}; and the @samp{Misc} topic has the
3528 topic parameter @code{(score-file . "emacs.SCORE")}. In addition,
3529 @* @samp{alt.religion.emacs} has the group parameter @code{(score-file
3530 . "religion.SCORE")}.
3532 Now, when you enter @samp{alt.sex.emacs} in the @samp{Relief} topic, you
3533 will get the @file{relief.SCORE} home score file. If you enter the same
3534 group in the @samp{Emacs} topic, you'll get the @file{emacs.SCORE} home
3535 score file. If you enter the group @samp{alt.religion.emacs}, you'll
3536 get the @file{religion.SCORE} home score file.
3538 This seems rather simple and self-evident, doesn't it? Well, yes. But
3539 there are some problems, especially with the @code{total-expiry}
3540 parameter. Say you have a mail group in two topics; one with
3541 @code{total-expiry} and one without. What happens when you do @kbd{M-x
3542 gnus-expire-all-expirable-groups}? Gnus has no way of telling which one
3543 of these topics you mean to expire articles from, so anything may
3544 happen. In fact, I hereby declare that it is @dfn{undefined} what
3545 happens. You just have to be careful if you do stuff like that.
3548 @node Misc Group Stuff
3549 @section Misc Group Stuff
3552 * Scanning New Messages:: Asking Gnus to see whether new messages have arrived.
3553 * Group Information:: Information and help on groups and Gnus.
3554 * Group Timestamp:: Making Gnus keep track of when you last read a group.
3555 * File Commands:: Reading and writing the Gnus files.
3562 @findex gnus-group-enter-server-mode
3563 Enter the server buffer (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}).
3564 @xref{The Server Buffer}.
3568 @findex gnus-group-post-news
3569 Post an article to a group (@code{gnus-group-post-news}). If given a
3570 prefix, the current group name will be used as the default.
3574 @findex gnus-group-mail
3575 Mail a message somewhere (@code{gnus-group-mail}).
3579 Variables for the group buffer:
3583 @item gnus-group-mode-hook
3584 @vindex gnus-group-mode-hook
3585 is called after the group buffer has been
3588 @item gnus-group-prepare-hook
3589 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3590 is called after the group buffer is
3591 generated. It may be used to modify the buffer in some strange,
3594 @item gnus-group-prepared-hook
3595 @vindex gnus-group-prepare-hook
3596 is called as the very last thing after the group buffer has been
3597 generated. It may be used to move point around, for instance.
3599 @item gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3600 @vindex gnus-permanently-visible-groups
3601 Groups matching this regexp will always be listed in the group buffer,
3602 whether they are empty or not.
3604 @item gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3605 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3606 An alist of method and the charset for group names. It is used to show
3607 non-ASCII group names.
3611 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-method-alist
3612 '(((nntp "news.com.cn") . cn-gb-2312)))
3615 @item gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3616 @vindex gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3617 An alist of regexp of group name and the charset for group names.
3618 It is used to show non-ASCII group names.
3622 (setq gnus-group-name-charset-group-alist
3623 '(("\\.com\\.cn:" . cn-gb-2312)))
3628 @node Scanning New Messages
3629 @subsection Scanning New Messages
3630 @cindex new messages
3631 @cindex scanning new news
3637 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news
3638 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news}
3639 Check the server(s) for new articles. If the numerical prefix is used,
3640 this command will check only groups of level @var{arg} and lower
3641 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news}). If given a non-numerical prefix, this
3642 command will force a total re-reading of the active file(s) from the
3647 @findex gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group
3648 @vindex gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating
3649 @c @icon{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}
3650 Check whether new articles have arrived in the current group
3651 (@code{gnus-group-get-new-news-this-group}).
3652 @code{gnus-goto-next-group-when-activating} says whether this command is
3653 to move point to the next group or not. It is @code{t} by default.
3655 @findex gnus-activate-all-groups
3656 @cindex activating groups
3658 @kindex C-c M-g (Group)
3659 Activate absolutely all groups (@code{gnus-activate-all-groups}).
3664 @findex gnus-group-restart
3665 Restart Gnus (@code{gnus-group-restart}). This saves the @file{.newsrc}
3666 file(s), closes the connection to all servers, clears up all run-time
3667 Gnus variables, and then starts Gnus all over again.
3671 @vindex gnus-get-new-news-hook
3672 @code{gnus-get-new-news-hook} is run just before checking for new news.
3674 @vindex gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook
3675 @code{gnus-after-getting-new-news-hook} is run after checking for new
3679 @node Group Information
3680 @subsection Group Information
3681 @cindex group information
3682 @cindex information on groups
3689 @findex gnus-group-fetch-faq
3690 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
3693 Try to fetch the FAQ for the current group
3694 (@code{gnus-group-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the FAQ from
3695 @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory on a
3696 remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories. In
3697 that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
3698 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} (or @code{efs}) will be used
3699 for fetching the file.
3701 If fetching from the first site is unsuccessful, Gnus will attempt to go
3702 through @code{gnus-group-faq-directory} and try to open them one by one.
3706 @c @icon{gnus-group-describe-group}
3708 @kindex C-c C-d (Group)
3709 @cindex describing groups
3710 @cindex group description
3711 @findex gnus-group-describe-group
3712 Describe the current group (@code{gnus-group-describe-group}). If given
3713 a prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description from the server.
3717 @findex gnus-group-describe-all-groups
3718 Describe all groups (@code{gnus-group-describe-all-groups}). If given a
3719 prefix, force Gnus to re-read the description file from the server.
3726 @findex gnus-version
3727 Display current Gnus version numbers (@code{gnus-version}).
3731 @findex gnus-group-describe-briefly
3732 Give a very short help message (@code{gnus-group-describe-briefly}).
3735 @kindex C-c C-i (Group)
3738 @findex gnus-info-find-node
3739 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
3743 @node Group Timestamp
3744 @subsection Group Timestamp
3746 @cindex group timestamps
3748 It can be convenient to let Gnus keep track of when you last read a
3749 group. To set the ball rolling, you should add
3750 @code{gnus-group-set-timestamp} to @code{gnus-select-group-hook}:
3753 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook 'gnus-group-set-timestamp)
3756 After doing this, each time you enter a group, it'll be recorded.
3758 This information can be displayed in various ways---the easiest is to
3759 use the @samp{%d} spec in the group line format:
3762 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3763 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %d\n")
3766 This will result in lines looking like:
3769 * 0: mail.ding 19961002T012943
3770 0: custom 19961002T012713
3773 As you can see, the date is displayed in compact ISO 8601 format. This
3774 may be a bit too much, so to just display the date, you could say
3778 (setq gnus-group-line-format
3779 "%M\%S\%p\%P\%5y: %(%-40,40g%) %6,6~(cut 2)d\n")
3784 @subsection File Commands
3785 @cindex file commands
3791 @findex gnus-group-read-init-file
3792 @vindex gnus-init-file
3793 @cindex reading init file
3794 Re-read the init file (@code{gnus-init-file}, which defaults to
3795 @file{~/.gnus}) (@code{gnus-group-read-init-file}).
3799 @findex gnus-group-save-newsrc
3800 @cindex saving .newsrc
3801 Save the @file{.newsrc.eld} file (and @file{.newsrc} if wanted)
3802 (@code{gnus-group-save-newsrc}). If given a prefix, force saving the
3803 file(s) whether Gnus thinks it is necessary or not.
3806 @c @kindex Z (Group)
3807 @c @findex gnus-group-clear-dribble
3808 @c Clear the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-group-clear-dribble}).
3813 @node The Summary Buffer
3814 @chapter The Summary Buffer
3815 @cindex summary buffer
3817 A line for each article is displayed in the summary buffer. You can
3818 move around, read articles, post articles and reply to articles.
3820 The most common way to a summary buffer is to select a group from the
3821 group buffer (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
3823 You can have as many summary buffers open as you wish.
3826 * Summary Buffer Format:: Deciding how the summary buffer is to look.
3827 * Summary Maneuvering:: Moving around the summary buffer.
3828 * Choosing Articles:: Reading articles.
3829 * Paging the Article:: Scrolling the current article.
3830 * Reply Followup and Post:: Posting articles.
3831 * Marking Articles:: Marking articles as read, expirable, etc.
3832 * Limiting:: You can limit the summary buffer.
3833 * Threading:: How threads are made.
3834 * Sorting:: How articles and threads are sorted.
3835 * Asynchronous Fetching:: Gnus might be able to pre-fetch articles.
3836 * Article Caching:: You may store articles in a cache.
3837 * Persistent Articles:: Making articles expiry-resistant.
3838 * Article Backlog:: Having already read articles hang around.
3839 * Saving Articles:: Ways of customizing article saving.
3840 * Decoding Articles:: Gnus can treat series of (uu)encoded articles.
3841 * Article Treatment:: The article buffer can be mangled at will.
3842 * MIME Commands:: Doing MIMEy things with the articles.
3843 * Charsets:: Character set issues.
3844 * Article Commands:: Doing various things with the article buffer.
3845 * Summary Sorting:: Sorting the summary buffer in various ways.
3846 * Finding the Parent:: No child support? Get the parent.
3847 * Alternative Approaches:: Reading using non-default summaries.
3848 * Tree Display:: A more visual display of threads.
3849 * Mail Group Commands:: Some commands can only be used in mail groups.
3850 * Various Summary Stuff:: What didn't fit anywhere else.
3851 * Exiting the Summary Buffer:: Returning to the Group buffer,
3852 or reselecting the current group.
3853 * Crosspost Handling:: How crossposted articles are dealt with.
3854 * Duplicate Suppression:: An alternative when crosspost handling fails.
3858 @node Summary Buffer Format
3859 @section Summary Buffer Format
3860 @cindex summary buffer format
3864 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{180}{
3865 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary.ps,width=7.5cm}}
3866 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-article.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
3872 * Summary Buffer Lines:: You can specify how summary lines should look.
3873 * To From Newsgroups:: How to not display your own name.
3874 * Summary Buffer Mode Line:: You can say how the mode line should look.
3875 * Summary Highlighting:: Making the summary buffer all pretty and nice.
3878 @findex mail-extract-address-components
3879 @findex gnus-extract-address-components
3880 @vindex gnus-extract-address-components
3881 Gnus will use the value of the @code{gnus-extract-address-components}
3882 variable as a function for getting the name and address parts of a
3883 @code{From} header. Two pre-defined functions exist:
3884 @code{gnus-extract-address-components}, which is the default, quite
3885 fast, and too simplistic solution; and
3886 @code{mail-extract-address-components}, which works very nicely, but is
3887 slower. The default function will return the wrong answer in 5% of the
3888 cases. If this is unacceptable to you, use the other function instead:
3891 (setq gnus-extract-address-components
3892 'mail-extract-address-components)
3895 @vindex gnus-summary-same-subject
3896 @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} is a string indicating that the current
3897 article has the same subject as the previous. This string will be used
3898 with those specs that require it. The default is @code{""}.
3901 @node Summary Buffer Lines
3902 @subsection Summary Buffer Lines
3904 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
3905 You can change the format of the lines in the summary buffer by changing
3906 the @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable. It works along the same
3907 lines as a normal @code{format} string, with some extensions
3908 (@pxref{Formatting Variables}).
3910 The default string is @samp{%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%) %s\n}.
3912 The following format specification characters are understood:
3918 Subject string. List identifiers stripped,
3919 @code{gnus-list-identifies}. @xref{Article Hiding}.
3921 Subject if the article is the root of the thread or the previous article
3922 had a different subject, @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} otherwise.
3923 (@code{gnus-summary-same-subject} defaults to @code{""}.)
3925 Full @code{From} header.
3927 The name (from the @code{From} header).
3929 The name, code @code{To} header or the @code{Newsgroups} header
3930 (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
3932 The name (from the @code{From} header). This differs from the @code{n}
3933 spec in that it uses the function designated by the
3934 @code{gnus-extract-address-components} variable, which is slower, but
3935 may be more thorough.
3937 The address (from the @code{From} header). This works the same way as
3940 Number of lines in the article.
3942 Number of characters in the article. This specifier is not supported in some
3943 methods (like nnfolder).
3945 Indentation based on thread level (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3947 Nothing if the article is a root and lots of spaces if it isn't (it
3948 pushes everything after it off the screen).
3950 Opening bracket, which is normally @samp{[}, but can also be @samp{<}
3951 for adopted articles (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
3953 Closing bracket, which is normally @samp{]}, but can also be @samp{>}
3954 for adopted articles.
3956 One space for each thread level.
3958 Twenty minus thread level spaces.
3963 This misleadingly named specifier is the @dfn{secondary mark}. This
3964 mark will say whether the article has been replied to, has been cached,
3968 Score as a number (@pxref{Scoring}).
3970 @vindex gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz
3971 Zcore, @samp{+} if above the default level and @samp{-} if below the
3972 default level. If the difference between
3973 @code{gnus-summary-default-score} and the score is less than
3974 @code{gnus-summary-zcore-fuzz}, this spec will not be used.
3982 The @code{Date} in @code{DD-MMM} format.
3984 The @code{Date} in @var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS} format.
3990 Number of articles in the current sub-thread. Using this spec will slow
3991 down summary buffer generation somewhat.
3993 An @samp{=} (@code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark}) will be displayed if the
3994 article has any children.
4000 User defined specifier. The next character in the format string should
4001 be a letter. Gnus will call the function
4002 @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where @samp{X} is the letter
4003 following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed the current header as
4004 argument. The function should return a string, which will be inserted
4005 into the summary just like information from any other summary specifier.
4008 The @samp{%U} (status), @samp{%R} (replied) and @samp{%z} (zcore) specs
4009 have to be handled with care. For reasons of efficiency, Gnus will
4010 compute what column these characters will end up in, and ``hard-code''
4011 that. This means that it is invalid to have these specs after a
4012 variable-length spec. Well, you might not be arrested, but your summary
4013 buffer will look strange, which is bad enough.
4015 The smart choice is to have these specs as far to the left as possible.
4016 (Isn't that the case with everything, though? But I digress.)
4018 This restriction may disappear in later versions of Gnus.
4021 @node To From Newsgroups
4022 @subsection To From Newsgroups
4026 In some groups (particularly in archive groups), the @code{From} header
4027 isn't very interesting, since all the articles there are written by
4028 you. To display the information in the @code{To} or @code{Newsgroups}
4029 headers instead, you need to decide three things: What information to
4030 gather; where to display it; and when to display it.
4034 @vindex gnus-extra-headers
4035 The reading of extra header information is controlled by the
4036 @code{gnus-extra-headers}. This is a list of header symbols. For
4040 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4041 '(To Newsgroups X-Newsreader))
4044 This will result in Gnus trying to obtain these three headers, and
4045 storing it in header structures for later easy retrieval.
4048 @findex gnus-extra-header
4049 The value of these extra headers can be accessed via the
4050 @code{gnus-extra-header} function. Here's a format line spec that will
4051 access the @code{X-Newsreader} header:
4054 "%~(form (gnus-extra-header 'X-Newsreader))@@"
4058 @vindex gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4059 The @code{gnus-ignored-from-addresses} variable says when the @samp{%f}
4060 summary line spec returns the @code{To}, @code{Newsreader} or
4061 @code{From} header. If this regexp matches the contents of the
4062 @code{From} header, the value of the @code{To} or @code{Newsreader}
4063 headers are used instead.
4067 @vindex nnmail-extra-headers
4068 A related variable is @code{nnmail-extra-headers}, which controls when
4069 to include extra headers when generating overview (@sc{nov}) files. If
4070 you have old overview files, you should regenerate them after changing
4073 @vindex gnus-summary-line-format
4074 You also have to instruct Gnus to display the data by changing the
4075 @code{%n} spec to the @code{%f} spec in the
4076 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} variable.
4078 In summary, you'd typically do something like the following:
4081 (setq gnus-extra-headers
4083 (setq nnmail-extra-headers gnus-extra-headers)
4084 (setq gnus-summary-line-format
4085 "%U%R%z%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20f%]%) %s\n")
4086 (setq gnus-ignored-from-addresses
4090 Now, this is mostly useful for mail groups, where you have control over
4091 the @sc{nov} files that are created. However, if you can persuade your
4098 to the end of her @file{overview.fmt} file, then you can use that just
4099 as you would the extra headers from the mail groups.
4102 @node Summary Buffer Mode Line
4103 @subsection Summary Buffer Mode Line
4105 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-line-format
4106 You can also change the format of the summary mode bar (@pxref{Mode Line
4107 Formatting}). Set @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} to whatever you
4108 like. The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b [%A] %Z}.
4110 Here are the elements you can play with:
4116 Unprefixed group name.
4118 Current article number.
4120 Current article score.
4124 Number of unread articles in this group.
4126 Number of unread articles in this group that aren't displayed in the
4129 A string with the number of unread and unselected articles represented
4130 either as @samp{<%U(+%e) more>} if there are both unread and unselected
4131 articles, and just as @samp{<%U more>} if there are just unread articles
4132 and no unselected ones.
4134 Shortish group name. For instance, @samp{rec.arts.anime} will be
4135 shortened to @samp{r.a.anime}.
4137 Subject of the current article.
4139 User-defined spec (@pxref{User-Defined Specs}).
4141 Name of the current score file (@pxref{Scoring}).
4143 Number of dormant articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4145 Number of ticked articles (@pxref{Unread Articles}).
4147 Number of articles that have been marked as read in this session.
4149 Number of articles expunged by the score files.
4153 @node Summary Highlighting
4154 @subsection Summary Highlighting
4158 @item gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4159 @vindex gnus-visual-mark-article-hook
4160 This hook is run after selecting an article. It is meant to be used for
4161 highlighting the article in some way. It is not run if
4162 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4164 @item gnus-summary-update-hook
4165 @vindex gnus-summary-update-hook
4166 This hook is called when a summary line is changed. It is not run if
4167 @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
4169 @item gnus-summary-selected-face
4170 @vindex gnus-summary-selected-face
4171 This is the face (or @dfn{font} as some people call it) used to
4172 highlight the current article in the summary buffer.
4174 @item gnus-summary-highlight
4175 @vindex gnus-summary-highlight
4176 Summary lines are highlighted according to this variable, which is a
4177 list where the elements are of the format @code{(@var{form}
4178 . @var{face})}. If you would, for instance, like ticked articles to be
4179 italic and high-scored articles to be bold, you could set this variable
4182 (((eq mark gnus-ticked-mark) . italic)
4183 ((> score default) . bold))
4185 As you may have guessed, if @var{form} returns a non-@code{nil} value,
4186 @var{face} will be applied to the line.
4190 @node Summary Maneuvering
4191 @section Summary Maneuvering
4192 @cindex summary movement
4194 All the straight movement commands understand the numeric prefix and
4195 behave pretty much as you'd expect.
4197 None of these commands select articles.
4202 @kindex M-n (Summary)
4203 @kindex G M-n (Summary)
4204 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-subject
4205 Go to the next summary line of an unread article
4206 (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-subject}).
4210 @kindex M-p (Summary)
4211 @kindex G M-p (Summary)
4212 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject
4213 Go to the previous summary line of an unread article
4214 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-subject}).
4219 @kindex G j (Summary)
4220 @findex gnus-summary-goto-article
4221 Ask for an article number or @code{Message-ID}, and then go to that
4222 article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-article}).
4225 @kindex G g (Summary)
4226 @findex gnus-summary-goto-subject
4227 Ask for an article number and then go to the summary line of that article
4228 without displaying the article (@code{gnus-summary-goto-subject}).
4231 If Gnus asks you to press a key to confirm going to the next group, you
4232 can use the @kbd{C-n} and @kbd{C-p} keys to move around the group
4233 buffer, searching for the next group to read without actually returning
4234 to the group buffer.
4236 Variables related to summary movement:
4240 @vindex gnus-auto-select-next
4241 @item gnus-auto-select-next
4242 If you issue one of the movement commands (like @kbd{n}) and there are
4243 no more unread articles after the current one, Gnus will offer to go to
4244 the next group. If this variable is @code{t} and the next group is
4245 empty, Gnus will exit summary mode and return to the group buffer. If
4246 this variable is neither @code{t} nor @code{nil}, Gnus will select the
4247 next group, no matter whether it has any unread articles or not. As a
4248 special case, if this variable is @code{quietly}, Gnus will select the
4249 next group without asking for confirmation. If this variable is
4250 @code{almost-quietly}, the same will happen only if you are located on
4251 the last article in the group. Finally, if this variable is
4252 @code{slightly-quietly}, the @kbd{Z n} command will go to the next group
4253 without confirmation. Also @pxref{Group Levels}.
4255 @item gnus-auto-select-same
4256 @vindex gnus-auto-select-same
4257 If non-@code{nil}, all the movement commands will try to go to the next
4258 article with the same subject as the current. (@dfn{Same} here might
4259 mean @dfn{roughly equal}. See @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}
4260 for details (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).) If there are no more
4261 articles with the same subject, go to the first unread article.
4263 This variable is not particularly useful if you use a threaded display.
4265 @item gnus-summary-check-current
4266 @vindex gnus-summary-check-current
4267 If non-@code{nil}, all the ``unread'' movement commands will not proceed
4268 to the next (or previous) article if the current article is unread.
4269 Instead, they will choose the current article.
4271 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
4272 @vindex gnus-auto-center-summary
4273 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will keep the point in the summary buffer
4274 centered at all times. This makes things quite tidy, but if you have a
4275 slow network connection, or simply do not like this un-Emacsism, you can
4276 set this variable to @code{nil} to get the normal Emacs scrolling
4277 action. This will also inhibit horizontal re-centering of the summary
4278 buffer, which might make it more inconvenient to read extremely long
4281 This variable can also be a number. In that case, center the window at
4282 the given number of lines from the top.
4287 @node Choosing Articles
4288 @section Choosing Articles
4289 @cindex selecting articles
4292 * Choosing Commands:: Commands for choosing articles.
4293 * Choosing Variables:: Variables that influence these commands.
4297 @node Choosing Commands
4298 @subsection Choosing Commands
4300 None of the following movement commands understand the numeric prefix,
4301 and they all select and display an article.
4303 If you want to fetch new articles or redisplay the group, see
4304 @ref{Exiting the Summary Buffer}.
4308 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4309 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4310 Select the current article, or, if that one's read already, the next
4311 unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4316 @kindex G n (Summary)
4317 @findex gnus-summary-next-unread-article
4318 @c @icon{gnus-summary-next-unread}
4319 Go to next unread article (@code{gnus-summary-next-unread-article}).
4324 @findex gnus-summary-prev-unread-article
4325 @c @icon{gnus-summary-prev-unread}
4326 Go to previous unread article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-unread-article}).
4331 @kindex G N (Summary)
4332 @findex gnus-summary-next-article
4333 Go to the next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-article}).
4338 @kindex G P (Summary)
4339 @findex gnus-summary-prev-article
4340 Go to the previous article (@code{gnus-summary-prev-article}).
4343 @kindex G C-n (Summary)
4344 @findex gnus-summary-next-same-subject
4345 Go to the next article with the same subject
4346 (@code{gnus-summary-next-same-subject}).
4349 @kindex G C-p (Summary)
4350 @findex gnus-summary-prev-same-subject
4351 Go to the previous article with the same subject
4352 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-same-subject}).
4356 @kindex G f (Summary)
4358 @findex gnus-summary-first-unread-article
4359 Go to the first unread article
4360 (@code{gnus-summary-first-unread-article}).
4364 @kindex G b (Summary)
4366 @findex gnus-summary-best-unread-article
4367 Go to the article with the highest score
4368 (@code{gnus-summary-best-unread-article}).
4373 @kindex G l (Summary)
4374 @findex gnus-summary-goto-last-article
4375 Go to the previous article read (@code{gnus-summary-goto-last-article}).
4378 @kindex G o (Summary)
4379 @findex gnus-summary-pop-article
4381 @cindex article history
4382 Pop an article off the summary history and go to this article
4383 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-article}). This command differs from the
4384 command above in that you can pop as many previous articles off the
4385 history as you like, while @kbd{l} toggles the two last read articles.
4386 For a somewhat related issue (if you use these commands a lot),
4387 @pxref{Article Backlog}.
4391 @node Choosing Variables
4392 @subsection Choosing Variables
4394 Some variables relevant for moving and selecting articles:
4397 @item gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4398 @vindex gnus-auto-extend-newsgroup
4399 All the movement commands will try to go to the previous (or next)
4400 article, even if that article isn't displayed in the Summary buffer if
4401 this variable is non-@code{nil}. Gnus will then fetch the article from
4402 the server and display it in the article buffer.
4404 @item gnus-select-article-hook
4405 @vindex gnus-select-article-hook
4406 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. By default it
4407 exposes any threads hidden under the selected article.
4409 @item gnus-mark-article-hook
4410 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
4411 @findex gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read
4412 @findex gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read
4413 @findex gnus-unread-mark
4414 This hook is called whenever an article is selected. It is intended to
4415 be used for marking articles as read. The default value is
4416 @code{gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read}, and will change the
4417 mark of almost any article you read to @code{gnus-unread-mark}. The
4418 only articles not affected by this function are ticked, dormant, and
4419 expirable articles. If you'd instead like to just have unread articles
4420 marked as read, you can use @code{gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read}
4421 instead. It will leave marks like @code{gnus-low-score-mark},
4422 @code{gnus-del-mark} (and so on) alone.
4427 @node Paging the Article
4428 @section Scrolling the Article
4429 @cindex article scrolling
4434 @kindex SPACE (Summary)
4435 @findex gnus-summary-next-page
4436 Pressing @kbd{SPACE} will scroll the current article forward one page,
4437 or, if you have come to the end of the current article, will choose the
4438 next article (@code{gnus-summary-next-page}).
4441 @kindex DEL (Summary)
4442 @findex gnus-summary-prev-page
4443 Scroll the current article back one page (@code{gnus-summary-prev-page}).
4446 @kindex RET (Summary)
4447 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-up
4448 Scroll the current article one line forward
4449 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-up}).
4452 @kindex M-RET (Summary)
4453 @findex gnus-summary-scroll-down
4454 Scroll the current article one line backward
4455 (@code{gnus-summary-scroll-down}).
4459 @kindex A g (Summary)
4461 @findex gnus-summary-show-article
4462 @vindex gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4463 (Re)fetch the current article (@code{gnus-summary-show-article}). If
4464 given a prefix, fetch the current article, but don't run any of the
4465 article treatment functions. This will give you a ``raw'' article, just
4466 the way it came from the server.
4468 If given a numerical prefix, you can do semi-manual charset stuff.
4469 @kbd{C-u 0 g cn-gb-2312 RET} will decode the message as if it were
4470 encoded in the @code{cn-gb-2312} charset. If you have
4473 (setq gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist
4478 then you can say @kbd{C-u 1 g} to get the same effect.
4483 @kindex A < (Summary)
4484 @findex gnus-summary-beginning-of-article
4485 Scroll to the beginning of the article
4486 (@code{gnus-summary-beginning-of-article}).
4491 @kindex A > (Summary)
4492 @findex gnus-summary-end-of-article
4493 Scroll to the end of the article (@code{gnus-summary-end-of-article}).
4497 @kindex A s (Summary)
4499 @findex gnus-summary-isearch-article
4500 Perform an isearch in the article buffer
4501 (@code{gnus-summary-isearch-article}).
4505 @findex gnus-summary-select-article-buffer
4506 Select the article buffer (@code{gnus-summary-select-article-buffer}).
4511 @node Reply Followup and Post
4512 @section Reply, Followup and Post
4515 * Summary Mail Commands:: Sending mail.
4516 * Summary Post Commands:: Sending news.
4517 * Summary Message Commands:: Other Message-related commands.
4518 * Canceling and Superseding:: ``Whoops, I shouldn't have called him that.''
4522 @node Summary Mail Commands
4523 @subsection Summary Mail Commands
4525 @cindex composing mail
4527 Commands for composing a mail message:
4533 @kindex S r (Summary)
4535 @findex gnus-summary-reply
4536 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-reply}
4537 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply}
4538 Mail a reply to the author of the current article
4539 (@code{gnus-summary-reply}).
4544 @kindex S R (Summary)
4545 @findex gnus-summary-reply-with-original
4546 @c @icon{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}
4547 Mail a reply to the author of the current article and include the
4548 original message (@code{gnus-summary-reply-with-original}). This
4549 command uses the process/prefix convention.
4552 @kindex S w (Summary)
4553 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply
4554 Mail a wide reply to the author of the current article
4555 (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply}). A @dfn{wide reply} is a reply that
4556 goes out to all people listed in the @code{To}, @code{From} (or
4557 @code{Reply-to}) and @code{Cc} headers.
4560 @kindex S W (Summary)
4561 @findex gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original
4562 Mail a wide reply to the current article and include the original
4563 message (@code{gnus-summary-wide-reply-with-original}). This command uses
4564 the process/prefix convention.
4568 @kindex S o m (Summary)
4569 @kindex C-c C-f (Summary)
4570 @findex gnus-summary-mail-forward
4571 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-forward}
4572 Forward the current article to some other person
4573 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-forward}). If no prefix is given, the message
4574 is forwarded according to the value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime})
4575 and (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4576 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4577 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4578 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4579 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4580 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4581 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4586 @kindex S m (Summary)
4587 @findex gnus-summary-mail-other-window
4588 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-originate}
4589 Send a mail to some other person
4590 (@code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}).
4593 @kindex S D b (Summary)
4594 @findex gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail
4595 @cindex bouncing mail
4596 If you have sent a mail, but the mail was bounced back to you for some
4597 reason (wrong address, transient failure), you can use this command to
4598 resend that bounced mail (@code{gnus-summary-resend-bounced-mail}). You
4599 will be popped into a mail buffer where you can edit the headers before
4600 sending the mail off again. If you give a prefix to this command, and
4601 the bounced mail is a reply to some other mail, Gnus will try to fetch
4602 that mail and display it for easy perusal of its headers. This might
4603 very well fail, though.
4606 @kindex S D r (Summary)
4607 @findex gnus-summary-resend-message
4608 Not to be confused with the previous command,
4609 @code{gnus-summary-resend-message} will prompt you for an address to
4610 send the current message off to, and then send it to that place. The
4611 headers of the message won't be altered---but lots of headers that say
4612 @code{Resent-To}, @code{Resent-From} and so on will be added. This
4613 means that you actually send a mail to someone that has a @code{To}
4614 header that (probably) points to yourself. This will confuse people.
4615 So, natcherly you'll only do that if you're really eVIl.
4617 This command is mainly used if you have several accounts and want to
4618 ship a mail to a different account of yours. (If you're both
4619 @code{root} and @code{postmaster} and get a mail for @code{postmaster}
4620 to the @code{root} account, you may want to resend it to
4621 @code{postmaster}. Ordnung muß sein!
4623 This command understands the process/prefix convention
4624 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4627 @kindex S O m (Summary)
4628 @findex gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward
4629 Digest the current series (@pxref{Decoding Articles}) and forward the
4630 result using mail (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command
4631 uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4634 @kindex S M-c (Summary)
4635 @findex gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint
4636 @cindex crossposting
4637 @cindex excessive crossposting
4638 Send a complaint about excessive crossposting to the author of the
4639 current article (@code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint}).
4641 @findex gnus-crosspost-complaint
4642 This command is provided as a way to fight back against the current
4643 crossposting pandemic that's sweeping Usenet. It will compose a reply
4644 using the @code{gnus-crosspost-complaint} variable as a preamble. This
4645 command understands the process/prefix convention
4646 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) and will prompt you before sending each mail.
4650 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4653 @node Summary Post Commands
4654 @subsection Summary Post Commands
4656 @cindex composing news
4658 Commands for posting a news article:
4664 @kindex S p (Summary)
4665 @findex gnus-summary-post-news
4666 @c @icon{gnus-summary-post-news}
4667 Post an article to the current group
4668 (@code{gnus-summary-post-news}).
4673 @kindex S f (Summary)
4674 @findex gnus-summary-followup
4675 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup}
4676 Post a followup to the current article (@code{gnus-summary-followup}).
4680 @kindex S F (Summary)
4682 @c @icon{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}
4683 @findex gnus-summary-followup-with-original
4684 Post a followup to the current article and include the original message
4685 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-with-original}). This command uses the
4686 process/prefix convention.
4689 @kindex S n (Summary)
4690 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail
4691 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4692 message through mail (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail}).
4695 @kindex S N (Summary)
4696 @findex gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original
4697 Post a followup to the current article via news, even if you got the
4698 message through mail and include the original message
4699 (@code{gnus-summary-followup-to-mail-with-original}). This command uses
4700 the process/prefix convention.
4703 @kindex S o p (Summary)
4704 @findex gnus-summary-post-forward
4705 Forward the current article to a newsgroup
4706 (@code{gnus-summary-post-forward}).
4707 If no prefix is given, the message is forwarded according to the value
4708 of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}) and
4709 (@code{message-forward-show-mml}); if the prefix is 1, decode the
4710 message and forward directly inline; if the prefix is 2, forward message
4711 as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 3, decode message and
4712 forward as an rfc822 MIME section; if the prefix is 4, forward message
4713 directly inline; otherwise, the message is forwarded as no prefix given
4714 but use the flipped value of (@code{message-forward-as-mime}). By
4715 default, the message is decoded and forwarded as an rfc822 MIME section.
4718 @kindex S O p (Summary)
4719 @findex gnus-uu-digest-post-forward
4721 @cindex making digests
4722 Digest the current series and forward the result to a newsgroup
4723 (@code{gnus-uu-digest-mail-forward}). This command uses the
4724 process/prefix convention.
4727 @kindex S u (Summary)
4728 @findex gnus-uu-post-news
4729 @c @icon{gnus-uu-post-news}
4730 Uuencode a file, split it into parts, and post it as a series
4731 (@code{gnus-uu-post-news}). (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
4734 Also @pxref{(message)Header Commands} for more information.
4737 @node Summary Message Commands
4738 @subsection Summary Message Commands
4742 @kindex S y (Summary)
4743 @findex gnus-summary-yank-message
4744 Yank the current article into an already existing Message composition
4745 buffer (@code{gnus-summary-yank-message}). This command prompts for
4746 what message buffer you want to yank into, and understands the
4747 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4752 @node Canceling and Superseding
4753 @subsection Canceling Articles
4754 @cindex canceling articles
4755 @cindex superseding articles
4757 Have you ever written something, and then decided that you really,
4758 really, really wish you hadn't posted that?
4760 Well, you can't cancel mail, but you can cancel posts.
4762 @findex gnus-summary-cancel-article
4764 @c @icon{gnus-summary-cancel-article}
4765 Find the article you wish to cancel (you can only cancel your own
4766 articles, so don't try any funny stuff). Then press @kbd{C} or @kbd{S
4767 c} (@code{gnus-summary-cancel-article}). Your article will be
4768 canceled---machines all over the world will be deleting your article.
4769 This command uses the process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
4771 Be aware, however, that not all sites honor cancels, so your article may
4772 live on here and there, while most sites will delete the article in
4775 Gnus will use the ``current'' select method when canceling. If you
4776 want to use the standard posting method, use the @samp{a} symbolic
4777 prefix (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}).
4779 If you discover that you have made some mistakes and want to do some
4780 corrections, you can post a @dfn{superseding} article that will replace
4781 your original article.
4783 @findex gnus-summary-supersede-article
4785 Go to the original article and press @kbd{S s}
4786 (@code{gnus-summary-supersede-article}). You will be put in a buffer
4787 where you can edit the article all you want before sending it off the
4790 The same goes for superseding as for canceling, only more so: Some
4791 sites do not honor superseding. On those sites, it will appear that you
4792 have posted almost the same article twice.
4794 If you have just posted the article, and change your mind right away,
4795 there is a trick you can use to cancel/supersede the article without
4796 waiting for the article to appear on your site first. You simply return
4797 to the post buffer (which is called @code{*sent ...*}). There you will
4798 find the article you just posted, with all the headers intact. Change
4799 the @code{Message-ID} header to a @code{Cancel} or @code{Supersedes}
4800 header by substituting one of those words for the word
4801 @code{Message-ID}. Then just press @kbd{C-c C-c} to send the article as
4802 you would do normally. The previous article will be
4803 canceled/superseded.
4805 Just remember, kids: There is no 'c' in 'supersede'.
4808 @node Marking Articles
4809 @section Marking Articles
4810 @cindex article marking
4811 @cindex article ticking
4814 There are several marks you can set on an article.
4816 You have marks that decide the @dfn{readedness} (whoo, neato-keano
4817 neologism ohoy!) of the article. Alphabetic marks generally mean
4818 @dfn{read}, while non-alphabetic characters generally mean @dfn{unread}.
4820 In addition, you also have marks that do not affect readedness.
4823 * Unread Articles:: Marks for unread articles.
4824 * Read Articles:: Marks for read articles.
4825 * Other Marks:: Marks that do not affect readedness.
4829 There's a plethora of commands for manipulating these marks:
4833 * Setting Marks:: How to set and remove marks.
4834 * Generic Marking Commands:: How to customize the marking.
4835 * Setting Process Marks:: How to mark articles for later processing.
4839 @node Unread Articles
4840 @subsection Unread Articles
4842 The following marks mark articles as (kinda) unread, in one form or
4847 @vindex gnus-ticked-mark
4848 Marked as ticked (@code{gnus-ticked-mark}).
4850 @dfn{Ticked articles} are articles that will remain visible always. If
4851 you see an article that you find interesting, or you want to put off
4852 reading it, or replying to it, until sometime later, you'd typically
4853 tick it. However, articles can be expired, so if you want to keep an
4854 article forever, you'll have to make it persistent (@pxref{Persistent
4858 @vindex gnus-dormant-mark
4859 Marked as dormant (@code{gnus-dormant-mark}).
4861 @dfn{Dormant articles} will only appear in the summary buffer if there
4862 are followups to it. If you want to see them even if they don't have
4863 followups, you can use the @kbd{/ D} command (@pxref{Limiting}).
4866 @vindex gnus-unread-mark
4867 Marked as unread (@code{gnus-unread-mark}).
4869 @dfn{Unread articles} are articles that haven't been read at all yet.
4874 @subsection Read Articles
4875 @cindex expirable mark
4877 All the following marks mark articles as read.
4882 @vindex gnus-del-mark
4883 These are articles that the user has marked as read with the @kbd{d}
4884 command manually, more or less (@code{gnus-del-mark}).
4887 @vindex gnus-read-mark
4888 Articles that have actually been read (@code{gnus-read-mark}).
4891 @vindex gnus-ancient-mark
4892 Articles that were marked as read in previous sessions and are now
4893 @dfn{old} (@code{gnus-ancient-mark}).
4896 @vindex gnus-killed-mark
4897 Marked as killed (@code{gnus-killed-mark}).
4900 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mark
4901 Marked as killed by kill files (@code{gnus-kill-file-mark}).
4904 @vindex gnus-low-score-mark
4905 Marked as read by having too low a score (@code{gnus-low-score-mark}).
4908 @vindex gnus-catchup-mark
4909 Marked as read by a catchup (@code{gnus-catchup-mark}).
4912 @vindex gnus-canceled-mark
4913 Canceled article (@code{gnus-canceled-mark})
4916 @vindex gnus-souped-mark
4917 @sc{soup}ed article (@code{gnus-souped-mark}). @xref{SOUP}.
4920 @vindex gnus-sparse-mark
4921 Sparsely reffed article (@code{gnus-sparse-mark}). @xref{Customizing
4925 @vindex gnus-duplicate-mark
4926 Article marked as read by duplicate suppression
4927 (@code{gnus-duplicated-mark}). @xref{Duplicate Suppression}.
4931 All these marks just mean that the article is marked as read, really.
4932 They are interpreted differently when doing adaptive scoring, though.
4934 One more special mark, though:
4938 @vindex gnus-expirable-mark
4939 Marked as expirable (@code{gnus-expirable-mark}).
4941 Marking articles as @dfn{expirable} (or have them marked as such
4942 automatically) doesn't make much sense in normal groups---a user doesn't
4943 control expiring of news articles, but in mail groups, for instance,
4944 articles marked as @dfn{expirable} can be deleted by Gnus at
4950 @subsection Other Marks
4951 @cindex process mark
4954 There are some marks that have nothing to do with whether the article is
4960 You can set a bookmark in the current article. Say you are reading a
4961 long thesis on cats' urinary tracts, and have to go home for dinner
4962 before you've finished reading the thesis. You can then set a bookmark
4963 in the article, and Gnus will jump to this bookmark the next time it
4964 encounters the article. @xref{Setting Marks}.
4967 @vindex gnus-replied-mark
4968 All articles that you have replied to or made a followup to (i.e., have
4969 answered) will be marked with an @samp{A} in the second column
4970 (@code{gnus-replied-mark}).
4973 @vindex gnus-cached-mark
4974 Articles stored in the article cache will be marked with an @samp{*} in
4975 the second column (@code{gnus-cached-mark}). @xref{Article Caching}.
4978 @vindex gnus-saved-mark
4979 Articles ``saved'' (in some manner or other; not necessarily
4980 religiously) are marked with an @samp{S} in the second column
4981 (@code{gnus-saved-mark}).
4984 @vindex gnus-not-empty-thread-mark
4985 @vindex gnus-empty-thread-mark
4986 If the @samp{%e} spec is used, the presence of threads or not will be
4987 marked with @code{gnus-not-empty-thread-mark} and
4988 @code{gnus-empty-thread-mark} in the third column, respectively.
4991 @vindex gnus-process-mark
4992 Finally we have the @dfn{process mark} (@code{gnus-process-mark}). A
4993 variety of commands react to the presence of the process mark. For
4994 instance, @kbd{X u} (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}) will uudecode and view
4995 all articles that have been marked with the process mark. Articles
4996 marked with the process mark have a @samp{#} in the second column.
5000 You might have noticed that most of these ``non-readedness'' marks
5001 appear in the second column by default. So if you have a cached, saved,
5002 replied article that you have process-marked, what will that look like?
5004 Nothing much. The precedence rules go as follows: process -> cache ->
5005 replied -> saved. So if the article is in the cache and is replied,
5006 you'll only see the cache mark and not the replied mark.
5010 @subsection Setting Marks
5011 @cindex setting marks
5013 All the marking commands understand the numeric prefix.
5018 @kindex M c (Summary)
5019 @kindex M-u (Summary)
5020 @findex gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward
5021 @cindex mark as unread
5022 Clear all readedness-marks from the current article
5023 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-mark-forward}). In other words, mark the
5029 @kindex M t (Summary)
5030 @findex gnus-summary-tick-article-forward
5031 Tick the current article (@code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}).
5032 @xref{Article Caching}.
5037 @kindex M ? (Summary)
5038 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant
5039 Mark the current article as dormant
5040 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-dormant}). @xref{Article Caching}.
5044 @kindex M d (Summary)
5046 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward
5047 Mark the current article as read
5048 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-forward}).
5052 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward
5053 Mark the current article as read and move point to the previous line
5054 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-read-backward}).
5059 @kindex M k (Summary)
5060 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select
5061 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read,
5062 and then select the next unread article
5063 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject-and-select}).
5067 @kindex M K (Summary)
5068 @kindex C-k (Summary)
5069 @findex gnus-summary-kill-same-subject
5070 Mark all articles that have the same subject as the current one as read
5071 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-same-subject}).
5074 @kindex M C (Summary)
5075 @findex gnus-summary-catchup
5076 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup}
5077 Mark all unread articles as read (@code{gnus-summary-catchup}).
5080 @kindex M C-c (Summary)
5081 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all
5082 Mark all articles in the group as read---even the ticked and dormant
5083 articles (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all}).
5086 @kindex M H (Summary)
5087 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-to-here
5088 Catchup the current group to point
5089 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-to-here}).
5092 @kindex C-w (Summary)
5093 @findex gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read
5094 Mark all articles between point and mark as read
5095 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-region-as-read}).
5098 @kindex M V k (Summary)
5099 @findex gnus-summary-kill-below
5100 Kill all articles with scores below the default score (or below the
5101 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-kill-below}).
5105 @kindex M e (Summary)
5107 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable
5108 Mark the current article as expirable
5109 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-expirable}).
5112 @kindex M b (Summary)
5113 @findex gnus-summary-set-bookmark
5114 Set a bookmark in the current article
5115 (@code{gnus-summary-set-bookmark}).
5118 @kindex M B (Summary)
5119 @findex gnus-summary-remove-bookmark
5120 Remove the bookmark from the current article
5121 (@code{gnus-summary-remove-bookmark}).
5124 @kindex M V c (Summary)
5125 @findex gnus-summary-clear-above
5126 Clear all marks from articles with scores over the default score (or
5127 over the numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5130 @kindex M V u (Summary)
5131 @findex gnus-summary-tick-above
5132 Tick all articles with scores over the default score (or over the
5133 numeric prefix) (@code{gnus-summary-tick-above}).
5136 @kindex M V m (Summary)
5137 @findex gnus-summary-mark-above
5138 Prompt for a mark, and mark all articles with scores over the default
5139 score (or over the numeric prefix) with this mark
5140 (@code{gnus-summary-clear-above}).
5143 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
5144 The @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} variable controls what action should
5145 be taken after setting a mark. If non-@code{nil}, point will move to
5146 the next/previous unread article. If @code{nil}, point will just move
5147 one line up or down. As a special case, if this variable is
5148 @code{never}, all the marking commands as well as other commands (like
5149 @kbd{SPACE}) will move to the next article, whether it is unread or not.
5150 The default is @code{t}.
5153 @node Generic Marking Commands
5154 @subsection Generic Marking Commands
5156 Some people would like the command that ticks an article (@kbd{!}) go to
5157 the next article. Others would like it to go to the next unread
5158 article. Yet others would like it to stay on the current article. And
5159 even though I haven't heard of anybody wanting it to go to the
5160 previous (unread) article, I'm sure there are people that want that as
5163 Multiply these five behaviours by five different marking commands, and
5164 you get a potentially complex set of variable to control what each
5167 To sidestep that mess, Gnus provides commands that do all these
5168 different things. They can be found on the @kbd{M M} map in the summary
5169 buffer. Type @kbd{M M C-h} to see them all---there are too many of them
5170 to list in this manual.
5172 While you can use these commands directly, most users would prefer
5173 altering the summary mode keymap. For instance, if you would like the
5174 @kbd{!} command to go to the next article instead of the next unread
5175 article, you could say something like:
5178 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'my-alter-summary-map)
5179 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5180 (local-set-key "!" 'gnus-summary-put-mark-as-ticked-next))
5186 (defun my-alter-summary-map ()
5187 (local-set-key "!" "MM!n"))
5191 @node Setting Process Marks
5192 @subsection Setting Process Marks
5193 @cindex setting process marks
5200 @kindex M P p (Summary)
5201 @findex gnus-summary-mark-as-processable
5202 Mark the current article with the process mark
5203 (@code{gnus-summary-mark-as-processable}).
5204 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable
5208 @kindex M P u (Summary)
5209 @kindex M-# (Summary)
5210 Remove the process mark, if any, from the current article
5211 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-as-processable}).
5214 @kindex M P U (Summary)
5215 @findex gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable
5216 Remove the process mark from all articles
5217 (@code{gnus-summary-unmark-all-processable}).
5220 @kindex M P i (Summary)
5221 @findex gnus-uu-invert-processable
5222 Invert the list of process marked articles
5223 (@code{gnus-uu-invert-processable}).
5226 @kindex M P R (Summary)
5227 @findex gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp
5228 Mark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5229 expression (@code{gnus-uu-mark-by-regexp}).
5232 @kindex M P G (Summary)
5233 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp
5234 Unmark articles that have a @code{Subject} header that matches a regular
5235 expression (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-by-regexp}).
5238 @kindex M P r (Summary)
5239 @findex gnus-uu-mark-region
5240 Mark articles in region (@code{gnus-uu-mark-region}).
5243 @kindex M P t (Summary)
5244 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5245 Mark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5246 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5249 @kindex M P T (Summary)
5250 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5251 Unmark all articles in the current (sub)thread
5252 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5255 @kindex M P v (Summary)
5256 @findex gnus-uu-mark-over
5257 Mark all articles that have a score above the prefix argument
5258 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-over}).
5261 @kindex M P s (Summary)
5262 @findex gnus-uu-mark-series
5263 Mark all articles in the current series (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5266 @kindex M P S (Summary)
5267 @findex gnus-uu-mark-sparse
5268 Mark all series that have already had some articles marked
5269 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-sparse}).
5272 @kindex M P a (Summary)
5273 @findex gnus-uu-mark-all
5274 Mark all articles in series order (@code{gnus-uu-mark-series}).
5277 @kindex M P b (Summary)
5278 @findex gnus-uu-mark-buffer
5279 Mark all articles in the buffer in the order they appear
5280 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-buffer}).
5283 @kindex M P k (Summary)
5284 @findex gnus-summary-kill-process-mark
5285 Push the current process mark set onto the stack and unmark all articles
5286 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-process-mark}).
5289 @kindex M P y (Summary)
5290 @findex gnus-summary-yank-process-mark
5291 Pop the previous process mark set from the stack and restore it
5292 (@code{gnus-summary-yank-process-mark}).
5295 @kindex M P w (Summary)
5296 @findex gnus-summary-save-process-mark
5297 Push the current process mark set onto the stack
5298 (@code{gnus-summary-save-process-mark}).
5302 Also see the @kbd{&} command in @pxref{Searching for Articles} for how to
5303 set process marks based on article body contents.
5310 It can be convenient to limit the summary buffer to just show some
5311 subset of the articles currently in the group. The effect most limit
5312 commands have is to remove a few (or many) articles from the summary
5315 All limiting commands work on subsets of the articles already fetched
5316 from the servers. None of these commands query the server for
5317 additional articles.
5323 @kindex / / (Summary)
5324 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-subject
5325 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some subject
5326 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-subject}).
5329 @kindex / a (Summary)
5330 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-author
5331 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match some author
5332 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-author}).
5335 @kindex / x (Summary)
5336 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-extra
5337 Limit the summary buffer to articles that match one of the ``extra''
5338 headers (@pxref{To From Newsgroups})
5339 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-extra}).
5343 @kindex / u (Summary)
5345 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-unread
5346 Limit the summary buffer to articles not marked as read
5347 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-unread}). If given a prefix, limit the
5348 buffer to articles strictly unread. This means that ticked and
5349 dormant articles will also be excluded.
5352 @kindex / m (Summary)
5353 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-marks
5354 Ask for a mark and then limit to all articles that have been marked
5355 with that mark (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-marks}).
5358 @kindex / t (Summary)
5359 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-age
5360 Ask for a number and then limit the summary buffer to articles older than (or equal to) that number of days
5361 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-age}). If given a prefix, limit to
5362 articles younger than that number of days.
5365 @kindex / n (Summary)
5366 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-articles
5367 Limit the summary buffer to the current article
5368 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-articles}). Uses the process/prefix
5369 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
5372 @kindex / w (Summary)
5373 @findex gnus-summary-pop-limit
5374 Pop the previous limit off the stack and restore it
5375 (@code{gnus-summary-pop-limit}). If given a prefix, pop all limits off
5379 @kindex / v (Summary)
5380 @findex gnus-summary-limit-to-score
5381 Limit the summary buffer to articles that have a score at or above some
5382 score (@code{gnus-summary-limit-to-score}).
5386 @kindex M S (Summary)
5387 @kindex / E (Summary)
5388 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged
5389 Include all expunged articles in the limit
5390 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-expunged}).
5393 @kindex / D (Summary)
5394 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant
5395 Include all dormant articles in the limit
5396 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-dormant}).
5399 @kindex / * (Summary)
5400 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-cached
5401 Include all cached articles in the limit
5402 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-include-cached}).
5405 @kindex / d (Summary)
5406 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant
5407 Exclude all dormant articles from the limit
5408 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-dormant}).
5411 @kindex / M (Summary)
5412 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks
5413 Exclude all marked articles (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-marks}).
5416 @kindex / T (Summary)
5417 @findex gnus-summary-limit-include-thread
5418 Include all the articles in the current thread in the limit.
5421 @kindex / c (Summary)
5422 @findex gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant
5423 Exclude all dormant articles that have no children from the limit
5424 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-exclude-childless-dormant}).
5427 @kindex / C (Summary)
5428 @findex gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read
5429 Mark all excluded unread articles as read
5430 (@code{gnus-summary-limit-mark-excluded-as-read}). If given a prefix,
5431 also mark excluded ticked and dormant articles as read.
5439 @cindex article threading
5441 Gnus threads articles by default. @dfn{To thread} is to put responses
5442 to articles directly after the articles they respond to---in a
5443 hierarchical fashion.
5445 Threading is done by looking at the @code{References} headers of the
5446 articles. In a perfect world, this would be enough to build pretty
5447 trees, but unfortunately, the @code{References} header is often broken
5448 or simply missing. Weird news propagation exacerbates the problem,
5449 so one has to employ other heuristics to get pleasing results. A
5450 plethora of approaches exists, as detailed in horrible detail in
5451 @pxref{Customizing Threading}.
5453 First, a quick overview of the concepts:
5457 The top-most article in a thread; the first article in the thread.
5460 A tree-like article structure.
5463 A small(er) section of this tree-like structure.
5466 Threads often lose their roots due to article expiry, or due to the root
5467 already having been read in a previous session, and not displayed in the
5468 summary buffer. We then typically have many sub-threads that really
5469 belong to one thread, but are without connecting roots. These are
5470 called loose threads.
5472 @item thread gathering
5473 An attempt to gather loose threads into bigger threads.
5475 @item sparse threads
5476 A thread where the missing articles have been ``guessed'' at, and are
5477 displayed as empty lines in the summary buffer.
5483 * Customizing Threading:: Variables you can change to affect the threading.
5484 * Thread Commands:: Thread based commands in the summary buffer.
5488 @node Customizing Threading
5489 @subsection Customizing Threading
5490 @cindex customizing threading
5493 * Loose Threads:: How Gnus gathers loose threads into bigger threads.
5494 * Filling In Threads:: Making the threads displayed look fuller.
5495 * More Threading:: Even more variables for fiddling with threads.
5496 * Low-Level Threading:: You thought it was over... but you were wrong!
5501 @subsubsection Loose Threads
5504 @cindex loose threads
5507 @item gnus-summary-make-false-root
5508 @vindex gnus-summary-make-false-root
5509 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will gather all loose subtrees into one big tree
5510 and create a dummy root at the top. (Wait a minute. Root at the top?
5511 Yup.) Loose subtrees occur when the real root has expired, or you've
5512 read or killed the root in a previous session.
5514 When there is no real root of a thread, Gnus will have to fudge
5515 something. This variable says what fudging method Gnus should use.
5516 There are four possible values:
5520 \gnusfigure{The Summary Buffer}{390}{
5521 \put(0,0){\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-adopt.ps,width=7.5cm}}
5522 \put(445,0){\makebox(0,0)[br]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-empty.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5523 \put(0,400){\makebox(0,0)[tl]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-none.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5524 \put(445,400){\makebox(0,0)[tr]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/summary-dummy.ps,width=7.5cm}}}
5529 @cindex adopting articles
5534 Gnus will make the first of the orphaned articles the parent. This
5535 parent will adopt all the other articles. The adopted articles will be
5536 marked as such by pointy brackets (@samp{<>}) instead of the standard
5537 square brackets (@samp{[]}). This is the default method.
5540 @vindex gnus-summary-dummy-line-format
5541 Gnus will create a dummy summary line that will pretend to be the
5542 parent. This dummy line does not correspond to any real article, so
5543 selecting it will just select the first real article after the dummy
5544 article. @code{gnus-summary-dummy-line-format} is used to specify the
5545 format of the dummy roots. It accepts only one format spec: @samp{S},
5546 which is the subject of the article. @xref{Formatting Variables}.
5549 Gnus won't actually make any article the parent, but simply leave the
5550 subject field of all orphans except the first empty. (Actually, it will
5551 use @code{gnus-summary-same-subject} as the subject (@pxref{Summary
5555 Don't make any article parent at all. Just gather the threads and
5556 display them after one another.
5559 Don't gather loose threads.
5562 @item gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5563 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit
5564 Loose threads are gathered by comparing subjects of articles. If this
5565 variable is @code{nil}, Gnus requires an exact match between the
5566 subjects of the loose threads before gathering them into one big
5567 super-thread. This might be too strict a requirement, what with the
5568 presence of stupid newsreaders that chop off long subject lines. If
5569 you think so, set this variable to, say, 20 to require that only the
5570 first 20 characters of the subjects have to match. If you set this
5571 variable to a really low number, you'll find that Gnus will gather
5572 everything in sight into one thread, which isn't very helpful.
5574 @cindex fuzzy article gathering
5575 If you set this variable to the special value @code{fuzzy}, Gnus will
5576 use a fuzzy string comparison algorithm on the subjects (@pxref{Fuzzy
5579 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5580 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy-regexp
5581 This can either be a regular expression or list of regular expressions
5582 that match strings that will be removed from subjects if fuzzy subject
5583 simplification is used.
5585 @item gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5586 @vindex gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5587 If you set @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit} to something as low
5588 as 10, you might consider setting this variable to something sensible:
5590 @c Written by Michael Ernst <mernst@cs.rice.edu>
5592 (setq gnus-simplify-ignored-prefixes
5598 "wanted" "followup" "summary\\( of\\)?"
5599 "help" "query" "problem" "question"
5600 "answer" "reference" "announce"
5601 "How can I" "How to" "Comparison of"
5606 (mapconcat 'identity
5607 '("for" "for reference" "with" "about")
5609 "\\)?\\]?:?[ \t]*"))
5612 All words that match this regexp will be removed before comparing two
5615 @item gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5616 @vindex gnus-simplify-subject-functions
5617 If non-@code{nil}, this variable overrides
5618 @code{gnus-summary-gather-subject-limit}. This variable should be a
5619 list of functions to apply to the @code{Subject} string iteratively to
5620 arrive at the simplified version of the string.
5622 Useful functions to put in this list include:
5625 @item gnus-simplify-subject-re
5626 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-re
5627 Strip the leading @samp{Re:}.
5629 @item gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5630 @findex gnus-simplify-subject-fuzzy
5633 @item gnus-simplify-whitespace
5634 @findex gnus-simplify-whitespace
5635 Remove excessive whitespace.
5638 You may also write your own functions, of course.
5641 @item gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5642 @vindex gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject
5643 Since loose thread gathering is done on subjects only, that might lead
5644 to many false hits, especially with certain common subjects like
5645 @samp{} and @samp{(none)}. To make the situation slightly better,
5646 you can use the regexp @code{gnus-summary-gather-exclude-subject} to say
5647 what subjects should be excluded from the gathering process.@*
5648 The default is @samp{^ *$\\|^(none)$}.
5650 @item gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5651 @vindex gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5652 Gnus gathers threads by looking at @code{Subject} headers. This means
5653 that totally unrelated articles may end up in the same ``thread'', which
5654 is confusing. An alternate approach is to look at all the
5655 @code{Message-ID}s in all the @code{References} headers to find matches.
5656 This will ensure that no gathered threads ever include unrelated
5657 articles, but it also means that people who have posted with broken
5658 newsreaders won't be gathered properly. The choice is yours---plague or
5662 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5663 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-subject
5664 This function is the default gathering function and looks at
5665 @code{Subject}s exclusively.
5667 @item gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5668 @findex gnus-gather-threads-by-references
5669 This function looks at @code{References} headers exclusively.
5672 If you want to test gathering by @code{References}, you could say
5676 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
5677 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
5683 @node Filling In Threads
5684 @subsubsection Filling In Threads
5687 @item gnus-fetch-old-headers
5688 @vindex gnus-fetch-old-headers
5689 If non-@code{nil}, Gnus will attempt to build old threads by fetching
5690 more old headers---headers to articles marked as read. If you
5691 would like to display as few summary lines as possible, but still
5692 connect as many loose threads as possible, you should set this variable
5693 to @code{some} or a number. If you set it to a number, no more than
5694 that number of extra old headers will be fetched. In either case,
5695 fetching old headers only works if the backend you are using carries
5696 overview files---this would normally be @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and
5697 @code{nnml}. Also remember that if the root of the thread has been
5698 expired by the server, there's not much Gnus can do about that.
5700 This variable can also be set to @code{invisible}. This won't have any
5701 visible effects, but is useful if you use the @kbd{A T} command a lot
5702 (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
5704 @item gnus-build-sparse-threads
5705 @vindex gnus-build-sparse-threads
5706 Fetching old headers can be slow. A low-rent similar effect can be
5707 gotten by setting this variable to @code{some}. Gnus will then look at
5708 the complete @code{References} headers of all articles and try to string
5709 together articles that belong in the same thread. This will leave
5710 @dfn{gaps} in the threading display where Gnus guesses that an article
5711 is missing from the thread. (These gaps appear like normal summary
5712 lines. If you select a gap, Gnus will try to fetch the article in
5713 question.) If this variable is @code{t}, Gnus will display all these
5714 ``gaps'' without regard for whether they are useful for completing the
5715 thread or not. Finally, if this variable is @code{more}, Gnus won't cut
5716 off sparse leaf nodes that don't lead anywhere. This variable is
5717 @code{nil} by default.
5722 @node More Threading
5723 @subsubsection More Threading
5726 @item gnus-show-threads
5727 @vindex gnus-show-threads
5728 If this variable is @code{nil}, no threading will be done, and all of
5729 the rest of the variables here will have no effect. Turning threading
5730 off will speed group selection up a bit, but it is sure to make reading
5731 slower and more awkward.
5733 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5734 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-subtree
5735 If non-@code{nil}, all threads will be hidden when the summary buffer is
5738 @item gnus-thread-expunge-below
5739 @vindex gnus-thread-expunge-below
5740 All threads that have a total score (as defined by
5741 @code{gnus-thread-score-function}) less than this number will be
5742 expunged. This variable is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
5743 threads are expunged.
5745 @item gnus-thread-hide-killed
5746 @vindex gnus-thread-hide-killed
5747 if you kill a thread and this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subtree
5750 @item gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5751 @vindex gnus-thread-ignore-subject
5752 Sometimes somebody changes the subject in the middle of a thread. If
5753 this variable is non-@code{nil}, the subject change is ignored. If it
5754 is @code{nil}, which is the default, a change in the subject will result
5757 @item gnus-thread-indent-level
5758 @vindex gnus-thread-indent-level
5759 This is a number that says how much each sub-thread should be indented.
5762 @item gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5763 @vindex gnus-sort-gathered-threads-function
5764 Sometimes, particularly with mailing lists, the order in which mails
5765 arrive locally is not necessarily the same as the order in which they
5766 arrived on the mailing list. Consequently, when sorting sub-threads
5767 using the default @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number}, responses can end
5768 up appearing before the article to which they are responding to.
5769 Setting this variable to an alternate value
5770 (e.g. @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}), in a group's parameters or in an
5771 appropriate hook (e.g. @code{gnus-summary-generate-hook}) can produce a
5772 more logical sub-thread ordering in such instances.
5777 @node Low-Level Threading
5778 @subsubsection Low-Level Threading
5782 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
5783 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
5784 Hook run before parsing any headers.
5786 @item gnus-alter-header-function
5787 @vindex gnus-alter-header-function
5788 If non-@code{nil}, this function will be called to allow alteration of
5789 article header structures. The function is called with one parameter,
5790 the article header vector, which it may alter in any way. For instance,
5791 if you have a mail-to-news gateway which alters the @code{Message-ID}s
5792 in systematic ways (by adding prefixes and such), you can use this
5793 variable to un-scramble the @code{Message-ID}s so that they are more
5794 meaningful. Here's one example:
5797 (setq gnus-alter-header-function 'my-alter-message-id)
5799 (defun my-alter-message-id (header)
5800 (let ((id (mail-header-id header)))
5802 "\\(<[^<>@@]*\\)\\.?cygnus\\..*@@\\([^<>@@]*>\\)" id)
5804 (concat (match-string 1 id) "@@" (match-string 2 id))
5811 @node Thread Commands
5812 @subsection Thread Commands
5813 @cindex thread commands
5819 @kindex T k (Summary)
5820 @kindex M-C-k (Summary)
5821 @findex gnus-summary-kill-thread
5822 Mark all articles in the current (sub-)thread as read
5823 (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}). If the prefix argument is positive,
5824 remove all marks instead. If the prefix argument is negative, tick
5829 @kindex T l (Summary)
5830 @kindex M-C-l (Summary)
5831 @findex gnus-summary-lower-thread
5832 Lower the score of the current (sub-)thread
5833 (@code{gnus-summary-lower-thread}).
5836 @kindex T i (Summary)
5837 @findex gnus-summary-raise-thread
5838 Increase the score of the current (sub-)thread
5839 (@code{gnus-summary-raise-thread}).
5842 @kindex T # (Summary)
5843 @findex gnus-uu-mark-thread
5844 Set the process mark on the current (sub-)thread
5845 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-thread}).
5848 @kindex T M-# (Summary)
5849 @findex gnus-uu-unmark-thread
5850 Remove the process mark from the current (sub-)thread
5851 (@code{gnus-uu-unmark-thread}).
5854 @kindex T T (Summary)
5855 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-threads
5856 Toggle threading (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-threads}).
5859 @kindex T s (Summary)
5860 @findex gnus-summary-show-thread
5861 Expose the (sub-)thread hidden under the current article, if any
5862 (@code{gnus-summary-show-thread}).
5865 @kindex T h (Summary)
5866 @findex gnus-summary-hide-thread
5867 Hide the current (sub-)thread (@code{gnus-summary-hide-thread}).
5870 @kindex T S (Summary)
5871 @findex gnus-summary-show-all-threads
5872 Expose all hidden threads (@code{gnus-summary-show-all-threads}).
5875 @kindex T H (Summary)
5876 @findex gnus-summary-hide-all-threads
5877 Hide all threads (@code{gnus-summary-hide-all-threads}).
5880 @kindex T t (Summary)
5881 @findex gnus-summary-rethread-current
5882 Re-thread the current article's thread
5883 (@code{gnus-summary-rethread-current}). This works even when the
5884 summary buffer is otherwise unthreaded.
5887 @kindex T ^ (Summary)
5888 @findex gnus-summary-reparent-thread
5889 Make the current article the child of the marked (or previous) article
5890 (@code{gnus-summary-reparent-thread}).
5894 The following commands are thread movement commands. They all
5895 understand the numeric prefix.
5900 @kindex T n (Summary)
5902 @kindex M-C-n (Summary)
5904 @kindex M-down (Summary)
5905 @findex gnus-summary-next-thread
5906 Go to the next thread (@code{gnus-summary-next-thread}).
5909 @kindex T p (Summary)
5911 @kindex M-C-p (Summary)
5913 @kindex M-up (Summary)
5914 @findex gnus-summary-prev-thread
5915 Go to the previous thread (@code{gnus-summary-prev-thread}).
5918 @kindex T d (Summary)
5919 @findex gnus-summary-down-thread
5920 Descend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-down-thread}).
5923 @kindex T u (Summary)
5924 @findex gnus-summary-up-thread
5925 Ascend the thread (@code{gnus-summary-up-thread}).
5928 @kindex T o (Summary)
5929 @findex gnus-summary-top-thread
5930 Go to the top of the thread (@code{gnus-summary-top-thread}).
5933 @vindex gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject
5934 If you ignore subject while threading, you'll naturally end up with
5935 threads that have several different subjects in them. If you then issue
5936 a command like `T k' (@code{gnus-summary-kill-thread}) you might not
5937 wish to kill the entire thread, but just those parts of the thread that
5938 have the same subject as the current article. If you like this idea,
5939 you can fiddle with @code{gnus-thread-operation-ignore-subject}. If it
5940 is non-@code{nil} (which it is by default), subjects will be ignored
5941 when doing thread commands. If this variable is @code{nil}, articles in
5942 the same thread with different subjects will not be included in the
5943 operation in question. If this variable is @code{fuzzy}, only articles
5944 that have subjects fuzzily equal will be included (@pxref{Fuzzy
5951 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score
5952 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-date
5953 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-score
5954 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5955 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-author
5956 @findex gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5957 @vindex gnus-thread-sort-functions
5958 If you are using a threaded summary display, you can sort the threads by
5959 setting @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, which can be either a single
5960 function, a list of functions, or a list containing functions and
5961 @code{(not some-function)} elements.
5963 By default, sorting is done on article numbers. Ready-made sorting
5964 predicate functions include @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number},
5965 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-subject},
5966 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-date}, @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-score}, and
5967 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score}.
5969 Each function takes two threads and returns non-@code{nil} if the first
5970 thread should be sorted before the other. Note that sorting really is
5971 normally done by looking only at the roots of each thread.
5973 If you use more than one function, the primary sort key should be the
5974 last function in the list. You should probably always include
5975 @code{gnus-thread-sort-by-number} in the list of sorting
5976 functions---preferably first. This will ensure that threads that are
5977 equal with respect to the other sort criteria will be displayed in
5978 ascending article order.
5980 If you would like to sort by reverse score, then by subject, and finally
5981 by number, you could do something like:
5984 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
5985 '(gnus-thread-sort-by-number
5986 gnus-thread-sort-by-subject
5987 (not gnus-thread-sort-by-total-score)))
5990 The threads that have highest score will be displayed first in the
5991 summary buffer. When threads have the same score, they will be sorted
5992 alphabetically. The threads that have the same score and the same
5993 subject will be sorted by number, which is (normally) the sequence in
5994 which the articles arrived.
5996 If you want to sort by score and then reverse arrival order, you could
6000 (setq gnus-thread-sort-functions
6002 (not (gnus-thread-sort-by-number t1 t2)))
6003 gnus-thread-sort-by-score))
6006 @vindex gnus-thread-score-function
6007 The function in the @code{gnus-thread-score-function} variable (default
6008 @code{+}) is used for calculating the total score of a thread. Useful
6009 functions might be @code{max}, @code{min}, or squared means, or whatever
6012 @findex gnus-article-sort-functions
6013 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-date
6014 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-score
6015 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-subject
6016 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-author
6017 @findex gnus-article-sort-by-number
6018 If you are using an unthreaded display for some strange reason or other,
6019 you have to fiddle with the @code{gnus-article-sort-functions} variable.
6020 It is very similar to the @code{gnus-thread-sort-functions}, except that
6021 it uses slightly different functions for article comparison. Available
6022 sorting predicate functions are @code{gnus-article-sort-by-number},
6023 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-author}, @code{gnus-article-sort-by-subject},
6024 @code{gnus-article-sort-by-date}, and @code{gnus-article-sort-by-score}.
6026 If you want to sort an unthreaded summary display by subject, you could
6030 (setq gnus-article-sort-functions
6031 '(gnus-article-sort-by-number
6032 gnus-article-sort-by-subject))
6037 @node Asynchronous Fetching
6038 @section Asynchronous Article Fetching
6039 @cindex asynchronous article fetching
6040 @cindex article pre-fetch
6043 If you read your news from an @sc{nntp} server that's far away, the
6044 network latencies may make reading articles a chore. You have to wait
6045 for a while after pressing @kbd{n} to go to the next article before the
6046 article appears. Why can't Gnus just go ahead and fetch the article
6047 while you are reading the previous one? Why not, indeed.
6049 First, some caveats. There are some pitfalls to using asynchronous
6050 article fetching, especially the way Gnus does it.
6052 Let's say you are reading article 1, which is short, and article 2 is
6053 quite long, and you are not interested in reading that. Gnus does not
6054 know this, so it goes ahead and fetches article 2. You decide to read
6055 article 3, but since Gnus is in the process of fetching article 2, the
6056 connection is blocked.
6058 To avoid these situations, Gnus will open two (count 'em two)
6059 connections to the server. Some people may think this isn't a very nice
6060 thing to do, but I don't see any real alternatives. Setting up that
6061 extra connection takes some time, so Gnus startup will be slower.
6063 Gnus will fetch more articles than you will read. This will mean that
6064 the link between your machine and the @sc{nntp} server will become more
6065 loaded than if you didn't use article pre-fetch. The server itself will
6066 also become more loaded---both with the extra article requests, and the
6069 Ok, so now you know that you shouldn't really use this thing... unless
6072 @vindex gnus-asynchronous
6073 Here's how: Set @code{gnus-asynchronous} to @code{t}. The rest should
6074 happen automatically.
6076 @vindex gnus-use-article-prefetch
6077 You can control how many articles are to be pre-fetched by setting
6078 @code{gnus-use-article-prefetch}. This is 30 by default, which means
6079 that when you read an article in the group, the backend will pre-fetch
6080 the next 30 articles. If this variable is @code{t}, the backend will
6081 pre-fetch all the articles it can without bound. If it is
6082 @code{nil}, no pre-fetching will be done.
6084 @vindex gnus-async-prefetch-article-p
6085 @findex gnus-async-read-p
6086 There are probably some articles that you don't want to pre-fetch---read
6087 articles, for instance. The @code{gnus-async-prefetch-article-p} variable controls whether an article is to be pre-fetched. This function should
6088 return non-@code{nil} when the article in question is to be
6089 pre-fetched. The default is @code{gnus-async-read-p}, which returns
6090 @code{nil} on read articles. The function is called with an article
6091 data structure as the only parameter.
6093 If, for instance, you wish to pre-fetch only unread articles shorter than 100 lines, you could say something like:
6096 (defun my-async-short-unread-p (data)
6097 "Return non-nil for short, unread articles."
6098 (and (gnus-data-unread-p data)
6099 (< (mail-header-lines (gnus-data-header data))
6102 (setq gnus-async-prefetch-article-p 'my-async-short-unread-p)
6105 These functions will be called many, many times, so they should
6106 preferably be short and sweet to avoid slowing down Gnus too much.
6107 It's probably a good idea to byte-compile things like this.
6109 @vindex gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy
6110 Articles have to be removed from the asynch buffer sooner or later. The
6111 @code{gnus-prefetched-article-deletion-strategy} says when to remove
6112 articles. This is a list that may contain the following elements:
6116 Remove articles when they are read.
6119 Remove articles when exiting the group.
6122 The default value is @code{(read exit)}.
6124 @c @vindex gnus-use-header-prefetch
6125 @c If @code{gnus-use-header-prefetch} is non-@code{nil}, prefetch articles
6126 @c from the next group.
6129 @node Article Caching
6130 @section Article Caching
6131 @cindex article caching
6134 If you have an @emph{extremely} slow @sc{nntp} connection, you may
6135 consider turning article caching on. Each article will then be stored
6136 locally under your home directory. As you may surmise, this could
6137 potentially use @emph{huge} amounts of disk space, as well as eat up all
6138 your inodes so fast it will make your head swim. In vodka.
6140 Used carefully, though, it could be just an easier way to save articles.
6142 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6143 @vindex gnus-cache-directory
6144 @vindex gnus-use-cache
6145 To turn caching on, set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{t}. By default,
6146 all articles ticked or marked as dormant will then be copied
6147 over to your local cache (@code{gnus-cache-directory}). Whether this
6148 cache is flat or hierarchical is controlled by the
6149 @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable, as usual.
6151 When re-selecting a ticked or dormant article, it will be fetched from the
6152 cache instead of from the server. As articles in your cache will never
6153 expire, this might serve as a method of saving articles while still
6154 keeping them where they belong. Just mark all articles you want to save
6155 as dormant, and don't worry.
6157 When an article is marked as read, is it removed from the cache.
6159 @vindex gnus-cache-remove-articles
6160 @vindex gnus-cache-enter-articles
6161 The entering/removal of articles from the cache is controlled by the
6162 @code{gnus-cache-enter-articles} and @code{gnus-cache-remove-articles}
6163 variables. Both are lists of symbols. The first is @code{(ticked
6164 dormant)} by default, meaning that ticked and dormant articles will be
6165 put in the cache. The latter is @code{(read)} by default, meaning that
6166 articles marked as read are removed from the cache. Possibly
6167 symbols in these two lists are @code{ticked}, @code{dormant},
6168 @code{unread} and @code{read}.
6170 @findex gnus-jog-cache
6171 So where does the massive article-fetching and storing come into the
6172 picture? The @code{gnus-jog-cache} command will go through all
6173 subscribed newsgroups, request all unread articles, score them, and
6174 store them in the cache. You should only ever, ever ever ever, use this
6175 command if 1) your connection to the @sc{nntp} server is really, really,
6176 really slow and 2) you have a really, really, really huge disk.
6177 Seriously. One way to cut down on the number of articles downloaded is
6178 to score unwanted articles down and have them marked as read. They will
6179 not then be downloaded by this command.
6181 @vindex gnus-uncacheable-groups
6182 @vindex gnus-cacheable-groups
6183 It is likely that you do not want caching on all groups. For instance,
6184 if your @code{nnml} mail is located under your home directory, it makes no
6185 sense to cache it somewhere else under your home directory. Unless you
6186 feel that it's neat to use twice as much space.
6188 To limit the caching, you could set @code{gnus-cacheable-groups} to a
6189 regexp of groups to cache, @samp{^nntp} for instance, or set the
6190 @code{gnus-uncacheable-groups} regexp to @samp{^nnml}, for instance.
6191 Both variables are @code{nil} by default. If a group matches both
6192 variables, the group is not cached.
6194 @findex gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases
6195 @findex gnus-cache-generate-active
6196 @vindex gnus-cache-active-file
6197 The cache stores information on what articles it contains in its active
6198 file (@code{gnus-cache-active-file}). If this file (or any other parts
6199 of the cache) becomes all messed up for some reason or other, Gnus
6200 offers two functions that will try to set things right. @kbd{M-x
6201 gnus-cache-generate-nov-databases} will (re)build all the @sc{nov}
6202 files, and @kbd{gnus-cache-generate-active} will (re)generate the active
6206 @node Persistent Articles
6207 @section Persistent Articles
6208 @cindex persistent articles
6210 Closely related to article caching, we have @dfn{persistent articles}.
6211 In fact, it's just a different way of looking at caching, and much more
6212 useful in my opinion.
6214 Say you're reading a newsgroup, and you happen on to some valuable gem
6215 that you want to keep and treasure forever. You'd normally just save it
6216 (using one of the many saving commands) in some file. The problem with
6217 that is that it's just, well, yucky. Ideally you'd prefer just having
6218 the article remain in the group where you found it forever; untouched by
6219 the expiry going on at the news server.
6221 This is what a @dfn{persistent article} is---an article that just won't
6222 be deleted. It's implemented using the normal cache functions, but
6223 you use two explicit commands for managing persistent articles:
6229 @findex gnus-cache-enter-article
6230 Make the current article persistent (@code{gnus-cache-enter-article}).
6233 @kindex M-* (Summary)
6234 @findex gnus-cache-remove-article
6235 Remove the current article from the persistent articles
6236 (@code{gnus-cache-remove-article}). This will normally delete the
6240 Both these commands understand the process/prefix convention.
6242 To avoid having all ticked articles (and stuff) entered into the cache,
6243 you should set @code{gnus-use-cache} to @code{passive} if you're just
6244 interested in persistent articles:
6247 (setq gnus-use-cache 'passive)
6251 @node Article Backlog
6252 @section Article Backlog
6254 @cindex article backlog
6256 If you have a slow connection, but the idea of using caching seems
6257 unappealing to you (and it is, really), you can help the situation some
6258 by switching on the @dfn{backlog}. This is where Gnus will buffer
6259 already read articles so that it doesn't have to re-fetch articles
6260 you've already read. This only helps if you are in the habit of
6261 re-selecting articles you've recently read, of course. If you never do
6262 that, turning the backlog on will slow Gnus down a little bit, and
6263 increase memory usage some.
6265 @vindex gnus-keep-backlog
6266 If you set @code{gnus-keep-backlog} to a number @var{n}, Gnus will store
6267 at most @var{n} old articles in a buffer for later re-fetching. If this
6268 variable is non-@code{nil} and is not a number, Gnus will store
6269 @emph{all} read articles, which means that your Emacs will grow without
6270 bound before exploding and taking your machine down with you. I put
6271 that in there just to keep y'all on your toes.
6273 This variable is @code{nil} by default.
6276 @node Saving Articles
6277 @section Saving Articles
6278 @cindex saving articles
6280 Gnus can save articles in a number of ways. Below is the documentation
6281 for saving articles in a fairly straight-forward fashion (i.e., little
6282 processing of the article is done before it is saved). For a different
6283 approach (uudecoding, unsharing) you should use @code{gnus-uu}
6284 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
6286 @vindex gnus-save-all-headers
6287 If @code{gnus-save-all-headers} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will not delete
6288 unwanted headers before saving the article.
6290 @vindex gnus-saved-headers
6291 If the preceding variable is @code{nil}, all headers that match the
6292 @code{gnus-saved-headers} regexp will be kept, while the rest will be
6293 deleted before saving.
6299 @kindex O o (Summary)
6301 @findex gnus-summary-save-article
6302 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article}
6303 Save the current article using the default article saver
6304 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article}).
6307 @kindex O m (Summary)
6308 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-mail
6309 Save the current article in mail format
6310 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-mail}).
6313 @kindex O r (Summary)
6314 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-rmail
6315 Save the current article in rmail format
6316 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-rmail}).
6319 @kindex O f (Summary)
6320 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-file
6321 @c @icon{gnus-summary-save-article-file}
6322 Save the current article in plain file format
6323 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-file}).
6326 @kindex O F (Summary)
6327 @findex gnus-summary-write-article-file
6328 Write the current article in plain file format, overwriting any previous
6329 file contents (@code{gnus-summary-write-article-file}).
6332 @kindex O b (Summary)
6333 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-body-file
6334 Save the current article body in plain file format
6335 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-body-file}).
6338 @kindex O h (Summary)
6339 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-folder
6340 Save the current article in mh folder format
6341 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-folder}).
6344 @kindex O v (Summary)
6345 @findex gnus-summary-save-article-vm
6346 Save the current article in a VM folder
6347 (@code{gnus-summary-save-article-vm}).
6350 @kindex O p (Summary)
6351 @findex gnus-summary-pipe-output
6352 Save the current article in a pipe. Uhm, like, what I mean is---Pipe
6353 the current article to a process (@code{gnus-summary-pipe-output}).
6356 @vindex gnus-prompt-before-saving
6357 All these commands use the process/prefix convention
6358 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). If you save bunches of articles using these
6359 functions, you might get tired of being prompted for files to save each
6360 and every article in. The prompting action is controlled by
6361 the @code{gnus-prompt-before-saving} variable, which is @code{always} by
6362 default, giving you that excessive prompting action you know and
6363 loathe. If you set this variable to @code{t} instead, you'll be prompted
6364 just once for each series of articles you save. If you like to really
6365 have Gnus do all your thinking for you, you can even set this variable
6366 to @code{nil}, which means that you will never be prompted for files to
6367 save articles in. Gnus will simply save all the articles in the default
6371 @vindex gnus-default-article-saver
6372 You can customize the @code{gnus-default-article-saver} variable to make
6373 Gnus do what you want it to. You can use any of the six ready-made
6374 functions below, or you can create your own.
6378 @item gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6379 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-rmail
6380 @vindex gnus-rmail-save-name
6381 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6382 This is the default format, @dfn{babyl}. Uses the function in the
6383 @code{gnus-rmail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6384 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6386 @item gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6387 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-mail
6388 @vindex gnus-mail-save-name
6389 Save in a Unix mail (mbox) file. Uses the function in the
6390 @code{gnus-mail-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6391 article in. The default is @code{gnus-plain-save-name}.
6393 @item gnus-summary-save-in-file
6394 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-file
6395 @vindex gnus-file-save-name
6396 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6397 Append the article straight to an ordinary file. Uses the function in
6398 the @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6399 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6401 @item gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6402 @findex gnus-summary-save-body-in-file
6403 Append the article body to an ordinary file. Uses the function in the
6404 @code{gnus-file-save-name} variable to get a file name to save the
6405 article in. The default is @code{gnus-numeric-save-name}.
6407 @item gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6408 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-folder
6409 @findex gnus-folder-save-name
6410 @findex gnus-Folder-save-name
6411 @vindex gnus-folder-save-name
6414 Save the article to an MH folder using @code{rcvstore} from the MH
6415 library. Uses the function in the @code{gnus-folder-save-name} variable
6416 to get a file name to save the article in. The default is
6417 @code{gnus-folder-save-name}, but you can also use
6418 @code{gnus-Folder-save-name}, which creates capitalized names.
6420 @item gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6421 @findex gnus-summary-save-in-vm
6422 Save the article in a VM folder. You have to have the VM mail
6423 reader to use this setting.
6426 @vindex gnus-article-save-directory
6427 All of these functions, except for the last one, will save the article
6428 in the @code{gnus-article-save-directory}, which is initialized from the
6429 @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable. This is @file{~/News/} by
6432 As you can see above, the functions use different functions to find a
6433 suitable name of a file to save the article in. Below is a list of
6434 available functions that generate names:
6438 @item gnus-Numeric-save-name
6439 @findex gnus-Numeric-save-name
6440 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6442 @item gnus-numeric-save-name
6443 @findex gnus-numeric-save-name
6444 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin/45}.
6446 @item gnus-Plain-save-name
6447 @findex gnus-Plain-save-name
6448 File names like @file{~/News/Alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6450 @item gnus-plain-save-name
6451 @findex gnus-plain-save-name
6452 File names like @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.
6455 @vindex gnus-split-methods
6456 You can have Gnus suggest where to save articles by plonking a regexp into
6457 the @code{gnus-split-methods} alist. For instance, if you would like to
6458 save articles related to Gnus in the file @file{gnus-stuff}, and articles
6459 related to VM in @code{vm-stuff}, you could set this variable to something
6463 (("^Subject:.*gnus\\|^Newsgroups:.*gnus" "gnus-stuff")
6464 ("^Subject:.*vm\\|^Xref:.*vm" "vm-stuff")
6465 (my-choosing-function "../other-dir/my-stuff")
6466 ((equal gnus-newsgroup-name "mail.misc") "mail-stuff"))
6469 We see that this is a list where each element is a list that has two
6470 elements---the @dfn{match} and the @dfn{file}. The match can either be
6471 a string (in which case it is used as a regexp to match on the article
6472 head); it can be a symbol (which will be called as a function with the
6473 group name as a parameter); or it can be a list (which will be
6474 @code{eval}ed). If any of these actions have a non-@code{nil} result,
6475 the @dfn{file} will be used as a default prompt. In addition, the
6476 result of the operation itself will be used if the function or form
6477 called returns a string or a list of strings.
6479 You basically end up with a list of file names that might be used when
6480 saving the current article. (All ``matches'' will be used.) You will
6481 then be prompted for what you really want to use as a name, with file
6482 name completion over the results from applying this variable.
6484 This variable is @code{((gnus-article-archive-name))} by default, which
6485 means that Gnus will look at the articles it saves for an
6486 @code{Archive-name} line and use that as a suggestion for the file
6489 Here's an example function to clean up file names somewhat. If you have
6490 lots of mail groups called things like
6491 @samp{nnml:mail.whatever}, you may want to chop off the beginning of
6492 these group names before creating the file name to save to. The
6493 following will do just that:
6496 (defun my-save-name (group)
6497 (when (string-match "^nnml:mail." group)
6498 (substring group (match-end 0))))
6500 (setq gnus-split-methods
6501 '((gnus-article-archive-name)
6506 @vindex gnus-use-long-file-name
6507 Finally, you have the @code{gnus-use-long-file-name} variable. If it is
6508 @code{nil}, all the preceding functions will replace all periods
6509 (@samp{.}) in the group names with slashes (@samp{/})---which means that
6510 the functions will generate hierarchies of directories instead of having
6511 all the files in the top level directory
6512 (@file{~/News/alt/andrea-dworkin} instead of
6513 @file{~/News/alt.andrea-dworkin}.) This variable is @code{t} by default
6514 on most systems. However, for historical reasons, this is @code{nil} on
6515 Xenix and usg-unix-v machines by default.
6517 This function also affects kill and score file names. If this variable
6518 is a list, and the list contains the element @code{not-score}, long file
6519 names will not be used for score files, if it contains the element
6520 @code{not-save}, long file names will not be used for saving, and if it
6521 contains the element @code{not-kill}, long file names will not be used
6524 If you'd like to save articles in a hierarchy that looks something like
6528 (setq gnus-use-long-file-name '(not-save)) ; to get a hierarchy
6529 (setq gnus-default-article-saver 'gnus-summary-save-in-file) ; no encoding
6532 Then just save with @kbd{o}. You'd then read this hierarchy with
6533 ephemeral @code{nneething} groups---@kbd{G D} in the group buffer, and
6534 the top level directory as the argument (@file{~/News/}). Then just walk
6535 around to the groups/directories with @code{nneething}.
6538 @node Decoding Articles
6539 @section Decoding Articles
6540 @cindex decoding articles
6542 Sometime users post articles (or series of articles) that have been
6543 encoded in some way or other. Gnus can decode them for you.
6546 * Uuencoded Articles:: Uudecode articles.
6547 * Shell Archives:: Unshar articles.
6548 * PostScript Files:: Split PostScript.
6549 * Other Files:: Plain save and binhex.
6550 * Decoding Variables:: Variables for a happy decoding.
6551 * Viewing Files:: You want to look at the result of the decoding?
6555 @cindex article series
6556 All these functions use the process/prefix convention
6557 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}) for finding out what articles to work on, with
6558 the extension that a ``single article'' means ``a single series''. Gnus
6559 can find out by itself what articles belong to a series, decode all the
6560 articles and unpack/view/save the resulting file(s).
6562 Gnus guesses what articles are in the series according to the following
6563 simplish rule: The subjects must be (nearly) identical, except for the
6564 last two numbers of the line. (Spaces are largely ignored, however.)
6566 For example: If you choose a subject called @samp{cat.gif (2/3)}, Gnus
6567 will find all the articles that match the regexp @samp{^cat.gif
6568 ([0-9]+/[0-9]+).*$}.
6570 Subjects that are non-standard, like @samp{cat.gif (2/3) Part 6 of a
6571 series}, will not be properly recognized by any of the automatic viewing
6572 commands, and you have to mark the articles manually with @kbd{#}.
6575 @node Uuencoded Articles
6576 @subsection Uuencoded Articles
6578 @cindex uuencoded articles
6583 @kindex X u (Summary)
6584 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu
6585 @c @icon{gnus-uu-decode-uu}
6586 Uudecodes the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu}).
6589 @kindex X U (Summary)
6590 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save
6591 Uudecodes and saves the current series
6592 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6595 @kindex X v u (Summary)
6596 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-view
6597 Uudecodes and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-view}).
6600 @kindex X v U (Summary)
6601 @findex gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view
6602 Uudecodes, views and saves the current series
6603 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save-view}).
6607 Remember that these all react to the presence of articles marked with
6608 the process mark. If, for instance, you'd like to decode and save an
6609 entire newsgroup, you'd typically do @kbd{M P a}
6610 (@code{gnus-uu-mark-all}) and then @kbd{X U}
6611 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-uu-and-save}).
6613 All this is very much different from how @code{gnus-uu} worked with
6614 @sc{gnus 4.1}, where you had explicit keystrokes for everything under
6615 the sun. This version of @code{gnus-uu} generally assumes that you mark
6616 articles in some way (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}) and then press
6619 @vindex gnus-uu-notify-files
6620 Note: When trying to decode articles that have names matching
6621 @code{gnus-uu-notify-files}, which is hard-coded to
6622 @samp{[Cc][Ii][Nn][Dd][Yy][0-9]+.\\(gif\\|jpg\\)}, @code{gnus-uu} will
6623 automatically post an article on @samp{comp.unix.wizards} saying that
6624 you have just viewed the file in question. This feature can't be turned
6628 @node Shell Archives
6629 @subsection Shell Archives
6631 @cindex shell archives
6632 @cindex shared articles
6634 Shell archives (``shar files'') used to be a popular way to distribute
6635 sources, but it isn't used all that much today. In any case, we have
6636 some commands to deal with these:
6641 @kindex X s (Summary)
6642 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar
6643 Unshars the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar}).
6646 @kindex X S (Summary)
6647 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save
6648 Unshars and saves the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save}).
6651 @kindex X v s (Summary)
6652 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view
6653 Unshars and views the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-view}).
6656 @kindex X v S (Summary)
6657 @findex gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view
6658 Unshars, views and saves the current series
6659 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-unshar-and-save-view}).
6663 @node PostScript Files
6664 @subsection PostScript Files
6670 @kindex X p (Summary)
6671 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript
6672 Unpack the current PostScript series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript}).
6675 @kindex X P (Summary)
6676 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save
6677 Unpack and save the current PostScript series
6678 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save}).
6681 @kindex X v p (Summary)
6682 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view
6683 View the current PostScript series
6684 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-view}).
6687 @kindex X v P (Summary)
6688 @findex gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view
6689 View and save the current PostScript series
6690 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-postscript-and-save-view}).
6695 @subsection Other Files
6699 @kindex X o (Summary)
6700 @findex gnus-uu-decode-save
6701 Save the current series
6702 (@code{gnus-uu-decode-save}).
6705 @kindex X b (Summary)
6706 @findex gnus-uu-decode-binhex
6707 Unbinhex the current series (@code{gnus-uu-decode-binhex}). This
6708 doesn't really work yet.
6712 @node Decoding Variables
6713 @subsection Decoding Variables
6715 Adjective, not verb.
6718 * Rule Variables:: Variables that say how a file is to be viewed.
6719 * Other Decode Variables:: Other decode variables.
6720 * Uuencoding and Posting:: Variables for customizing uuencoding.
6724 @node Rule Variables
6725 @subsubsection Rule Variables
6726 @cindex rule variables
6728 Gnus uses @dfn{rule variables} to decide how to view a file. All these
6729 variables are of the form
6732 (list '(regexp1 command2)
6739 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6740 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6742 This variable is consulted first when viewing files. If you wish to use,
6743 for instance, @code{sox} to convert an @samp{.au} sound file, you could
6746 (setq gnus-uu-user-view-rules
6747 (list '("\\\\.au$" "sox %s -t .aiff > /dev/audio")))
6750 @item gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6751 @vindex gnus-uu-user-view-rules-end
6752 This variable is consulted if Gnus couldn't make any matches from the
6753 user and default view rules.
6755 @item gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6756 @vindex gnus-uu-user-archive-rules
6757 This variable can be used to say what commands should be used to unpack
6762 @node Other Decode Variables
6763 @subsubsection Other Decode Variables
6766 @vindex gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6768 @item gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions
6769 All functions in this list will be called right after each file has been
6770 successfully decoded---so that you can move or view files right away,
6771 and don't have to wait for all files to be decoded before you can do
6772 anything. Ready-made functions you can put in this list are:
6776 @item gnus-uu-grab-view
6777 @findex gnus-uu-grab-view
6780 @item gnus-uu-grab-move
6781 @findex gnus-uu-grab-move
6782 Move the file (if you're using a saving function.)
6785 @item gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6786 @vindex gnus-uu-be-dangerous
6787 Specifies what to do if unusual situations arise during decoding. If
6788 @code{nil}, be as conservative as possible. If @code{t}, ignore things
6789 that didn't work, and overwrite existing files. Otherwise, ask each
6792 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6793 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-name
6794 Files with name matching this regular expression won't be viewed.
6796 @item gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6797 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-files-by-type
6798 Files with a @sc{mime} type matching this variable won't be viewed.
6799 Note that Gnus tries to guess what type the file is based on the name.
6800 @code{gnus-uu} is not a @sc{mime} package (yet), so this is slightly
6803 @item gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6804 @vindex gnus-uu-tmp-dir
6805 Where @code{gnus-uu} does its work.
6807 @item gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6808 @vindex gnus-uu-do-not-unpack-archives
6809 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} won't peek inside archives
6810 looking for files to display.
6812 @item gnus-uu-view-and-save
6813 @vindex gnus-uu-view-and-save
6814 Non-@code{nil} means that the user will always be asked to save a file
6817 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6818 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-view-rules
6819 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default viewing
6822 @item gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6823 @vindex gnus-uu-ignore-default-archive-rules
6824 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the default archive
6827 @item gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6828 @vindex gnus-uu-kill-carriage-return
6829 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will strip all carriage returns
6832 @item gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6833 @vindex gnus-uu-unmark-articles-not-decoded
6834 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will mark unsuccessfully
6835 decoded articles as unread.
6837 @item gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6838 @vindex gnus-uu-correct-stripped-uucode
6839 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will @emph{try} to fix
6840 uuencoded files that have had trailing spaces deleted.
6842 @item gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6843 @vindex gnus-uu-pre-uudecode-hook
6844 Hook run before sending a message to @code{uudecode}.
6846 @item gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6847 @vindex gnus-uu-view-with-metamail
6849 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ignore the viewing
6850 commands defined by the rule variables and just fudge a @sc{mime}
6851 content type based on the file name. The result will be fed to
6852 @code{metamail} for viewing.
6854 @item gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6855 @vindex gnus-uu-save-in-digest
6856 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu}, when asked to save without
6857 decoding, will save in digests. If this variable is @code{nil},
6858 @code{gnus-uu} will just save everything in a file without any
6859 embellishments. The digesting almost conforms to RFC 1153---no easy way
6860 to specify any meaningful volume and issue numbers were found, so I
6861 simply dropped them.
6866 @node Uuencoding and Posting
6867 @subsubsection Uuencoding and Posting
6871 @item gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6872 @vindex gnus-uu-post-include-before-composing
6873 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will ask for a file to encode
6874 before you compose the article. If this variable is @code{t}, you can
6875 either include an encoded file with @kbd{C-c C-i} or have one included
6876 for you when you post the article.
6878 @item gnus-uu-post-length
6879 @vindex gnus-uu-post-length
6880 Maximum length of an article. The encoded file will be split into how
6881 many articles it takes to post the entire file.
6883 @item gnus-uu-post-threaded
6884 @vindex gnus-uu-post-threaded
6885 Non-@code{nil} means that @code{gnus-uu} will post the encoded file in a
6886 thread. This may not be smart, as no other decoder I have seen is able
6887 to follow threads when collecting uuencoded articles. (Well, I have
6888 seen one package that does that---@code{gnus-uu}, but somehow, I don't
6889 think that counts...) Default is @code{nil}.
6891 @item gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6892 @vindex gnus-uu-post-separate-description
6893 Non-@code{nil} means that the description will be posted in a separate
6894 article. The first article will typically be numbered (0/x). If this
6895 variable is @code{nil}, the description the user enters will be included
6896 at the beginning of the first article, which will be numbered (1/x).
6897 Default is @code{t}.
6903 @subsection Viewing Files
6904 @cindex viewing files
6905 @cindex pseudo-articles
6907 After decoding, if the file is some sort of archive, Gnus will attempt
6908 to unpack the archive and see if any of the files in the archive can be
6909 viewed. For instance, if you have a gzipped tar file @file{pics.tar.gz}
6910 containing the files @file{pic1.jpg} and @file{pic2.gif}, Gnus will
6911 uncompress and de-tar the main file, and then view the two pictures.
6912 This unpacking process is recursive, so if the archive contains archives
6913 of archives, it'll all be unpacked.
6915 Finally, Gnus will normally insert a @dfn{pseudo-article} for each
6916 extracted file into the summary buffer. If you go to these
6917 ``articles'', you will be prompted for a command to run (usually Gnus
6918 will make a suggestion), and then the command will be run.
6920 @vindex gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously
6921 If @code{gnus-view-pseudo-asynchronously} is @code{nil}, Emacs will wait
6922 until the viewing is done before proceeding.
6924 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos
6925 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos} is @code{automatic}, Gnus will not insert
6926 the pseudo-articles into the summary buffer, but view them
6927 immediately. If this variable is @code{not-confirm}, the user won't even
6928 be asked for a confirmation before viewing is done.
6930 @vindex gnus-view-pseudos-separately
6931 If @code{gnus-view-pseudos-separately} is non-@code{nil}, one
6932 pseudo-article will be created for each file to be viewed. If
6933 @code{nil}, all files that use the same viewing command will be given as
6934 a list of parameters to that command.
6936 @vindex gnus-insert-pseudo-articles
6937 If @code{gnus-insert-pseudo-articles} is non-@code{nil}, insert
6938 pseudo-articles when decoding. It is @code{t} by default.
6940 So; there you are, reading your @emph{pseudo-articles} in your
6941 @emph{virtual newsgroup} from the @emph{virtual server}; and you think:
6942 Why isn't anything real anymore? How did we get here?
6945 @node Article Treatment
6946 @section Article Treatment
6948 Reading through this huge manual, you may have quite forgotten that the
6949 object of newsreaders is to actually, like, read what people have
6950 written. Reading articles. Unfortunately, people are quite bad at
6951 writing, so there are tons of functions and variables to make reading
6952 these articles easier.
6955 * Article Highlighting:: You want to make the article look like fruit salad.
6956 * Article Fontisizing:: Making emphasized text look nice.
6957 * Article Hiding:: You also want to make certain info go away.
6958 * Article Washing:: Lots of way-neat functions to make life better.
6959 * Article Buttons:: Click on URLs, Message-IDs, addresses and the like.
6960 * Article Date:: Grumble, UT!
6961 * Article Signature:: What is a signature?
6962 * Article Miscellania:: Various other stuff.
6966 @node Article Highlighting
6967 @subsection Article Highlighting
6968 @cindex highlighting
6970 Not only do you want your article buffer to look like fruit salad, but
6971 you want it to look like technicolor fruit salad.
6976 @kindex W H a (Summary)
6977 @findex gnus-article-highlight
6978 @findex gnus-article-maybe-highlight
6979 Do much highlighting of the current article
6980 (@code{gnus-article-highlight}). This function highlights header, cited
6981 text, the signature, and adds buttons to the body and the head.
6984 @kindex W H h (Summary)
6985 @findex gnus-article-highlight-headers
6986 @vindex gnus-header-face-alist
6987 Highlight the headers (@code{gnus-article-highlight-headers}). The
6988 highlighting will be done according to the @code{gnus-header-face-alist}
6989 variable, which is a list where each element has the form
6990 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{name} @var{content})}.
6991 @var{regexp} is a regular expression for matching the
6992 header, @var{name} is the face used for highlighting the header name
6993 (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}) and @var{content} is the face for highlighting
6994 the header value. The first match made will be used. Note that
6995 @var{regexp} shouldn't have @samp{^} prepended---Gnus will add one.
6998 @kindex W H c (Summary)
6999 @findex gnus-article-highlight-citation
7000 Highlight cited text (@code{gnus-article-highlight-citation}).
7002 Some variables to customize the citation highlights:
7005 @vindex gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7007 @item gnus-cite-parse-max-size
7008 If the article size if bigger than this variable (which is 25000 by
7009 default), no citation highlighting will be performed.
7011 @item gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
7012 @vindex gnus-cite-prefix-regexp
7013 Regexp matching the longest possible citation prefix on a line.
7015 @item gnus-cite-max-prefix
7016 @vindex gnus-cite-max-prefix
7017 Maximum possible length for a citation prefix (default 20).
7019 @item gnus-cite-face-list
7020 @vindex gnus-cite-face-list
7021 List of faces used for highlighting citations (@pxref{Faces and Fonts}).
7022 When there are citations from multiple articles in the same message,
7023 Gnus will try to give each citation from each article its own face.
7024 This should make it easier to see who wrote what.
7026 @item gnus-supercite-regexp
7027 @vindex gnus-supercite-regexp
7028 Regexp matching normal Supercite attribution lines.
7030 @item gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7031 @vindex gnus-supercite-secondary-regexp
7032 Regexp matching mangled Supercite attribution lines.
7034 @item gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7035 @vindex gnus-cite-minimum-match-count
7036 Minimum number of identical prefixes we have to see before we believe
7037 that it's a citation.
7039 @item gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7040 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-prefix
7041 Regexp matching the beginning of an attribution line.
7043 @item gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7044 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-suffix
7045 Regexp matching the end of an attribution line.
7047 @item gnus-cite-attribution-face
7048 @vindex gnus-cite-attribution-face
7049 Face used for attribution lines. It is merged with the face for the
7050 cited text belonging to the attribution.
7056 @kindex W H s (Summary)
7057 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7058 @vindex gnus-signature-face
7059 @findex gnus-article-highlight-signature
7060 Highlight the signature (@code{gnus-article-highlight-signature}).
7061 Everything after @code{gnus-signature-separator} (@pxref{Article
7062 Signature}) in an article will be considered a signature and will be
7063 highlighted with @code{gnus-signature-face}, which is @code{italic} by
7068 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to highlight articles automatically.
7071 @node Article Fontisizing
7072 @subsection Article Fontisizing
7074 @cindex article emphasis
7076 @findex gnus-article-emphasize
7077 @kindex W e (Summary)
7078 People commonly add emphasis to words in news articles by writing things
7079 like @samp{_this_} or @samp{*this*} or @samp{/this/}. Gnus can make
7080 this look nicer by running the article through the @kbd{W e}
7081 (@code{gnus-article-emphasize}) command.
7083 @vindex gnus-emphasis-alist
7084 How the emphasis is computed is controlled by the
7085 @code{gnus-emphasis-alist} variable. This is an alist where the first
7086 element is a regular expression to be matched. The second is a number
7087 that says what regular expression grouping is used to find the entire
7088 emphasized word. The third is a number that says what regexp grouping
7089 should be displayed and highlighted. (The text between these two
7090 groupings will be hidden.) The fourth is the face used for
7094 (setq gnus-article-emphasis
7095 '(("_\\(\\w+\\)_" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-underline)
7096 ("\\*\\(\\w+\\)\\*" 0 1 gnus-emphasis-bold)))
7105 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline
7106 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold
7107 @vindex gnus-emphasis-italic
7108 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold
7109 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-italic
7110 @vindex gnus-emphasis-bold-italic
7111 @vindex gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic
7112 By default, there are seven rules, and they use the following faces:
7113 @code{gnus-emphasis-bold}, @code{gnus-emphasis-italic},
7114 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline}, @code{gnus-emphasis-bold-italic},
7115 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-italic},
7116 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold}, and
7117 @code{gnus-emphasis-underline-bold-italic}.
7119 If you want to change these faces, you can either use @kbd{M-x
7120 customize}, or you can use @code{copy-face}. For instance, if you want
7121 to make @code{gnus-emphasis-italic} use a red face instead, you could
7125 (copy-face 'red 'gnus-emphasis-italic)
7128 @vindex gnus-group-highlight-words-alist
7130 If you want to highlight arbitrary words, you can use the
7131 @code{gnus-group-highlight-words-alist} variable, which uses the same
7132 syntax as @code{gnus-emphasis-alist}. The @code{highlight-words} group
7133 parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) can also be used.
7135 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to fontize articles automatically.
7138 @node Article Hiding
7139 @subsection Article Hiding
7140 @cindex article hiding
7142 Or rather, hiding certain things in each article. There usually is much
7143 too much cruft in most articles.
7148 @kindex W W a (Summary)
7149 @findex gnus-article-hide
7150 Do quite a lot of hiding on the article buffer
7151 (@kbd{gnus-article-hide}). In particular, this function will hide
7152 headers, PGP, cited text and the signature.
7155 @kindex W W h (Summary)
7156 @findex gnus-article-hide-headers
7157 Hide headers (@code{gnus-article-hide-headers}). @xref{Hiding
7161 @kindex W W b (Summary)
7162 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
7163 Hide headers that aren't particularly interesting
7164 (@code{gnus-article-hide-boring-headers}). @xref{Hiding Headers}.
7167 @kindex W W s (Summary)
7168 @findex gnus-article-hide-signature
7169 Hide signature (@code{gnus-article-hide-signature}). @xref{Article
7173 @kindex W W l (Summary)
7174 @findex gnus-article-hide-list-identifiers
7175 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7176 Strip list identifiers specified in @code{gnus-list-identifiers}. These
7177 are strings some mailing list servers add to the beginning of all
7178 @code{Subject} headers---for example, @samp{[zebra 4711]}. Any leading
7179 @samp{Re: } is skipped before stripping. @code{gnus-list-identifiers}
7180 may not contain @code{\\(..\\)}.
7184 @item gnus-list-identifiers
7185 @vindex gnus-list-identifiers
7186 A regular expression that matches list identifiers to be removed from
7187 subject. This can also be a list of regular expressions.
7192 @kindex W W p (Summary)
7193 @findex gnus-article-hide-pgp
7194 @vindex gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7195 Hide @sc{pgp} signatures (@code{gnus-article-hide-pgp}). The
7196 @code{gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook} hook will be run after a @sc{pgp}
7197 signature has been hidden. For example, to automatically verify
7198 articles that have signatures in them do:
7200 ;;; Hide pgp cruft if any.
7202 (setq gnus-treat-strip-pgp t)
7204 ;;; After hiding pgp, verify the message;
7205 ;;; only happens if pgp signature is found.
7207 (add-hook 'gnus-article-hide-pgp-hook
7210 (set-buffer gnus-original-article-buffer)
7215 @kindex W W P (Summary)
7216 @findex gnus-article-hide-pem
7217 Hide @sc{pem} (privacy enhanced messages) cruft
7218 (@code{gnus-article-hide-pem}).
7221 @kindex W W B (Summary)
7222 @findex gnus-article-strip-banner
7225 @cindex stripping advertisements
7226 @cindex advertisements
7227 Strip the banner specified by the @code{banner} group parameter
7228 (@code{gnus-article-strip-banner}). This is mainly used to hide those
7229 annoying banners and/or signatures that some mailing lists and moderated
7230 groups adds to all the messages. The way to use this function is to add
7231 the @code{banner} group parameter (@pxref{Group Parameters}) to the
7232 group you want banners stripped from. The parameter either be a string,
7233 which will be interpreted as a regular expression matching text to be
7234 removed, or the symbol @code{signature}, meaning that the (last)
7235 signature should be removed, or other symbol, meaning that the
7236 corresponding regular expression in @code{gnus-article-banner-alist} is
7240 @kindex W W c (Summary)
7241 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation
7242 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation}). Some variables for
7243 customizing the hiding:
7247 @item gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7248 @itemx gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7249 @vindex gnus-cited-closed-text-button-line-format
7250 @vindex gnus-cited-opened-text-button-line-format
7251 Gnus adds buttons to show where the cited text has been hidden, and to
7252 allow toggle hiding the text. The format of the variable is specified
7253 by these format-like variable (@pxref{Formatting Variables}). These
7258 Starting point of the hidden text.
7260 Ending point of the hidden text.
7262 Number of characters in the hidden region.
7264 Number of lines of hidden text.
7267 @item gnus-cited-lines-visible
7268 @vindex gnus-cited-lines-visible
7269 The number of lines at the beginning of the cited text to leave
7270 shown. This can also be a cons cell with the number of lines at the top
7271 and bottom of the text, respectively, to remain visible.
7276 @kindex W W C-c (Summary)
7277 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe
7279 Hide citation (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-maybe}) depending on the
7280 following two variables:
7283 @item gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7284 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-percentage
7285 If the cited text is of a bigger percentage than this variable (default
7286 50), hide the cited text.
7288 @item gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7289 @vindex gnus-cite-hide-absolute
7290 The cited text must have at least this length (default 10) before it
7295 @kindex W W C (Summary)
7296 @findex gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups
7297 Hide cited text in articles that aren't roots
7298 (@code{gnus-article-hide-citation-in-followups}). This isn't very
7299 useful as an interactive command, but might be a handy function to stick
7300 have happen automatically (@pxref{Customizing Articles}).
7304 All these ``hiding'' commands are toggles, but if you give a negative
7305 prefix to these commands, they will show what they have previously
7306 hidden. If you give a positive prefix, they will always hide.
7308 Also @pxref{Article Highlighting} for further variables for
7309 citation customization.
7311 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to hide article elements
7315 @node Article Washing
7316 @subsection Article Washing
7318 @cindex article washing
7320 We call this ``article washing'' for a really good reason. Namely, the
7321 @kbd{A} key was taken, so we had to use the @kbd{W} key instead.
7323 @dfn{Washing} is defined by us as ``changing something from something to
7324 something else'', but normally results in something looking better.
7327 @xref{Customizing Articles}, if you want to change how Gnus displays
7328 articles by default.
7333 This is not really washing, it's sort of the opposite of washing. If
7334 you type this, you see the article exactly as it exists on disk or on
7338 @kindex W l (Summary)
7339 @findex gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking
7340 Remove page breaks from the current article
7341 (@code{gnus-summary-stop-page-breaking}). @xref{Misc Article}, for page
7345 @kindex W r (Summary)
7346 @findex gnus-summary-caesar-message
7347 @c @icon{gnus-summary-caesar-message}
7348 Do a Caesar rotate (rot13) on the article buffer
7349 (@code{gnus-summary-caesar-message}).
7350 Unreadable articles that tell you to read them with Caesar rotate or rot13.
7351 (Typically offensive jokes and such.)
7353 It's commonly called ``rot13'' because each letter is rotated 13
7354 positions in the alphabet, e. g. @samp{B} (letter #2) -> @samp{O} (letter
7355 #15). It is sometimes referred to as ``Caesar rotate'' because Caesar
7356 is rumored to have employed this form of, uh, somewhat weak encryption.
7360 @kindex W t (Summary)
7362 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-header
7363 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer
7364 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-header}).
7367 @kindex W v (Summary)
7368 @findex gnus-summary-verbose-header
7369 Toggle whether to display all headers in the article buffer permanently
7370 (@code{gnus-summary-verbose-header}).
7373 @kindex W o (Summary)
7374 @findex gnus-article-treat-overstrike
7375 Treat overstrike (@code{gnus-article-treat-overstrike}).
7378 @kindex W d (Summary)
7379 @findex gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes
7380 @vindex gnus-article-dumbquotes-map
7382 @cindex M******** sm*rtq**t*s
7384 Treat M******** sm*rtq**t*s according to
7385 @code{gnus-article-dumbquotes-map}
7386 (@code{gnus-article-treat-dumbquotes}). Note that this function guesses
7387 whether a character is a sm*rtq**t* or not, so it should only be used
7390 In reality, this function is translates a subset of the subset of the
7391 @code{cp1252} (or @code{Windows-1252}) character set that isn't in ISO
7392 Latin-1, including the quote characters @code{\222} and @code{\264}.
7393 Messages in this character set often have a MIME header saying that
7397 @kindex W w (Summary)
7398 @findex gnus-article-fill-cited-article
7399 Do word wrap (@code{gnus-article-fill-cited-article}).
7401 You can give the command a numerical prefix to specify the width to use
7405 @kindex W Q (Summary)
7406 @findex gnus-article-fill-long-lines
7407 Fill long lines (@code{gnus-article-fill-long-lines}).
7410 @kindex W C (Summary)
7411 @findex gnus-article-capitalize-sentences
7412 Capitalize the first word in each sentence
7413 (@code{gnus-article-capitalize-sentences}).
7416 @kindex W c (Summary)
7417 @findex gnus-article-remove-cr
7418 Translate CRLF pairs (i. e., @samp{^M}s on the end of the lines) into LF
7419 (this takes care of DOS line endings), and then translate any remaining
7420 CRs into LF (this takes care of Mac line endings)
7421 (@code{gnus-article-remove-cr}).
7424 @kindex W q (Summary)
7425 @findex gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable
7426 Treat quoted-printable (@code{gnus-article-de-quoted-unreadable}).
7427 Quoted-Printable is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending
7428 non-ASCII (i. e., 8-bit) articles. It typically makes strings like
7429 @samp{déjà vu} look like @samp{d=E9j=E0 vu}, which doesn't look very
7430 readable to me. Note that the this is usually done automatically by
7431 Gnus if the message in question has a @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding}
7432 header that says that this encoding has been done.
7435 @kindex W 6 (Summary)
7436 @findex gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable
7437 Treat base64 (@code{gnus-article-de-base64-unreadable}).
7438 Base64 is one common @sc{mime} encoding employed when sending non-ASCII
7439 (i. e., 8-bit) articles. Note that the this is usually done
7440 automatically by Gnus if the message in question has a
7441 @code{Content-Transfer-Encoding} header that says that this encoding has
7445 @kindex W Z (Summary)
7446 @findex gnus-article-decode-HZ
7447 Treat HZ or HZP (@code{gnus-article-decode-HZ}). HZ (or HZP) is one
7448 common encoding employed when sending Chinese articles. It typically
7449 makes strings look like @samp{~@{<:Ky2;S@{#,NpJ)l6HK!#~@}}.
7452 @kindex W h (Summary)
7453 @findex gnus-article-wash-html
7454 Treat HTML (@code{gnus-article-wash-html}).
7455 Note that the this is usually done automatically by Gnus if the message
7456 in question has a @code{Content-Type} header that says that this type
7460 @kindex W f (Summary)
7462 @findex gnus-article-display-x-face
7463 @findex gnus-article-x-face-command
7464 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-command
7465 @vindex gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly
7472 Look for and display any X-Face headers
7473 (@code{gnus-article-display-x-face}). The command executed by this
7474 function is given by the @code{gnus-article-x-face-command} variable.
7475 If this variable is a string, this string will be executed in a
7476 sub-shell. If it is a function, this function will be called with the
7477 face as the argument. If the @code{gnus-article-x-face-too-ugly} (which
7478 is a regexp) matches the @code{From} header, the face will not be shown.
7479 The default action under Emacs is to fork off the @code{display}
7480 program@footnote{@code{display} is from the ImageMagick package. For the
7481 @code{uncompface} and @code{icontopbm} programs look for a package
7482 like `compface' or `faces-xface' on a GNU/Linux system.}
7483 to view the face. Under XEmacs or Emacs 21+ with suitable image
7484 support, the default action is to display the face before the
7485 @code{From} header. (It's nicer if XEmacs has been compiled with X-Face
7486 support---that will make display somewhat faster. If there's no native
7487 X-Face support, Gnus will try to convert the @code{X-Face} header using
7488 external programs from the @code{pbmplus} package and
7489 friends.@footnote{On a GNU/Linux system look for packages with names
7490 like @code{netpbm} or @code{libgr-progs}.}) If you
7491 want to have this function in the display hook, it should probably come
7495 @kindex W b (Summary)
7496 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons
7497 Add clickable buttons to the article (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons}).
7498 @xref{Article Buttons}.
7501 @kindex W B (Summary)
7502 @findex gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head
7503 Add clickable buttons to the article headers
7504 (@code{gnus-article-add-buttons-to-head}).
7507 @kindex W W H (Summary)
7508 @findex gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body
7509 Strip headers like the @code{X-No-Archive} header from the beginning of
7510 article bodies (@code{gnus-article-strip-headers-from-body}).
7513 @kindex W E l (Summary)
7514 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines
7515 Remove all blank lines from the beginning of the article
7516 (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-blank-lines}).
7519 @kindex W E m (Summary)
7520 @findex gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines
7521 Replace all blank lines with empty lines and then all multiple empty
7522 lines with a single empty line.
7523 (@code{gnus-article-strip-multiple-blank-lines}).
7526 @kindex W E t (Summary)
7527 @findex gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines
7528 Remove all blank lines at the end of the article
7529 (@code{gnus-article-remove-trailing-blank-lines}).
7532 @kindex W E a (Summary)
7533 @findex gnus-article-strip-blank-lines
7534 Do all the three commands above
7535 (@code{gnus-article-strip-blank-lines}).
7538 @kindex W E A (Summary)
7539 @findex gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines
7540 Remove all blank lines
7541 (@code{gnus-article-strip-all-blank-lines}).
7544 @kindex W E s (Summary)
7545 @findex gnus-article-strip-leading-space
7546 Remove all white space from the beginning of all lines of the article
7547 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-leading-space}).
7550 @kindex W E e (Summary)
7551 @findex gnus-article-strip-trailing-space
7552 Remove all white space from the end of all lines of the article
7553 body (@code{gnus-article-strip-trailing-space}).
7557 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to wash articles automatically.
7560 @node Article Buttons
7561 @subsection Article Buttons
7564 People often include references to other stuff in articles, and it would
7565 be nice if Gnus could just fetch whatever it is that people talk about
7566 with the minimum of fuzz when you hit @kbd{RET} or use the middle mouse
7567 button on these references.
7569 Gnus adds @dfn{buttons} to certain standard references by default:
7570 Well-formed URLs, mail addresses and Message-IDs. This is controlled by
7571 two variables, one that handles article bodies and one that handles
7576 @item gnus-button-alist
7577 @vindex gnus-button-alist
7578 This is an alist where each entry has this form:
7581 (REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7587 All text that match this regular expression will be considered an
7588 external reference. Here's a typical regexp that matches embedded URLs:
7589 @samp{<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>}.
7592 Gnus has to know which parts of the matches is to be highlighted. This
7593 is a number that says what sub-expression of the regexp is to be
7594 highlighted. If you want it all highlighted, you use 0 here.
7597 This form will be @code{eval}ed, and if the result is non-@code{nil},
7598 this is considered a match. This is useful if you want extra sifting to
7599 avoid false matches.
7602 This function will be called when you click on this button.
7605 As with @var{button-par}, this is a sub-expression number, but this one
7606 says which part of the match is to be sent as data to @var{function}.
7610 So the full entry for buttonizing URLs is then
7613 ("<URL:\\([^\n\r>]*\\)>" 0 t gnus-button-url 1)
7616 @item gnus-header-button-alist
7617 @vindex gnus-header-button-alist
7618 This is just like the other alist, except that it is applied to the
7619 article head only, and that each entry has an additional element that is
7620 used to say what headers to apply the buttonize coding to:
7623 (HEADER REGEXP BUTTON-PAR USE-P FUNCTION DATA-PAR)
7626 @var{header} is a regular expression.
7628 @item gnus-button-url-regexp
7629 @vindex gnus-button-url-regexp
7630 A regular expression that matches embedded URLs. It is used in the
7631 default values of the variables above.
7633 @item gnus-article-button-face
7634 @vindex gnus-article-button-face
7635 Face used on buttons.
7637 @item gnus-article-mouse-face
7638 @vindex gnus-article-mouse-face
7639 Face used when the mouse cursor is over a button.
7643 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to buttonize articles automatically.
7647 @subsection Article Date
7649 The date is most likely generated in some obscure timezone you've never
7650 heard of, so it's quite nice to be able to find out what the time was
7651 when the article was sent.
7656 @kindex W T u (Summary)
7657 @findex gnus-article-date-ut
7658 Display the date in UT (aka. GMT, aka ZULU)
7659 (@code{gnus-article-date-ut}).
7662 @kindex W T i (Summary)
7663 @findex gnus-article-date-iso8601
7665 Display the date in international format, aka. ISO 8601
7666 (@code{gnus-article-date-iso8601}).
7669 @kindex W T l (Summary)
7670 @findex gnus-article-date-local
7671 Display the date in the local timezone (@code{gnus-article-date-local}).
7674 @kindex W T s (Summary)
7675 @vindex gnus-article-time-format
7676 @findex gnus-article-date-user
7677 @findex format-time-string
7678 Display the date using a user-defined format
7679 (@code{gnus-article-date-user}). The format is specified by the
7680 @code{gnus-article-time-format} variable, and is a string that's passed
7681 to @code{format-time-string}. See the documentation of that variable
7682 for a list of possible format specs.
7685 @kindex W T e (Summary)
7686 @findex gnus-article-date-lapsed
7687 @findex gnus-start-date-timer
7688 @findex gnus-stop-date-timer
7689 Say how much time has elapsed between the article was posted and now
7690 (@code{gnus-article-date-lapsed}). It looks something like:
7693 X-Sent: 9 years, 6 weeks, 4 days, 9 hours, 3 minutes, 28 seconds ago
7696 The value of @code{gnus-article-date-lapsed-new-header} determines
7697 whether this header will just be added below the old Date one, or will
7700 An advantage of using Gnus to read mail is that it converts simple bugs
7701 into wonderful absurdities.
7703 If you want to have this line updated continually, you can put
7706 (gnus-start-date-timer)
7709 in your @file{.gnus.el} file, or you can run it off of some hook. If
7710 you want to stop the timer, you can use the @code{gnus-stop-date-timer}
7714 @kindex W T o (Summary)
7715 @findex gnus-article-date-original
7716 Display the original date (@code{gnus-article-date-original}). This can
7717 be useful if you normally use some other conversion function and are
7718 worried that it might be doing something totally wrong. Say, claiming
7719 that the article was posted in 1854. Although something like that is
7720 @emph{totally} impossible. Don't you trust me? *titter*
7724 @xref{Customizing Articles}, for how to display the date in your
7725 preferred format automatically.
7728 @node Article Signature
7729 @subsection Article Signature
7731 @cindex article signature
7733 @vindex gnus-signature-separator
7734 Each article is divided into two parts---the head and the body. The
7735 body can be divided into a signature part and a text part. The variable
7736 that says what is to be considered a signature is
7737 @code{gnus-signature-separator}. This is normally the standard
7738 @samp{^-- $} as mandated by son-of-RFC 1036. However, many people use
7739 non-standard signature separators, so this variable can also be a list
7740 of regular expressions to be tested, one by one. (Searches are done
7741 from the end of the body towards the beginning.) One likely value is:
7744 (setq gnus-signature-separator
7745 '("^-- $" ; The standard
7746 "^-- *$" ; A common mangling
7747 "^-------*$" ; Many people just use a looong
7748 ; line of dashes. Shame!
7749 "^ *--------*$" ; Double-shame!
7750 "^________*$" ; Underscores are also popular
7751 "^========*$")) ; Pervert!
7754 The more permissive you are, the more likely it is that you'll get false
7757 @vindex gnus-signature-limit
7758 @code{gnus-signature-limit} provides a limit to what is considered a
7759 signature when displaying articles.
7763 If it is an integer, no signature may be longer (in characters) than
7766 If it is a floating point number, no signature may be longer (in lines)
7769 If it is a function, the function will be called without any parameters,
7770 and if it returns @code{nil}, there is no signature in the buffer.
7772 If it is a string, it will be used as a regexp. If it matches, the text
7773 in question is not a signature.
7776 This variable can also be a list where the elements may be of the types
7777 listed above. Here's an example:
7780 (setq gnus-signature-limit
7781 '(200.0 "^---*Forwarded article"))
7784 This means that if there are more than 200 lines after the signature
7785 separator, or the text after the signature separator is matched by
7786 the regular expression @samp{^---*Forwarded article}, then it isn't a
7787 signature after all.
7790 @node Article Miscellania
7791 @subsection Article Miscellania
7795 @kindex A t (Summary)
7796 @findex gnus-article-babel
7797 Translate the article from one language to another
7798 (@code{gnus-article-babel}).
7804 @section @sc{mime} Commands
7805 @cindex MIME decoding
7807 @cindex viewing attachments
7809 The following commands all understand the numerical prefix. For
7810 instance, @kbd{3 b} means ``view the third @sc{mime} part''.
7816 @kindex K v (Summary)
7817 View the @sc{mime} part.
7820 @kindex K o (Summary)
7821 Save the @sc{mime} part.
7824 @kindex K c (Summary)
7825 Copy the @sc{mime} part.
7828 @kindex K e (Summary)
7829 View the @sc{mime} part externally.
7832 @kindex K i (Summary)
7833 View the @sc{mime} part internally.
7836 @kindex K | (Summary)
7837 Pipe the @sc{mime} part to an external command.
7840 The rest of these @sc{mime} commands do not use the numerical prefix in
7845 @kindex K b (Summary)
7846 Make all the @sc{mime} parts have buttons in front of them. This is
7847 mostly useful if you wish to save (or perform other actions) on inlined
7851 @kindex K m (Summary)
7852 @findex gnus-summary-repair-multipart
7853 Some multipart messages are transmitted with missing or faulty headers.
7854 This command will attempt to ``repair'' these messages so that they can
7855 be viewed in a more pleasant manner
7856 (@code{gnus-summary-repair-multipart}).
7859 @kindex X m (Summary)
7860 @findex gnus-summary-save-parts
7861 Save all parts matching a @sc{mime} type to a directory
7862 (@code{gnus-summary-save-parts}). Understands the process/prefix
7863 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
7866 @kindex M-t (Summary)
7867 @findex gnus-summary-display-buttonized
7868 Toggle the buttonized display of the article buffer
7869 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-display-buttonized}).
7872 @kindex W M w (Summary)
7873 Decode RFC 2047-encoded words in the article headers
7874 (@code{gnus-article-decode-mime-words}).
7877 @kindex W M c (Summary)
7878 Decode encoded article bodies as well as charsets
7879 (@code{gnus-article-decode-charset}).
7881 This command looks in the @code{Content-Type} header to determine the
7882 charset. If there is no such header in the article, you can give it a
7883 prefix, which will prompt for the charset to decode as. In regional
7884 groups where people post using some common encoding (but do not include
7885 MIME headers), you can set the @code{charset} group/topic parameter to
7886 the required charset (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
7889 @kindex W M v (Summary)
7890 View all the @sc{mime} parts in the current article
7891 (@code{gnus-mime-view-all-parts}).
7898 @item gnus-ignored-mime-types
7899 @vindex gnus-ignored-mime-types
7900 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7901 this list will be completely ignored by Gnus. The default value is
7904 To have all Vcards be ignored, you'd say something like this:
7907 (setq gnus-ignored-mime-types
7911 @item gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7912 @vindex gnus-unbuttonized-mime-types
7913 This is a list of regexps. @sc{mime} types that match a regexp from
7914 this list won't have @sc{mime} buttons inserted unless they aren't
7915 displayed. The default value is @code{(".*/.*")}.
7917 @item gnus-article-mime-part-function
7918 @vindex gnus-article-mime-part-function
7919 For each @sc{mime} part, this function will be called with the @sc{mime}
7920 handle as the parameter. The function is meant to be used to allow
7921 users to gather information from the article (e. g., add Vcard info to
7922 the bbdb database) or to do actions based on parts (e. g., automatically
7923 save all jpegs into some directory).
7925 Here's an example function the does the latter:
7928 (defun my-save-all-jpeg-parts (handle)
7929 (when (equal (car (mm-handle-type handle)) "image/jpeg")
7931 (insert (mm-get-part handle))
7932 (write-region (point-min) (point-max)
7933 (read-file-name "Save jpeg to: ")))))
7934 (setq gnus-article-mime-part-function
7935 'my-save-all-jpeg-parts)
7938 @vindex gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7939 @item gnus-mime-multipart-functions
7940 Alist of @sc{mime} multipart types and functions to handle them.
7949 People use different charsets, and we have @sc{mime} to let us know what
7950 charsets they use. Or rather, we wish we had. Many people use
7951 newsreaders and mailers that do not understand or use @sc{mime}, and
7952 just send out messages without saying what character sets they use. To
7953 help a bit with this, some local news hierarchies have policies that say
7954 what character set is the default. For instance, the @samp{fj}
7955 hierarchy uses @code{iso-2022-jp-2}.
7957 @vindex gnus-group-charset-alist
7958 This knowledge is encoded in the @code{gnus-group-charset-alist}
7959 variable, which is an alist of regexps (to match group names) and
7960 default charsets to be used when reading these groups.
7962 In addition, some people do use soi-disant @sc{mime}-aware agents that
7963 aren't. These blithely mark messages as being in @code{iso-8859-1} even
7964 if they really are in @code{koi-8}. To help here, the
7965 @code{gnus-newsgroup-ignored-charsets} variable can be used. The
7966 charsets that are listed here will be ignored. The variable can be set
7967 on a group-by-group basis using the group parameters (@pxref{Group
7968 Parameters}). The default value is @code{(unknown-8bit)}, which is
7969 something some agents insist on having in there.
7971 @vindex gnus-group-posting-charset-alist
7972 When posting, @code{gnus-group-posting-charset-alist} is used to
7973 determine which charsets should not be encoded using the @sc{mime}
7974 encodings. For instance, some hierarchies discourage using
7975 quoted-printable header encoding.
7977 This variable is an alist of regexps and permitted unencoded charsets
7978 for posting. Each element of the alist has the form @code{(}@var{test
7979 header body-list}@code{)}, where:
7983 is either a regular expression matching the newsgroup header or a
7986 is the charset which may be left unencoded in the header (@code{nil}
7987 means encode all charsets),
7989 is a list of charsets which may be encoded using 8bit content-transfer
7990 encoding in the body, or one of the special values @code{nil} (always
7991 encode using quoted-printable) or @code{t} (always use 8bit).
7998 @cindex coding system aliases
7999 @cindex preferred charset
8001 Other charset tricks that may be useful, although not Gnus-specific:
8003 If there are several @sc{mime} charsets that encode the same Emacs
8004 charset, you can choose what charset to use by saying the following:
8007 (put-charset-property 'cyrillic-iso8859-5
8008 'preferred-coding-system 'koi8-r)
8011 This means that Russian will be encoded using @code{koi8-r} instead of
8012 the default @code{iso-8859-5} @sc{mime} charset.
8014 If you want to read messages in @code{koi8-u}, you can cheat and say
8017 (define-coding-system-alias 'koi8-u 'koi8-r)
8020 This will almost do the right thing.
8022 And finally, to read charsets like @code{windows-1251}, you can say
8026 (codepage-setup 1251)
8027 (define-coding-system-alias 'windows-1251 'cp1251)
8031 @node Article Commands
8032 @section Article Commands
8039 @kindex A P (Summary)
8040 @vindex gnus-ps-print-hook
8041 @findex gnus-summary-print-article
8042 Generate and print a PostScript image of the article buffer
8043 (@code{gnus-summary-print-article}). @code{gnus-ps-print-hook} will be
8044 run just before printing the buffer.
8049 @node Summary Sorting
8050 @section Summary Sorting
8051 @cindex summary sorting
8053 You can have the summary buffer sorted in various ways, even though I
8054 can't really see why you'd want that.
8059 @kindex C-c C-s C-n (Summary)
8060 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-number
8061 Sort by article number (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-number}).
8064 @kindex C-c C-s C-a (Summary)
8065 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-author
8066 Sort by author (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-author}).
8069 @kindex C-c C-s C-s (Summary)
8070 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-subject
8071 Sort by subject (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-subject}).
8074 @kindex C-c C-s C-d (Summary)
8075 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-date
8076 Sort by date (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-date}).
8079 @kindex C-c C-s C-l (Summary)
8080 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-lines
8081 Sort by lines (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-lines}).
8084 @kindex C-c C-s C-c (Summary)
8085 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-chars
8086 Sort by article length (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-chars}).
8089 @kindex C-c C-s C-i (Summary)
8090 @findex gnus-summary-sort-by-score
8091 Sort by score (@code{gnus-summary-sort-by-score}).
8094 These functions will work both when you use threading and when you don't
8095 use threading. In the latter case, all summary lines will be sorted,
8096 line by line. In the former case, sorting will be done on a
8097 root-by-root basis, which might not be what you were looking for. To
8098 toggle whether to use threading, type @kbd{T T} (@pxref{Thread
8102 @node Finding the Parent
8103 @section Finding the Parent
8104 @cindex parent articles
8105 @cindex referring articles
8110 @findex gnus-summary-refer-parent-article
8111 If you'd like to read the parent of the current article, and it is not
8112 displayed in the summary buffer, you might still be able to. That is,
8113 if the current group is fetched by @sc{nntp}, the parent hasn't expired
8114 and the @code{References} in the current article are not mangled, you
8115 can just press @kbd{^} or @kbd{A r}
8116 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-parent-article}). If everything goes well,
8117 you'll get the parent. If the parent is already displayed in the
8118 summary buffer, point will just move to this article.
8120 If given a positive numerical prefix, fetch that many articles back into
8121 the ancestry. If given a negative numerical prefix, fetch just that
8122 ancestor. So if you say @kbd{3 ^}, Gnus will fetch the parent, the
8123 grandparent and the grandgrandparent of the current article. If you say
8124 @kbd{-3 ^}, Gnus will only fetch the grandgrandparent of the current
8128 @findex gnus-summary-refer-references
8129 @kindex A R (Summary)
8130 Fetch all articles mentioned in the @code{References} header of the
8131 article (@code{gnus-summary-refer-references}).
8134 @findex gnus-summary-refer-thread
8135 @kindex A T (Summary)
8136 Display the full thread where the current article appears
8137 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-thread}). This command has to fetch all the
8138 headers in the current group to work, so it usually takes a while. If
8139 you do it often, you may consider setting @code{gnus-fetch-old-headers}
8140 to @code{invisible} (@pxref{Filling In Threads}). This won't have any
8141 visible effects normally, but it'll make this command work a whole lot
8142 faster. Of course, it'll make group entry somewhat slow.
8144 @vindex gnus-refer-thread-limit
8145 The @code{gnus-refer-thread-limit} variable says how many old (i. e.,
8146 articles before the first displayed in the current group) headers to
8147 fetch when doing this command. The default is 200. If @code{t}, all
8148 the available headers will be fetched. This variable can be overridden
8149 by giving the @kbd{A T} command a numerical prefix.
8152 @findex gnus-summary-refer-article
8153 @kindex M-^ (Summary)
8155 @cindex fetching by Message-ID
8156 You can also ask the @sc{nntp} server for an arbitrary article, no
8157 matter what group it belongs to. @kbd{M-^}
8158 (@code{gnus-summary-refer-article}) will ask you for a
8159 @code{Message-ID}, which is one of those long, hard-to-read thingies
8160 that look something like @samp{<38o6up$6f2@@hymir.ifi.uio.no>}. You
8161 have to get it all exactly right. No fuzzy searches, I'm afraid.
8164 The current select method will be used when fetching by
8165 @code{Message-ID} from non-news select method, but you can override this
8166 by giving this command a prefix.
8168 @vindex gnus-refer-article-method
8169 If the group you are reading is located on a backend that does not
8170 support fetching by @code{Message-ID} very well (like @code{nnspool}),
8171 you can set @code{gnus-refer-article-method} to an @sc{nntp} method. It
8172 would, perhaps, be best if the @sc{nntp} server you consult is the one
8173 updating the spool you are reading from, but that's not really
8176 It can also be a list of select methods, as well as the special symbol
8177 @code{current}, which means to use the current select method. If it
8178 is a list, Gnus will try all the methods in the list until it finds a
8181 Here's an example setting that will first try the current method, and
8182 then ask Deja if that fails:
8185 (setq gnus-refer-article-method
8187 (nnweb "refer" (nnweb-type dejanews))))
8190 Most of the mail backends support fetching by @code{Message-ID}, but do
8191 not do a particularly excellent job at it. That is, @code{nnmbox} and
8192 @code{nnbabyl} are able to locate articles from any groups, while
8193 @code{nnml} and @code{nnfolder} are only able to locate articles that
8194 have been posted to the current group. (Anything else would be too time
8195 consuming.) @code{nnmh} does not support this at all.
8198 @node Alternative Approaches
8199 @section Alternative Approaches
8201 Different people like to read news using different methods. This being
8202 Gnus, we offer a small selection of minor modes for the summary buffers.
8205 * Pick and Read:: First mark articles and then read them.
8206 * Binary Groups:: Auto-decode all articles.
8211 @subsection Pick and Read
8212 @cindex pick and read
8214 Some newsreaders (like @code{nn} and, uhm, @code{Netnews} on VM/CMS) use
8215 a two-phased reading interface. The user first marks in a summary
8216 buffer the articles she wants to read. Then she starts reading the
8217 articles with just an article buffer displayed.
8219 @findex gnus-pick-mode
8220 @kindex M-x gnus-pick-mode
8221 Gnus provides a summary buffer minor mode that allows
8222 this---@code{gnus-pick-mode}. This basically means that a few process
8223 mark commands become one-keystroke commands to allow easy marking, and
8224 it provides one additional command for switching to the summary buffer.
8226 Here are the available keystrokes when using pick mode:
8231 @findex gnus-pick-article-or-thread
8232 Pick the article or thread on the current line
8233 (@code{gnus-pick-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8234 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key selects the
8235 entire thread when used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise,
8236 it selects just the article. If given a numerical prefix, go to that
8237 thread or article and pick it. (The line number is normally displayed
8238 at the beginning of the summary pick lines.)
8241 @kindex SPACE (Pick)
8242 @findex gnus-pick-next-page
8243 Scroll the summary buffer up one page (@code{gnus-pick-next-page}). If
8244 at the end of the buffer, start reading the picked articles.
8248 @findex gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread.
8249 Unpick the thread or article
8250 (@code{gnus-pick-unmark-article-or-thread}). If the variable
8251 @code{gnus-thread-hide-subtree} is true, then this key unpicks the
8252 thread if used at the first article of the thread. Otherwise it unpicks
8253 just the article. You can give this key a numerical prefix to unpick
8254 the thread or article at that line.
8258 @findex gnus-pick-start-reading
8259 @vindex gnus-pick-display-summary
8260 Start reading the picked articles (@code{gnus-pick-start-reading}). If
8261 given a prefix, mark all unpicked articles as read first. If
8262 @code{gnus-pick-display-summary} is non-@code{nil}, the summary buffer
8263 will still be visible when you are reading.
8267 All the normal summary mode commands are still available in the
8268 pick-mode, with the exception of @kbd{u}. However @kbd{!} is available
8269 which is mapped to the same function
8270 @code{gnus-summary-tick-article-forward}.
8272 If this sounds like a good idea to you, you could say:
8275 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
8278 @vindex gnus-pick-mode-hook
8279 @code{gnus-pick-mode-hook} is run in pick minor mode buffers.
8281 @vindex gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read
8282 If @code{gnus-mark-unpicked-articles-as-read} is non-@code{nil}, mark
8283 all unpicked articles as read. The default is @code{nil}.
8285 @vindex gnus-summary-pick-line-format
8286 The summary line format in pick mode is slightly different from the
8287 standard format. At the beginning of each line the line number is
8288 displayed. The pick mode line format is controlled by the
8289 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format} variable (@pxref{Formatting
8290 Variables}). It accepts the same format specs that
8291 @code{gnus-summary-line-format} does (@pxref{Summary Buffer Lines}).
8295 @subsection Binary Groups
8296 @cindex binary groups
8298 @findex gnus-binary-mode
8299 @kindex M-x gnus-binary-mode
8300 If you spend much time in binary groups, you may grow tired of hitting
8301 @kbd{X u}, @kbd{n}, @kbd{RET} all the time. @kbd{M-x gnus-binary-mode}
8302 is a minor mode for summary buffers that makes all ordinary Gnus article
8303 selection functions uudecode series of articles and display the result
8304 instead of just displaying the articles the normal way.
8307 @findex gnus-binary-show-article
8308 The only way, in fact, to see the actual articles is the @kbd{g}
8309 command, when you have turned on this mode
8310 (@code{gnus-binary-show-article}).
8312 @vindex gnus-binary-mode-hook
8313 @code{gnus-binary-mode-hook} is called in binary minor mode buffers.
8317 @section Tree Display
8320 @vindex gnus-use-trees
8321 If you don't like the normal Gnus summary display, you might try setting
8322 @code{gnus-use-trees} to @code{t}. This will create (by default) an
8323 additional @dfn{tree buffer}. You can execute all summary mode commands
8326 There are a few variables to customize the tree display, of course:
8329 @item gnus-tree-mode-hook
8330 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-hook
8331 A hook called in all tree mode buffers.
8333 @item gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8334 @vindex gnus-tree-mode-line-format
8335 A format string for the mode bar in the tree mode buffers (@pxref{Mode
8336 Line Formatting}). The default is @samp{Gnus: %%b %S %Z}. For a list
8337 of valid specs, @pxref{Summary Buffer Mode Line}.
8339 @item gnus-selected-tree-face
8340 @vindex gnus-selected-tree-face
8341 Face used for highlighting the selected article in the tree buffer. The
8342 default is @code{modeline}.
8344 @item gnus-tree-line-format
8345 @vindex gnus-tree-line-format
8346 A format string for the tree nodes. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
8347 though---it doesn't define a line, but just the node. The default value
8348 is @samp{%(%[%3,3n%]%)}, which displays the first three characters of
8349 the name of the poster. It is vital that all nodes are of the same
8350 length, so you @emph{must} use @samp{%4,4n}-like specifiers.
8356 The name of the poster.
8358 The @code{From} header.
8360 The number of the article.
8362 The opening bracket.
8364 The closing bracket.
8369 @xref{Formatting Variables}.
8371 Variables related to the display are:
8374 @item gnus-tree-brackets
8375 @vindex gnus-tree-brackets
8376 This is used for differentiating between ``real'' articles and
8377 ``sparse'' articles. The format is @code{((@var{real-open} . @var{real-close})
8378 (@var{sparse-open} . @var{sparse-close}) (@var{dummy-open} . @var{dummy-close}))}, and the
8379 default is @code{((?[ . ?]) (?( . ?)) (?@{ . ?@}) (?< . ?>))}.
8381 @item gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8382 @vindex gnus-tree-parent-child-edges
8383 This is a list that contains the characters used for connecting parent
8384 nodes to their children. The default is @code{(?- ?\\ ?|)}.
8388 @item gnus-tree-minimize-window
8389 @vindex gnus-tree-minimize-window
8390 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will try to keep the tree
8391 buffer as small as possible to allow more room for the other Gnus
8392 windows. If this variable is a number, the tree buffer will never be
8393 higher than that number. The default is @code{t}. Note that if you
8394 have several windows displayed side-by-side in a frame and the tree
8395 buffer is one of these, minimizing the tree window will also resize all
8396 other windows displayed next to it.
8398 @item gnus-generate-tree-function
8399 @vindex gnus-generate-tree-function
8400 @findex gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8401 @findex gnus-generate-vertical-tree
8402 The function that actually generates the thread tree. Two predefined
8403 functions are available: @code{gnus-generate-horizontal-tree} and
8404 @code{gnus-generate-vertical-tree} (which is the default).
8408 Here's an example from a horizontal tree buffer:
8411 @{***@}-(***)-[odd]-[Gun]
8421 Here's the same thread displayed in a vertical tree buffer:
8425 |--------------------------\-----\-----\
8426 (***) [Bjo] [Gun] [Gun]
8428 [odd] [Jan] [odd] (***) [Jor]
8430 [Gun] [Eri] [Eri] [odd]
8435 If you're using horizontal trees, it might be nice to display the trees
8436 side-by-side with the summary buffer. You could add something like the
8437 following to your @file{.gnus.el} file:
8440 (setq gnus-use-trees t
8441 gnus-generate-tree-function 'gnus-generate-horizontal-tree
8442 gnus-tree-minimize-window nil)
8443 (gnus-add-configuration
8447 (summary 0.75 point)
8452 @xref{Windows Configuration}.
8455 @node Mail Group Commands
8456 @section Mail Group Commands
8457 @cindex mail group commands
8459 Some commands only make sense in mail groups. If these commands are
8460 invalid in the current group, they will raise a hell and let you know.
8462 All these commands (except the expiry and edit commands) use the
8463 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8468 @kindex B e (Summary)
8469 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles
8470 Expire all expirable articles in the group
8471 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles}).
8474 @kindex B M-C-e (Summary)
8475 @findex gnus-summary-expire-articles-now
8476 Delete all the expirable articles in the group
8477 (@code{gnus-summary-expire-articles-now}). This means that @strong{all}
8478 articles eligible for expiry in the current group will
8479 disappear forever into that big @file{/dev/null} in the sky.
8482 @kindex B DEL (Summary)
8483 @findex gnus-summary-delete-article
8484 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-delete}
8485 Delete the mail article. This is ``delete'' as in ``delete it from your
8486 disk forever and ever, never to return again.'' Use with caution.
8487 (@code{gnus-summary-delete-article}).
8490 @kindex B m (Summary)
8492 @findex gnus-summary-move-article
8493 @vindex gnus-preserve-marks
8494 Move the article from one mail group to another
8495 (@code{gnus-summary-move-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8496 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8499 @kindex B c (Summary)
8501 @findex gnus-summary-copy-article
8502 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-copy}
8503 Copy the article from one group (mail group or not) to a mail group
8504 (@code{gnus-summary-copy-article}). Marks will be preserved if
8505 @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil} (which is the default).
8508 @kindex B B (Summary)
8509 @cindex crosspost mail
8510 @findex gnus-summary-crosspost-article
8511 Crosspost the current article to some other group
8512 (@code{gnus-summary-crosspost-article}). This will create a new copy of
8513 the article in the other group, and the Xref headers of the article will
8514 be properly updated.
8517 @kindex B i (Summary)
8518 @findex gnus-summary-import-article
8519 Import an arbitrary file into the current mail newsgroup
8520 (@code{gnus-summary-import-article}). You will be prompted for a file
8521 name, a @code{From} header and a @code{Subject} header.
8524 @kindex B r (Summary)
8525 @findex gnus-summary-respool-article
8526 Respool the mail article (@code{gnus-summary-respool-article}).
8527 @code{gnus-summary-respool-default-method} will be used as the default
8528 select method when respooling. This variable is @code{nil} by default,
8529 which means that the current group select method will be used instead.
8530 Marks will be preserved if @var{gnus-preserve-marks} is non-@code{nil}
8531 (which is the default).
8535 @kindex B w (Summary)
8537 @findex gnus-summary-edit-article
8538 @kindex C-c C-c (Article)
8539 Edit the current article (@code{gnus-summary-edit-article}). To finish
8540 editing and make the changes permanent, type @kbd{C-c C-c}
8541 (@kbd{gnus-summary-edit-article-done}). If you give a prefix to the
8542 @kbd{C-c C-c} command, Gnus won't re-highlight the article.
8545 @kindex B q (Summary)
8546 @findex gnus-summary-respool-query
8547 If you want to re-spool an article, you might be curious as to what group
8548 the article will end up in before you do the re-spooling. This command
8549 will tell you (@code{gnus-summary-respool-query}).
8552 @kindex B t (Summary)
8553 @findex gnus-summary-respool-trace
8554 Similarly, this command will display all fancy splitting patterns used
8555 when repooling, if any (@code{gnus-summary-respool-trace}).
8558 @kindex B p (Summary)
8559 @findex gnus-summary-article-posted-p
8560 Some people have a tendency to send you "courtesy" copies when they
8561 follow up to articles you have posted. These usually have a
8562 @code{Newsgroups} header in them, but not always. This command
8563 (@code{gnus-summary-article-posted-p}) will try to fetch the current
8564 article from your news server (or rather, from
8565 @code{gnus-refer-article-method} or @code{gnus-select-method}) and will
8566 report back whether it found the article or not. Even if it says that
8567 it didn't find the article, it may have been posted anyway---mail
8568 propagation is much faster than news propagation, and the news copy may
8569 just not have arrived yet.
8573 @vindex gnus-move-split-methods
8574 @cindex moving articles
8575 If you move (or copy) articles regularly, you might wish to have Gnus
8576 suggest where to put the articles. @code{gnus-move-split-methods} is a
8577 variable that uses the same syntax as @code{gnus-split-methods}
8578 (@pxref{Saving Articles}). You may customize that variable to create
8579 suggestions you find reasonable. (Note that
8580 @code{gnus-move-split-methods} uses group names where
8581 @code{gnus-split-methods} uses file names.)
8584 (setq gnus-move-split-methods
8585 '(("^From:.*Lars Magne" "nnml:junk")
8586 ("^Subject:.*gnus" "nnfolder:important")
8587 (".*" "nnml:misc")))
8591 @node Various Summary Stuff
8592 @section Various Summary Stuff
8595 * Summary Group Information:: Information oriented commands.
8596 * Searching for Articles:: Multiple article commands.
8597 * Summary Generation Commands:: (Re)generating the summary buffer.
8598 * Really Various Summary Commands:: Those pesky non-conformant commands.
8602 @vindex gnus-summary-mode-hook
8603 @item gnus-summary-mode-hook
8604 This hook is called when creating a summary mode buffer.
8606 @vindex gnus-summary-generate-hook
8607 @item gnus-summary-generate-hook
8608 This is called as the last thing before doing the threading and the
8609 generation of the summary buffer. It's quite convenient for customizing
8610 the threading variables based on what data the newsgroup has. This hook
8611 is called from the summary buffer after most summary buffer variables
8614 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8615 @item gnus-summary-prepare-hook
8616 It is called after the summary buffer has been generated. You might use
8617 it to, for instance, highlight lines or modify the look of the buffer in
8618 some other ungodly manner. I don't care.
8620 @vindex gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8621 @item gnus-summary-prepared-hook
8622 A hook called as the very last thing after the summary buffer has been
8625 @vindex gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8626 @item gnus-summary-ignore-duplicates
8627 When Gnus discovers two articles that have the same @code{Message-ID},
8628 it has to do something drastic. No articles are allowed to have the
8629 same @code{Message-ID}, but this may happen when reading mail from some
8630 sources. Gnus allows you to customize what happens with this variable.
8631 If it is @code{nil} (which is the default), Gnus will rename the
8632 @code{Message-ID} (for display purposes only) and display the article as
8633 any other article. If this variable is @code{t}, it won't display the
8634 article---it'll be as if it never existed.
8636 @vindex gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8637 @item gnus-alter-articles-to-read-function
8638 This function, which takes two parameters (the group name and the list
8639 of articles to be selected), is called to allow the user to alter the
8640 list of articles to be selected.
8642 For instance, the following function adds the list of cached articles to
8643 the list in one particular group:
8646 (defun my-add-cached-articles (group articles)
8647 (if (string= group "some.group")
8648 (append gnus-newsgroup-cached articles)
8655 @node Summary Group Information
8656 @subsection Summary Group Information
8661 @kindex H f (Summary)
8662 @findex gnus-summary-fetch-faq
8663 @vindex gnus-group-faq-directory
8664 Try to fetch the FAQ (list of frequently asked questions) for the
8665 current group (@code{gnus-summary-fetch-faq}). Gnus will try to get the
8666 FAQ from @code{gnus-group-faq-directory}, which is usually a directory
8667 on a remote machine. This variable can also be a list of directories.
8668 In that case, giving a prefix to this command will allow you to choose
8669 between the various sites. @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will probably
8670 be used for fetching the file.
8673 @kindex H d (Summary)
8674 @findex gnus-summary-describe-group
8675 Give a brief description of the current group
8676 (@code{gnus-summary-describe-group}). If given a prefix, force
8677 rereading the description from the server.
8680 @kindex H h (Summary)
8681 @findex gnus-summary-describe-briefly
8682 Give an extremely brief description of the most important summary
8683 keystrokes (@code{gnus-summary-describe-briefly}).
8686 @kindex H i (Summary)
8687 @findex gnus-info-find-node
8688 Go to the Gnus info node (@code{gnus-info-find-node}).
8692 @node Searching for Articles
8693 @subsection Searching for Articles
8698 @kindex M-s (Summary)
8699 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-forward
8700 Search through all subsequent articles for a regexp
8701 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-forward}).
8704 @kindex M-r (Summary)
8705 @findex gnus-summary-search-article-backward
8706 Search through all previous articles for a regexp
8707 (@code{gnus-summary-search-article-backward}).
8711 @findex gnus-summary-execute-command
8712 This command will prompt you for a header, a regular expression to match
8713 on this field, and a command to be executed if the match is made
8714 (@code{gnus-summary-execute-command}). If the header is an empty
8715 string, the match is done on the entire article. If given a prefix,
8716 search backward instead.
8718 For instance, @kbd{& RET some.*string #} will put the process mark on
8719 all articles that have heads or bodies that match @samp{some.*string}.
8722 @kindex M-& (Summary)
8723 @findex gnus-summary-universal-argument
8724 Perform any operation on all articles that have been marked with
8725 the process mark (@code{gnus-summary-universal-argument}).
8728 @node Summary Generation Commands
8729 @subsection Summary Generation Commands
8734 @kindex Y g (Summary)
8735 @findex gnus-summary-prepare
8736 Regenerate the current summary buffer (@code{gnus-summary-prepare}).
8739 @kindex Y c (Summary)
8740 @findex gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles
8741 Pull all cached articles (for the current group) into the summary buffer
8742 (@code{gnus-summary-insert-cached-articles}).
8747 @node Really Various Summary Commands
8748 @subsection Really Various Summary Commands
8754 @kindex C-d (Summary)
8755 @kindex A D (Summary)
8756 @findex gnus-summary-enter-digest-group
8757 If the current article is a collection of other articles (for instance,
8758 a digest), you might use this command to enter a group based on the that
8759 article (@code{gnus-summary-enter-digest-group}). Gnus will try to
8760 guess what article type is currently displayed unless you give a prefix
8761 to this command, which forces a ``digest'' interpretation. Basically,
8762 whenever you see a message that is a collection of other messages of
8763 some format, you @kbd{C-d} and read these messages in a more convenient
8767 @kindex M-C-d (Summary)
8768 @findex gnus-summary-read-document
8769 This command is very similar to the one above, but lets you gather
8770 several documents into one biiig group
8771 (@code{gnus-summary-read-document}). It does this by opening several
8772 @code{nndoc} groups for each document, and then opening an
8773 @code{nnvirtual} group on top of these @code{nndoc} groups. This
8774 command understands the process/prefix convention
8775 (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
8778 @kindex C-t (Summary)
8779 @findex gnus-summary-toggle-truncation
8780 Toggle truncation of summary lines
8781 (@code{gnus-summary-toggle-truncation}). This will probably confuse the
8782 line centering function in the summary buffer, so it's not a good idea
8783 to have truncation switched off while reading articles.
8787 @findex gnus-summary-expand-window
8788 Expand the summary buffer window (@code{gnus-summary-expand-window}).
8789 If given a prefix, force an @code{article} window configuration.
8792 @kindex M-C-e (Summary)
8793 @findex gnus-summary-edit-parameters
8794 Edit the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8795 group (@code{gnus-summary-edit-parameters}).
8798 @kindex M-C-a (Summary)
8799 @findex gnus-summary-customize-parameters
8800 Customize the group parameters (@pxref{Group Parameters}) of the current
8801 group (@code{gnus-summary-customize-parameters}).
8806 @node Exiting the Summary Buffer
8807 @section Exiting the Summary Buffer
8808 @cindex summary exit
8809 @cindex exiting groups
8811 Exiting from the summary buffer will normally update all info on the
8812 group and return you to the group buffer.
8818 @kindex Z Z (Summary)
8820 @findex gnus-summary-exit
8821 @vindex gnus-summary-exit-hook
8822 @vindex gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook
8823 @c @icon{gnus-summary-exit}
8824 Exit the current group and update all information on the group
8825 (@code{gnus-summary-exit}). @code{gnus-summary-prepare-exit-hook} is
8826 called before doing much of the exiting, which calls
8827 @code{gnus-summary-expire-articles} by default.
8828 @code{gnus-summary-exit-hook} is called after finishing the exit
8829 process. @code{gnus-group-no-more-groups-hook} is run when returning to
8830 group mode having no more (unread) groups.
8834 @kindex Z E (Summary)
8836 @findex gnus-summary-exit-no-update
8837 Exit the current group without updating any information on the group
8838 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}).
8842 @kindex Z c (Summary)
8844 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit
8845 @c @icon{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}
8846 Mark all unticked articles in the group as read and then exit
8847 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-exit}).
8850 @kindex Z C (Summary)
8851 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit
8852 Mark all articles, even the ticked ones, as read and then exit
8853 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-all-and-exit}).
8856 @kindex Z n (Summary)
8857 @findex gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group
8858 Mark all articles as read and go to the next group
8859 (@code{gnus-summary-catchup-and-goto-next-group}).
8862 @kindex Z R (Summary)
8863 @findex gnus-summary-reselect-current-group
8864 Exit this group, and then enter it again
8865 (@code{gnus-summary-reselect-current-group}). If given a prefix, select
8866 all articles, both read and unread.
8870 @kindex Z G (Summary)
8871 @kindex M-g (Summary)
8872 @findex gnus-summary-rescan-group
8873 @c @icon{gnus-summary-mail-get}
8874 Exit the group, check for new articles in the group, and select the
8875 group (@code{gnus-summary-rescan-group}). If given a prefix, select all
8876 articles, both read and unread.
8879 @kindex Z N (Summary)
8880 @findex gnus-summary-next-group
8881 Exit the group and go to the next group
8882 (@code{gnus-summary-next-group}).
8885 @kindex Z P (Summary)
8886 @findex gnus-summary-prev-group
8887 Exit the group and go to the previous group
8888 (@code{gnus-summary-prev-group}).
8891 @kindex Z s (Summary)
8892 @findex gnus-summary-save-newsrc
8893 Save the current number of read/marked articles in the dribble buffer
8894 and then save the dribble buffer (@code{gnus-summary-save-newsrc}). If
8895 given a prefix, also save the @file{.newsrc} file(s). Using this
8896 command will make exit without updating (the @kbd{Q} command) worthless.
8899 @vindex gnus-exit-group-hook
8900 @code{gnus-exit-group-hook} is called when you exit the current group
8901 with an ``updating'' exit. For instance @kbd{Q}
8902 (@code{gnus-summary-exit-no-update}) does not call this hook.
8904 @findex gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead
8905 @findex gnus-dead-summary-mode
8906 @vindex gnus-kill-summary-on-exit
8907 If you're in the habit of exiting groups, and then changing your mind
8908 about it, you might set @code{gnus-kill-summary-on-exit} to @code{nil}.
8909 If you do that, Gnus won't kill the summary buffer when you exit it.
8910 (Quelle surprise!) Instead it will change the name of the buffer to
8911 something like @samp{*Dead Summary ... *} and install a minor mode
8912 called @code{gnus-dead-summary-mode}. Now, if you switch back to this
8913 buffer, you'll find that all keys are mapped to a function called
8914 @code{gnus-summary-wake-up-the-dead}. So tapping any keys in a dead
8915 summary buffer will result in a live, normal summary buffer.
8917 There will never be more than one dead summary buffer at any one time.
8919 @vindex gnus-use-cross-reference
8920 The data on the current group will be updated (which articles you have
8921 read, which articles you have replied to, etc.) when you exit the
8922 summary buffer. If the @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} variable is
8923 @code{t} (which is the default), articles that are cross-referenced to
8924 this group and are marked as read, will also be marked as read in the
8925 other subscribed groups they were cross-posted to. If this variable is
8926 neither @code{nil} nor @code{t}, the article will be marked as read in
8927 both subscribed and unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}).
8930 @node Crosspost Handling
8931 @section Crosspost Handling
8935 Marking cross-posted articles as read ensures that you'll never have to
8936 read the same article more than once. Unless, of course, somebody has
8937 posted it to several groups separately. Posting the same article to
8938 several groups (not cross-posting) is called @dfn{spamming}, and you are
8939 by law required to send nasty-grams to anyone who perpetrates such a
8940 heinous crime. You may want to try NoCeM handling to filter out spam
8943 Remember: Cross-posting is kinda ok, but posting the same article
8944 separately to several groups is not. Massive cross-posting (aka.
8945 @dfn{velveeta}) is to be avoided at all costs, and you can even use the
8946 @code{gnus-summary-mail-crosspost-complaint} command to complain about
8947 excessive crossposting (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
8949 @cindex cross-posting
8952 One thing that may cause Gnus to not do the cross-posting thing
8953 correctly is if you use an @sc{nntp} server that supports @sc{xover}
8954 (which is very nice, because it speeds things up considerably) which
8955 does not include the @code{Xref} header in its @sc{nov} lines. This is
8956 Evil, but all too common, alas, alack. Gnus tries to Do The Right Thing
8957 even with @sc{xover} by registering the @code{Xref} lines of all
8958 articles you actually read, but if you kill the articles, or just mark
8959 them as read without reading them, Gnus will not get a chance to snoop
8960 the @code{Xref} lines out of these articles, and will be unable to use
8961 the cross reference mechanism.
8963 @cindex LIST overview.fmt
8964 @cindex overview.fmt
8965 To check whether your @sc{nntp} server includes the @code{Xref} header
8966 in its overview files, try @samp{telnet your.nntp.server nntp},
8967 @samp{MODE READER} on @code{inn} servers, and then say @samp{LIST
8968 overview.fmt}. This may not work, but if it does, and the last line you
8969 get does not read @samp{Xref:full}, then you should shout and whine at
8970 your news admin until she includes the @code{Xref} header in the
8973 @vindex gnus-nov-is-evil
8974 If you want Gnus to get the @code{Xref}s right all the time, you have to
8975 set @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{t}, which slows things down
8980 For an alternative approach, @pxref{Duplicate Suppression}.
8983 @node Duplicate Suppression
8984 @section Duplicate Suppression
8986 By default, Gnus tries to make sure that you don't have to read the same
8987 article more than once by utilizing the crossposting mechanism
8988 (@pxref{Crosspost Handling}). However, that simple and efficient
8989 approach may not work satisfactory for some users for various
8994 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to generate the @code{Xref} header. This
8995 is evil and not very common.
8998 The @sc{nntp} server may fail to include the @code{Xref} header in the
8999 @file{.overview} data bases. This is evil and all too common, alas.
9002 You may be reading the same group (or several related groups) from
9003 different @sc{nntp} servers.
9006 You may be getting mail that duplicates articles posted to groups.
9009 I'm sure there are other situations where @code{Xref} handling fails as
9010 well, but these four are the most common situations.
9012 If, and only if, @code{Xref} handling fails for you, then you may
9013 consider switching on @dfn{duplicate suppression}. If you do so, Gnus
9014 will remember the @code{Message-ID}s of all articles you have read or
9015 otherwise marked as read, and then, as if by magic, mark them as read
9016 all subsequent times you see them---in @emph{all} groups. Using this
9017 mechanism is quite likely to be somewhat inefficient, but not overly
9018 so. It's certainly preferable to reading the same articles more than
9021 Duplicate suppression is not a very subtle instrument. It's more like a
9022 sledge hammer than anything else. It works in a very simple
9023 fashion---if you have marked an article as read, it adds this Message-ID
9024 to a cache. The next time it sees this Message-ID, it will mark the
9025 article as read with the @samp{M} mark. It doesn't care what group it
9029 @item gnus-suppress-duplicates
9030 @vindex gnus-suppress-duplicates
9031 If non-@code{nil}, suppress duplicates.
9033 @item gnus-save-duplicate-list
9034 @vindex gnus-save-duplicate-list
9035 If non-@code{nil}, save the list of duplicates to a file. This will
9036 make startup and shutdown take longer, so the default is @code{nil}.
9037 However, this means that only duplicate articles read in a single Gnus
9038 session are suppressed.
9040 @item gnus-duplicate-list-length
9041 @vindex gnus-duplicate-list-length
9042 This variable says how many @code{Message-ID}s to keep in the duplicate
9043 suppression list. The default is 10000.
9045 @item gnus-duplicate-file
9046 @vindex gnus-duplicate-file
9047 The name of the file to store the duplicate suppression list in. The
9048 default is @file{~/News/suppression}.
9051 If you have a tendency to stop and start Gnus often, setting
9052 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{t} is probably a good idea. If
9053 you leave Gnus running for weeks on end, you may have it @code{nil}. On
9054 the other hand, saving the list makes startup and shutdown much slower,
9055 so that means that if you stop and start Gnus often, you should set
9056 @code{gnus-save-duplicate-list} to @code{nil}. Uhm. I'll leave this up
9057 to you to figure out, I think.
9060 @node The Article Buffer
9061 @chapter The Article Buffer
9062 @cindex article buffer
9064 The articles are displayed in the article buffer, of which there is only
9065 one. All the summary buffers share the same article buffer unless you
9066 tell Gnus otherwise.
9069 * Hiding Headers:: Deciding what headers should be displayed.
9070 * Using MIME:: Pushing articles through @sc{mime} before reading them.
9071 * Customizing Articles:: Tailoring the look of the articles.
9072 * Article Keymap:: Keystrokes available in the article buffer.
9073 * Misc Article:: Other stuff.
9077 @node Hiding Headers
9078 @section Hiding Headers
9079 @cindex hiding headers
9080 @cindex deleting headers
9082 The top section of each article is the @dfn{head}. (The rest is the
9083 @dfn{body}, but you may have guessed that already.)
9085 @vindex gnus-show-all-headers
9086 There is a lot of useful information in the head: the name of the person
9087 who wrote the article, the date it was written and the subject of the
9088 article. That's well and nice, but there's also lots of information
9089 most people do not want to see---what systems the article has passed
9090 through before reaching you, the @code{Message-ID}, the
9091 @code{References}, etc. ad nauseum---and you'll probably want to get rid
9092 of some of those lines. If you want to keep all those lines in the
9093 article buffer, you can set @code{gnus-show-all-headers} to @code{t}.
9095 Gnus provides you with two variables for sifting headers:
9099 @item gnus-visible-headers
9100 @vindex gnus-visible-headers
9101 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, it should be a regular expression
9102 that says what headers you wish to keep in the article buffer. All
9103 headers that do not match this variable will be hidden.
9105 For instance, if you only want to see the name of the person who wrote
9106 the article and the subject, you'd say:
9109 (setq gnus-visible-headers "^From:\\|^Subject:")
9112 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9115 @item gnus-ignored-headers
9116 @vindex gnus-ignored-headers
9117 This variable is the reverse of @code{gnus-visible-headers}. If this
9118 variable is set (and @code{gnus-visible-headers} is @code{nil}), it
9119 should be a regular expression that matches all lines that you want to
9120 hide. All lines that do not match this variable will remain visible.
9122 For instance, if you just want to get rid of the @code{References} line
9123 and the @code{Xref} line, you might say:
9126 (setq gnus-ignored-headers "^References:\\|^Xref:")
9129 This variable can also be a list of regexps to match headers to
9132 Note that if @code{gnus-visible-headers} is non-@code{nil}, this
9133 variable will have no effect.
9137 @vindex gnus-sorted-header-list
9138 Gnus can also sort the headers for you. (It does this by default.) You
9139 can control the sorting by setting the @code{gnus-sorted-header-list}
9140 variable. It is a list of regular expressions that says in what order
9141 the headers are to be displayed.
9143 For instance, if you want the name of the author of the article first,
9144 and then the subject, you might say something like:
9147 (setq gnus-sorted-header-list '("^From:" "^Subject:"))
9150 Any headers that are to remain visible, but are not listed in this
9151 variable, will be displayed in random order after all the headers listed in this variable.
9153 @findex gnus-article-hide-boring-headers
9154 @vindex gnus-boring-article-headers
9155 You can hide further boring headers by setting
9156 @code{gnus-treat-hide-boring-header} to @code{head}. What this function
9157 does depends on the @code{gnus-boring-article-headers} variable. It's a
9158 list, but this list doesn't actually contain header names. Instead is
9159 lists various @dfn{boring conditions} that Gnus can check and remove
9162 These conditions are:
9165 Remove all empty headers.
9167 Remove the @code{Followup-To} header if it is identical to the
9168 @code{Newsgroups} header.
9170 Remove the @code{Reply-To} header if it lists the same address as the
9173 Remove the @code{Newsgroups} header if it only contains the current group
9176 Remove the @code{Date} header if the article is less than three days
9179 Remove the @code{To} header if it is very long.
9181 Remove all @code{To} headers if there are more than one.
9184 To include the four three elements, you could say something like;
9187 (setq gnus-boring-article-headers
9188 '(empty followup-to reply-to))
9191 This is also the default value for this variable.
9195 @section Using @sc{mime}
9198 Mime is a standard for waving your hands through the air, aimlessly,
9199 while people stand around yawning.
9201 @sc{mime}, however, is a standard for encoding your articles, aimlessly,
9202 while all newsreaders die of fear.
9204 @sc{mime} may specify what character set the article uses, the encoding
9205 of the characters, and it also makes it possible to embed pictures and
9206 other naughty stuff in innocent-looking articles.
9208 @vindex gnus-display-mime-function
9209 @findex gnus-display-mime
9210 Gnus pushes @sc{mime} articles through @code{gnus-display-mime-function}
9211 to display the @sc{mime} parts. This is @code{gnus-display-mime} by
9212 default, which creates a bundle of clickable buttons that can be used to
9213 display, save and manipulate the @sc{mime} objects.
9215 The following commands are available when you have placed point over a
9219 @findex gnus-article-press-button
9221 @itemx BUTTON-2 (Article)
9222 Toggle displaying of the @sc{mime} object
9223 (@code{gnus-article-press-button}).
9225 @findex gnus-mime-view-part
9226 @item M-RET (Article)
9228 Prompt for a method, and then view the @sc{mime} object using this
9229 method (@code{gnus-mime-view-part}).
9231 @findex gnus-mime-save-part
9233 Prompt for a file name, and then save the @sc{mime} object
9234 (@code{gnus-mime-save-part}).
9236 @findex gnus-mime-copy-part
9238 Copy the @sc{mime} object to a fresh buffer and display this buffer
9239 (@code{gnus-mime-copy-part}).
9241 @findex gnus-mime-view-part-as-type
9243 View the @sc{mime} object as if it were a different @sc{mime} media type
9244 (@code{gnus-mime-view-part-as-type}).
9246 @findex gnus-mime-pipe-part
9248 Output the @sc{mime} object to a process (@code{gnus-mime-pipe-part}).
9250 @findex gnus-mime-inline-part
9252 Insert the contents of the @sc{mime} object into the buffer
9253 (@code{gnus-mime-inline-part}) as text/plain. If given a prefix, insert
9254 the raw contents without decoding. If given a numerical prefix, you can
9255 do semi-manual charset stuff (see
9256 @code{gnus-summary-show-article-charset-alist} in @pxref{Paging the
9259 @findex gnus-mime-action-on-part
9261 Interactively run an action on the @sc{mime} object
9262 (@code{gnus-mime-action-on-part}).
9266 Gnus will display some @sc{mime} objects automatically. The way Gnus
9267 determines which parts to do this with is described in the Emacs MIME
9270 It might be best to just use the toggling functions from the article
9271 buffer to avoid getting nasty surprises. (For instance, you enter the
9272 group @samp{alt.sing-a-long} and, before you know it, @sc{mime} has
9273 decoded the sound file in the article and some horrible sing-a-long song
9274 comes screaming out your speakers, and you can't find the volume button,
9275 because there isn't one, and people are starting to look at you, and you
9276 try to stop the program, but you can't, and you can't find the program
9277 to control the volume, and everybody else in the room suddenly decides
9278 to look at you disdainfully, and you'll feel rather stupid.)
9280 Any similarity to real events and people is purely coincidental. Ahem.
9282 Also see @pxref{MIME Commands}.
9285 @node Customizing Articles
9286 @section Customizing Articles
9287 @cindex article customization
9289 A slew of functions for customizing how the articles are to look like
9290 exist. You can call these functions interactively, or you can have them
9291 called automatically when you select the articles.
9293 To have them called automatically, you should set the corresponding
9294 ``treatment'' variable. For instance, to have headers hidden, you'd set
9295 @code{gnus-treat-hide-headers}. Below is a list of variables that can
9296 be set, but first we discuss the values these variables can have.
9298 Note: Some values, while valid, make little sense. Check the list below
9299 for sensible values.
9303 @code{nil}: Don't do this treatment.
9306 @code{t}: Do this treatment on all body parts.
9309 @code{head}: Do the treatment on the headers.
9312 @code{last}: Do this treatment on the last part.
9315 An integer: Do this treatment on all body parts that have a length less
9319 A list of strings: Do this treatment on all body parts that are in
9320 articles that are read in groups that have names that match one of the
9321 regexps in the list.
9324 A list where the first element is not a string:
9326 The list is evaluated recursively. The first element of the list is a
9327 predicate. The following predicates are recognized: @code{or},
9328 @code{and}, @code{not} and @code{typep}. Here's an example:
9332 (typep "text/x-vcard"))
9337 You may have noticed that the word @dfn{part} is used here. This refers
9338 to the fact that some messages are @sc{mime} multipart articles that may
9339 be divided into several parts. Articles that are not multiparts are
9340 considered to contain just a single part.
9342 @vindex gnus-article-treat-types
9343 Are the treatments applied to all sorts of multipart parts? Yes, if you
9344 want to, but by default, only @samp{text/plain} parts are given the
9345 treatment. This is controlled by the @code{gnus-article-treat-types}
9346 variable, which is a list of regular expressions that are matched to the
9347 type of the part. This variable is ignored if the value of the
9348 controlling variable is a predicate list, as described above.
9350 The following treatment options are available. The easiest way to
9351 customize this is to examine the @code{gnus-article-treat} customization
9352 group. Values in parenthesis are suggested sensible values. Others are
9353 possible but those listed are probably sufficient for most people.
9356 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last)
9357 @item gnus-treat-buttonize (t, integer)
9358 @item gnus-treat-buttonize-head (head)
9359 @item gnus-treat-emphasize (t, head, integer)
9360 @item gnus-treat-fill-article (t, integer)
9361 @item gnus-treat-strip-cr (t, integer)
9362 @item gnus-treat-hide-headers (head)
9363 @item gnus-treat-hide-boring-headers (head)
9364 @item gnus-treat-hide-signature (t, last)
9365 @item gnus-treat-hide-citation (t, integer)
9366 @item gnus-treat-strip-pgp (t, last, integer)
9367 @item gnus-treat-strip-pem (t, last, integer)
9368 @item gnus-treat-highlight-headers (head)
9369 @item gnus-treat-highlight-citation (t, integer)
9370 @item gnus-treat-highlight-signature (t, last, integer)
9371 @item gnus-treat-date-ut (head)
9372 @item gnus-treat-date-local (head)
9373 @item gnus-treat-date-lapsed (head)
9374 @item gnus-treat-date-original (head)
9375 @item gnus-treat-strip-headers-in-body (t, integer)
9376 @item gnus-treat-strip-trailing-blank-lines (t, last, integer)
9377 @item gnus-treat-strip-leading-blank-lines (t, integer)
9378 @item gnus-treat-strip-multiple-blank-lines (t, integer)
9379 @item gnus-treat-overstrike (t, integer)
9380 @item gnus-treat-display-xface (head)
9381 @item gnus-treat-display-smileys (t, integer)
9382 @item gnus-treat-display-picons (head)
9383 @item gnus-treat-capitalize-sentences (t, integer)
9384 @item gnus-treat-fill-long-lines (t, integer)
9385 @item gnus-treat-play-sounds
9386 @item gnus-treat-translate
9389 @vindex gnus-part-display-hook
9390 You can, of course, write your own functions to be called from
9391 @code{gnus-part-display-hook}. The functions are called narrowed to the
9392 part, and you can do anything you like, pretty much. There is no
9393 information that you have to keep in the buffer---you can change
9397 @node Article Keymap
9398 @section Article Keymap
9400 Most of the keystrokes in the summary buffer can also be used in the
9401 article buffer. They should behave as if you typed them in the summary
9402 buffer, which means that you don't actually have to have a summary
9403 buffer displayed while reading. You can do it all from the article
9406 A few additional keystrokes are available:
9411 @kindex SPACE (Article)
9412 @findex gnus-article-next-page
9413 Scroll forwards one page (@code{gnus-article-next-page}).
9416 @kindex DEL (Article)
9417 @findex gnus-article-prev-page
9418 Scroll backwards one page (@code{gnus-article-prev-page}).
9421 @kindex C-c ^ (Article)
9422 @findex gnus-article-refer-article
9423 If point is in the neighborhood of a @code{Message-ID} and you press
9424 @kbd{C-c ^}, Gnus will try to get that article from the server
9425 (@code{gnus-article-refer-article}).
9428 @kindex C-c C-m (Article)
9429 @findex gnus-article-mail
9430 Send a reply to the address near point (@code{gnus-article-mail}). If
9431 given a prefix, include the mail.
9435 @findex gnus-article-show-summary
9436 Reconfigure the buffers so that the summary buffer becomes visible
9437 (@code{gnus-article-show-summary}).
9441 @findex gnus-article-describe-briefly
9442 Give a very brief description of the available keystrokes
9443 (@code{gnus-article-describe-briefly}).
9446 @kindex TAB (Article)
9447 @findex gnus-article-next-button
9448 Go to the next button, if any (@code{gnus-article-next-button}). This
9449 only makes sense if you have buttonizing turned on.
9452 @kindex M-TAB (Article)
9453 @findex gnus-article-prev-button
9454 Go to the previous button, if any (@code{gnus-article-prev-button}).
9460 @section Misc Article
9464 @item gnus-single-article-buffer
9465 @vindex gnus-single-article-buffer
9466 If non-@code{nil}, use the same article buffer for all the groups.
9467 (This is the default.) If @code{nil}, each group will have its own
9470 @vindex gnus-article-decode-hook
9471 @item gnus-article-decode-hook
9473 Hook used to decode @sc{mime} articles. The default value is
9474 @code{(article-decode-charset article-decode-encoded-words)}
9476 @vindex gnus-article-prepare-hook
9477 @item gnus-article-prepare-hook
9478 This hook is called right after the article has been inserted into the
9479 article buffer. It is mainly intended for functions that do something
9480 depending on the contents; it should probably not be used for changing
9481 the contents of the article buffer.
9483 @item gnus-article-mode-hook
9484 @vindex gnus-article-mode-hook
9485 Hook called in article mode buffers.
9487 @item gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9488 @vindex gnus-article-mode-syntax-table
9489 Syntax table used in article buffers. It is initialized from
9490 @code{text-mode-syntax-table}.
9492 @vindex gnus-article-mode-line-format
9493 @item gnus-article-mode-line-format
9494 This variable is a format string along the same lines as
9495 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format} (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}). It
9496 accepts the same format specifications as that variable, with two
9501 The @dfn{wash status} of the article. This is a short string with one
9502 character for each possible article wash operation that may have been
9505 The number of @sc{mime} parts in the article.
9508 @vindex gnus-break-pages
9510 @item gnus-break-pages
9511 Controls whether @dfn{page breaking} is to take place. If this variable
9512 is non-@code{nil}, the articles will be divided into pages whenever a
9513 page delimiter appears in the article. If this variable is @code{nil},
9514 paging will not be done.
9516 @item gnus-page-delimiter
9517 @vindex gnus-page-delimiter
9518 This is the delimiter mentioned above. By default, it is @samp{^L}
9523 @node Composing Messages
9524 @chapter Composing Messages
9525 @cindex composing messages
9528 @cindex sending mail
9533 @kindex C-c C-c (Post)
9534 All commands for posting and mailing will put you in a message buffer
9535 where you can edit the article all you like, before you send the
9536 article by pressing @kbd{C-c C-c}. @xref{Top, , Top, message, The
9537 Message Manual}. Where the message will be posted/mailed to depends
9538 on your setup (@pxref{Posting Server}).
9541 * Mail:: Mailing and replying.
9542 * Posting Server:: What server should you post via?
9543 * Mail and Post:: Mailing and posting at the same time.
9544 * Archived Messages:: Where Gnus stores the messages you've sent.
9545 * Posting Styles:: An easier way to specify who you are.
9546 * Drafts:: Postponing messages and rejected messages.
9547 * Rejected Articles:: What happens if the server doesn't like your article?
9550 Also see @pxref{Canceling and Superseding} for information on how to
9551 remove articles you shouldn't have posted.
9557 Variables for customizing outgoing mail:
9560 @item gnus-uu-digest-headers
9561 @vindex gnus-uu-digest-headers
9562 List of regexps to match headers included in digested messages. The
9563 headers will be included in the sequence they are matched.
9565 @item gnus-add-to-list
9566 @vindex gnus-add-to-list
9567 If non-@code{nil}, add a @code{to-list} group parameter to mail groups
9568 that have none when you do a @kbd{a}.
9573 @node Posting Server
9574 @section Posting Server
9576 When you press those magical @kbd{C-c C-c} keys to ship off your latest
9577 (extremely intelligent, of course) article, where does it go?
9579 Thank you for asking. I hate you.
9581 @vindex gnus-post-method
9583 It can be quite complicated. Normally, Gnus will use the same native
9584 server. However. If your native server doesn't allow posting, just
9585 reading, you probably want to use some other server to post your
9586 (extremely intelligent and fabulously interesting) articles. You can
9587 then set the @code{gnus-post-method} to some other method:
9590 (setq gnus-post-method '(nnspool ""))
9593 Now, if you've done this, and then this server rejects your article, or
9594 this server is down, what do you do then? To override this variable you
9595 can use a non-zero prefix to the @kbd{C-c C-c} command to force using
9596 the ``current'' server for posting.
9598 If you give a zero prefix (i.e., @kbd{C-u 0 C-c C-c}) to that command,
9599 Gnus will prompt you for what method to use for posting.
9601 You can also set @code{gnus-post-method} to a list of select methods.
9602 If that's the case, Gnus will always prompt you for what method to use
9605 Finally, if you want to always post using the same select method as
9606 you're reading from (which might be convenient if you're reading lots of
9607 groups from different private servers), you can set this variable to
9612 @section Mail and Post
9614 Here's a list of variables relevant to both mailing and
9618 @item gnus-mailing-list-groups
9619 @findex gnus-mailing-list-groups
9620 @cindex mailing lists
9622 If your news server offers groups that are really mailing lists
9623 gatewayed to the @sc{nntp} server, you can read those groups without
9624 problems, but you can't post/followup to them without some difficulty.
9625 One solution is to add a @code{to-address} to the group parameters
9626 (@pxref{Group Parameters}). An easier thing to do is set the
9627 @code{gnus-mailing-list-groups} to a regexp that matches the groups that
9628 really are mailing lists. Then, at least, followups to the mailing
9629 lists will work most of the time. Posting to these groups (@kbd{a}) is
9630 still a pain, though.
9634 You may want to do spell-checking on messages that you send out. Or, if
9635 you don't want to spell-check by hand, you could add automatic
9636 spell-checking via the @code{ispell} package:
9639 @findex ispell-message
9641 (add-hook 'message-send-hook 'ispell-message)
9644 If you want to change the @code{ispell} dictionary based on what group
9645 you're in, you could say something like the following:
9648 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
9651 ((string-match "^de\\." gnus-newsgroup-name)
9652 (ispell-change-dictionary "deutsch"))
9654 (ispell-change-dictionary "english")))))
9657 Modify to suit your needs.
9660 @node Archived Messages
9661 @section Archived Messages
9662 @cindex archived messages
9663 @cindex sent messages
9665 Gnus provides a few different methods for storing the mail and news you
9666 send. The default method is to use the @dfn{archive virtual server} to
9667 store the messages. If you want to disable this completely, the
9668 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable should be @code{nil}, which
9671 @vindex gnus-message-archive-method
9672 @code{gnus-message-archive-method} says what virtual server Gnus is to
9673 use to store sent messages. The default is:
9677 (nnfolder-directory "~/Mail/archive")
9678 (nnfolder-active-file "~/Mail/archive/active")
9679 (nnfolder-get-new-mail nil)
9680 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t))
9683 You can, however, use any mail select method (@code{nnml},
9684 @code{nnmbox}, etc.). @code{nnfolder} is a quite likable select method
9685 for doing this sort of thing, though. If you don't like the default
9686 directory chosen, you could say something like:
9689 (setq gnus-message-archive-method
9690 '(nnfolder "archive"
9691 (nnfolder-inhibit-expiry t)
9692 (nnfolder-active-file "~/News/sent-mail/active")
9693 (nnfolder-directory "~/News/sent-mail/")))
9696 @vindex gnus-message-archive-group
9698 Gnus will insert @code{Gcc} headers in all outgoing messages that point
9699 to one or more group(s) on that server. Which group to use is
9700 determined by the @code{gnus-message-archive-group} variable.
9702 This variable can be used to do the following:
9706 Messages will be saved in that group.
9708 Note that you can include a select method in the group name, then the
9709 message will not be stored in the select method given by
9710 @code{gnus-message-archive-method}, but in the select method specified
9711 by the group name, instead. Suppose @code{gnus-message-archive-method}
9712 has the default value shown above. Then setting
9713 @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{"foo"} means that outgoing
9714 messages are stored in @samp{nnfolder+archive:foo}, but if you use the
9715 value @code{"nnml:foo"}, then outgoing messages will be stored in
9717 @item a list of strings
9718 Messages will be saved in all those groups.
9719 @item an alist of regexps, functions and forms
9720 When a key ``matches'', the result is used.
9722 No message archiving will take place. This is the default.
9727 Just saving to a single group called @samp{MisK}:
9729 (setq gnus-message-archive-group "MisK")
9732 Saving to two groups, @samp{MisK} and @samp{safe}:
9734 (setq gnus-message-archive-group '("MisK" "safe"))
9737 Save to different groups based on what group you are in:
9739 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9740 '(("^alt" "sent-to-alt")
9741 ("mail" "sent-to-mail")
9742 (".*" "sent-to-misc")))
9747 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9748 '((if (message-news-p)
9753 How about storing all news messages in one file, but storing all mail
9754 messages in one file per month:
9757 (setq gnus-message-archive-group
9758 '((if (message-news-p)
9760 (concat "mail." (format-time-string "%Y-%m")))))
9763 (XEmacs 19.13 doesn't have @code{format-time-string}, so you'll have to
9764 use a different value for @code{gnus-message-archive-group} there.)
9766 Now, when you send a message off, it will be stored in the appropriate
9767 group. (If you want to disable storing for just one particular message,
9768 you can just remove the @code{Gcc} header that has been inserted.) The
9769 archive group will appear in the group buffer the next time you start
9770 Gnus, or the next time you press @kbd{F} in the group buffer. You can
9771 enter it and read the articles in it just like you'd read any other
9772 group. If the group gets really big and annoying, you can simply rename
9773 if (using @kbd{G r} in the group buffer) to something
9774 nice---@samp{misc-mail-september-1995}, or whatever. New messages will
9775 continue to be stored in the old (now empty) group.
9777 That's the default method of archiving sent messages. Gnus offers a
9778 different way for the people who don't like the default method. In that
9779 case you should set @code{gnus-message-archive-group} to @code{nil};
9780 this will disable archiving.
9783 @item gnus-outgoing-message-group
9784 @vindex gnus-outgoing-message-group
9785 All outgoing messages will be put in this group. If you want to store
9786 all your outgoing mail and articles in the group @samp{nnml:archive},
9787 you set this variable to that value. This variable can also be a list of
9790 If you want to have greater control over what group to put each
9791 message in, you can set this variable to a function that checks the
9792 current newsgroup name and then returns a suitable group name (or list
9795 This variable can be used instead of @code{gnus-message-archive-group},
9796 but the latter is the preferred method.
9800 @node Posting Styles
9801 @section Posting Styles
9802 @cindex posting styles
9805 All them variables, they make my head swim.
9807 So what if you want a different @code{Organization} and signature based
9808 on what groups you post to? And you post both from your home machine
9809 and your work machine, and you want different @code{From} lines, and so
9812 @vindex gnus-posting-styles
9813 One way to do stuff like that is to write clever hooks that change the
9814 variables you need to have changed. That's a bit boring, so somebody
9815 came up with the bright idea of letting the user specify these things in
9816 a handy alist. Here's an example of a @code{gnus-posting-styles}
9821 (signature "Peace and happiness")
9822 (organization "What me?"))
9824 (signature "Death to everybody"))
9825 ("comp.emacs.i-love-it"
9826 (organization "Emacs is it")))
9829 As you might surmise from this example, this alist consists of several
9830 @dfn{styles}. Each style will be applicable if the first element
9831 ``matches'', in some form or other. The entire alist will be iterated
9832 over, from the beginning towards the end, and each match will be
9833 applied, which means that attributes in later styles that match override
9834 the same attributes in earlier matching styles. So
9835 @samp{comp.programming.literate} will have the @samp{Death to everybody}
9836 signature and the @samp{What me?} @code{Organization} header.
9838 The first element in each style is called the @code{match}. If it's a
9839 string, then Gnus will try to regexp match it against the group name.
9840 If it is the symbol @code{header}, then Gnus will look for header that
9841 match the next element in the match, and compare that to the last header
9842 in the match. If it's a function symbol, that function will be called
9843 with no arguments. If it's a variable symbol, then the variable will be
9844 referenced. If it's a list, then that list will be @code{eval}ed. In
9845 any case, if this returns a non-@code{nil} value, then the style is said
9848 Each style may contain a arbitrary amount of @dfn{attributes}. Each
9849 attribute consists of a @code{(@var{name} . @var{value})} pair. The
9850 attribute name can be one of @code{signature}, @code{signature-file},
9851 @code{organization}, @code{address}, @code{name} or @code{body}. The
9852 attribute name can also be a string. In that case, this will be used as
9853 a header name, and the value will be inserted in the headers of the
9854 article; if the value is @code{nil}, the header name will be removed.
9855 If the attribute name is @code{eval}, the form is evaluated, and the
9856 result is thrown away.
9858 The attribute value can be a string (used verbatim), a function with
9859 zero arguments (the return value will be used), a variable (its value
9860 will be used) or a list (it will be @code{eval}ed and the return value
9861 will be used). The functions and sexps are called/@code{eval}ed in the
9862 message buffer that is being set up. The headers of the current article
9863 are available through the @code{message-reply-headers} variable.
9865 If you wish to check whether the message you are about to compose is
9866 meant to be a news article or a mail message, you can check the values
9867 of the @code{message-news-p} and @code{message-mail-p} functions.
9869 @findex message-mail-p
9870 @findex message-news-p
9872 So here's a new example:
9875 (setq gnus-posting-styles
9877 (signature-file "~/.signature")
9879 ("X-Home-Page" (getenv "WWW_HOME"))
9880 (organization "People's Front Against MWM"))
9882 (signature my-funny-signature-randomizer))
9883 ((equal (system-name) "gnarly")
9884 (signature my-quote-randomizer))
9886 (signature my-news-signature))
9887 (header "From\\|To" "larsi.*org"
9888 (Organization "Somewhere, Inc."))
9889 ((posting-from-work-p)
9890 (signature-file "~/.work-signature")
9891 (address "user@@bar.foo")
9892 (body "You are fired.\n\nSincerely, your boss.")
9893 (organization "Important Work, Inc"))
9895 (From (save-excursion
9896 (set-buffer gnus-article-buffer)
9897 (message-fetch-field "to"))))
9899 (signature-file "~/.mail-signature"))))
9902 The @samp{nnml:.*} rule means that you use the @code{To} address as the
9903 @code{From} address in all your outgoing replies, which might be handy
9904 if you fill many roles.
9911 If you are writing a message (mail or news) and suddenly remember that
9912 you have a steak in the oven (or some pesto in the food processor, you
9913 craaazy vegetarians), you'll probably wish there was a method to save
9914 the message you are writing so that you can continue editing it some
9915 other day, and send it when you feel its finished.
9917 Well, don't worry about it. Whenever you start composing a message of
9918 some sort using the Gnus mail and post commands, the buffer you get will
9919 automatically associate to an article in a special @dfn{draft} group.
9920 If you save the buffer the normal way (@kbd{C-x C-s}, for instance), the
9921 article will be saved there. (Auto-save files also go to the draft
9925 @vindex nndraft-directory
9926 The draft group is a special group (which is implemented as an
9927 @code{nndraft} group, if you absolutely have to know) called
9928 @samp{nndraft:drafts}. The variable @code{nndraft-directory} says where
9929 @code{nndraft} is to store its files. What makes this group special is
9930 that you can't tick any articles in it or mark any articles as
9931 read---all articles in the group are permanently unread.
9933 If the group doesn't exist, it will be created and you'll be subscribed
9934 to it. The only way to make it disappear from the Group buffer is to
9937 @c @findex gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft
9938 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Mail)
9939 @c @kindex C-c M-d (Post)
9940 @c @findex gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft
9941 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Mail)
9942 @c @kindex C-c C-d (Post)
9943 @c If you're writing some super-secret message that you later want to
9944 @c encode with PGP before sending, you may wish to turn the auto-saving
9945 @c (and association with the draft group) off. You never know who might be
9946 @c interested in reading all your extremely valuable and terribly horrible
9947 @c and interesting secrets. The @kbd{C-c M-d}
9948 @c (@code{gnus-dissociate-buffer-from-draft}) command does that for you.
9949 @c If you change your mind and want to turn the auto-saving back on again,
9950 @c @kbd{C-c C-d} (@code{gnus-associate-buffer-with-draft} does that.
9952 @c @vindex gnus-use-draft
9953 @c To leave association with the draft group off by default, set
9954 @c @code{gnus-use-draft} to @code{nil}. It is @code{t} by default.
9956 @findex gnus-draft-edit-message
9958 When you want to continue editing the article, you simply enter the
9959 draft group and push @kbd{D e} (@code{gnus-draft-edit-message}) to do
9960 that. You will be placed in a buffer where you left off.
9962 Rejected articles will also be put in this draft group (@pxref{Rejected
9965 @findex gnus-draft-send-all-messages
9966 @findex gnus-draft-send-message
9967 If you have lots of rejected messages you want to post (or mail) without
9968 doing further editing, you can use the @kbd{D s} command
9969 (@code{gnus-draft-send-message}). This command understands the
9970 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}). The @kbd{D S}
9971 command (@code{gnus-draft-send-all-messages}) will ship off all messages
9974 If you have some messages that you wish not to send, you can use the
9975 @kbd{D t} (@code{gnus-draft-toggle-sending}) command to mark the message
9976 as unsendable. This is a toggling command.
9979 @node Rejected Articles
9980 @section Rejected Articles
9981 @cindex rejected articles
9983 Sometimes a news server will reject an article. Perhaps the server
9984 doesn't like your face. Perhaps it just feels miserable. Perhaps
9985 @emph{there be demons}. Perhaps you have included too much cited text.
9986 Perhaps the disk is full. Perhaps the server is down.
9988 These situations are, of course, totally beyond the control of Gnus.
9989 (Gnus, of course, loves the way you look, always feels great, has angels
9990 fluttering around inside of it, doesn't care about how much cited text
9991 you include, never runs full and never goes down.) So Gnus saves these
9992 articles until some later time when the server feels better.
9994 The rejected articles will automatically be put in a special draft group
9995 (@pxref{Drafts}). When the server comes back up again, you'd then
9996 typically enter that group and send all the articles off.
9999 @node Select Methods
10000 @chapter Select Methods
10001 @cindex foreign groups
10002 @cindex select methods
10004 A @dfn{foreign group} is a group not read by the usual (or
10005 default) means. It could be, for instance, a group from a different
10006 @sc{nntp} server, it could be a virtual group, or it could be your own
10007 personal mail group.
10009 A foreign group (or any group, really) is specified by a @dfn{name} and
10010 a @dfn{select method}. To take the latter first, a select method is a
10011 list where the first element says what backend to use (e.g. @code{nntp},
10012 @code{nnspool}, @code{nnml}) and the second element is the @dfn{server
10013 name}. There may be additional elements in the select method, where the
10014 value may have special meaning for the backend in question.
10016 One could say that a select method defines a @dfn{virtual server}---so
10017 we do just that (@pxref{The Server Buffer}).
10019 The @dfn{name} of the group is the name the backend will recognize the
10022 For instance, the group @samp{soc.motss} on the @sc{nntp} server
10023 @samp{some.where.edu} will have the name @samp{soc.motss} and select
10024 method @code{(nntp "some.where.edu")}. Gnus will call this group
10025 @samp{nntp+some.where.edu:soc.motss}, even though the @code{nntp}
10026 backend just knows this group as @samp{soc.motss}.
10028 The different methods all have their peculiarities, of course.
10031 * The Server Buffer:: Making and editing virtual servers.
10032 * Getting News:: Reading USENET news with Gnus.
10033 * Getting Mail:: Reading your personal mail with Gnus.
10034 * Browsing the Web:: Getting messages from a plethora of Web sources.
10035 * Other Sources:: Reading directories, files, SOUP packets.
10036 * Combined Groups:: Combining groups into one group.
10037 * Gnus Unplugged:: Reading news and mail offline.
10041 @node The Server Buffer
10042 @section The Server Buffer
10044 Traditionally, a @dfn{server} is a machine or a piece of software that
10045 one connects to, and then requests information from. Gnus does not
10046 connect directly to any real servers, but does all transactions through
10047 one backend or other. But that's just putting one layer more between
10048 the actual media and Gnus, so we might just as well say that each
10049 backend represents a virtual server.
10051 For instance, the @code{nntp} backend may be used to connect to several
10052 different actual @sc{nntp} servers, or, perhaps, to many different ports
10053 on the same actual @sc{nntp} server. You tell Gnus which backend to
10054 use, and what parameters to set by specifying a @dfn{select method}.
10056 These select method specifications can sometimes become quite
10057 complicated---say, for instance, that you want to read from the
10058 @sc{nntp} server @samp{news.funet.fi} on port number 13, which
10059 hangs if queried for @sc{nov} headers and has a buggy select. Ahem.
10060 Anyway, if you had to specify that for each group that used this
10061 server, that would be too much work, so Gnus offers a way of naming
10062 select methods, which is what you do in the server buffer.
10064 To enter the server buffer, use the @kbd{^}
10065 (@code{gnus-group-enter-server-mode}) command in the group buffer.
10068 * Server Buffer Format:: You can customize the look of this buffer.
10069 * Server Commands:: Commands to manipulate servers.
10070 * Example Methods:: Examples server specifications.
10071 * Creating a Virtual Server:: An example session.
10072 * Server Variables:: Which variables to set.
10073 * Servers and Methods:: You can use server names as select methods.
10074 * Unavailable Servers:: Some servers you try to contact may be down.
10077 @vindex gnus-server-mode-hook
10078 @code{gnus-server-mode-hook} is run when creating the server buffer.
10081 @node Server Buffer Format
10082 @subsection Server Buffer Format
10083 @cindex server buffer format
10085 @vindex gnus-server-line-format
10086 You can change the look of the server buffer lines by changing the
10087 @code{gnus-server-line-format} variable. This is a @code{format}-like
10088 variable, with some simple extensions:
10093 How the news is fetched---the backend name.
10096 The name of this server.
10099 Where the news is to be fetched from---the address.
10102 The opened/closed/denied status of the server.
10105 @vindex gnus-server-mode-line-format
10106 The mode line can also be customized by using the
10107 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format} variable (@pxref{Mode Line
10108 Formatting}). The following specs are understood:
10118 Also @pxref{Formatting Variables}.
10121 @node Server Commands
10122 @subsection Server Commands
10123 @cindex server commands
10129 @findex gnus-server-add-server
10130 Add a new server (@code{gnus-server-add-server}).
10134 @findex gnus-server-edit-server
10135 Edit a server (@code{gnus-server-edit-server}).
10138 @kindex SPACE (Server)
10139 @findex gnus-server-read-server
10140 Browse the current server (@code{gnus-server-read-server}).
10144 @findex gnus-server-exit
10145 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-server-exit}).
10149 @findex gnus-server-kill-server
10150 Kill the current server (@code{gnus-server-kill-server}).
10154 @findex gnus-server-yank-server
10155 Yank the previously killed server (@code{gnus-server-yank-server}).
10159 @findex gnus-server-copy-server
10160 Copy the current server (@code{gnus-server-copy-server}).
10164 @findex gnus-server-list-servers
10165 List all servers (@code{gnus-server-list-servers}).
10169 @findex gnus-server-scan-server
10170 Request that the server scan its sources for new articles
10171 (@code{gnus-server-scan-server}). This is mainly sensible with mail
10176 @findex gnus-server-regenerate-server
10177 Request that the server regenerate all its data structures
10178 (@code{gnus-server-regenerate-server}). This can be useful if you have
10179 a mail backend that has gotten out of sync.
10184 @node Example Methods
10185 @subsection Example Methods
10187 Most select methods are pretty simple and self-explanatory:
10190 (nntp "news.funet.fi")
10193 Reading directly from the spool is even simpler:
10199 As you can see, the first element in a select method is the name of the
10200 backend, and the second is the @dfn{address}, or @dfn{name}, if you
10203 After these two elements, there may be an arbitrary number of
10204 @code{(@var{variable} @var{form})} pairs.
10206 To go back to the first example---imagine that you want to read from
10207 port 15 on that machine. This is what the select method should
10211 (nntp "news.funet.fi" (nntp-port-number 15))
10214 You should read the documentation to each backend to find out what
10215 variables are relevant, but here's an @code{nnmh} example:
10217 @code{nnmh} is a mail backend that reads a spool-like structure. Say
10218 you have two structures that you wish to access: One is your private
10219 mail spool, and the other is a public one. Here's the possible spec for
10223 (nnmh "private" (nnmh-directory "~/private/mail/"))
10226 (This server is then called @samp{private}, but you may have guessed
10229 Here's the method for a public spool:
10233 (nnmh-directory "/usr/information/spool/")
10234 (nnmh-get-new-mail nil))
10240 If you are behind a firewall and only have access to the @sc{nntp}
10241 server from the firewall machine, you can instruct Gnus to @code{rlogin}
10242 on the firewall machine and telnet from there to the @sc{nntp} server.
10243 Doing this can be rather fiddly, but your virtual server definition
10244 should probably look something like this:
10248 (nntp-address "the.firewall.machine")
10249 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10250 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10251 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10252 ("telnet" "the.real.nntp.host" "nntp")))
10255 If you want to use the wonderful @code{ssh} program to provide a
10256 compressed connection over the modem line, you could create a virtual
10257 server that would look something like this:
10261 (nntp-address "copper.uio.no")
10262 (nntp-rlogin-program "ssh")
10263 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-rlogin)
10264 (nntp-end-of-line "\n")
10265 (nntp-rlogin-parameters
10266 ("telnet" "news.uio.no" "nntp")))
10269 This means that you have to have set up @code{ssh-agent} correctly to
10270 provide automatic authorization, of course. And to get a compressed
10271 connection, you have to have the @samp{Compression} option in the
10272 @code{ssh} @file{config} file.
10275 @node Creating a Virtual Server
10276 @subsection Creating a Virtual Server
10278 If you're saving lots of articles in the cache by using persistent
10279 articles, you may want to create a virtual server to read the cache.
10281 First you need to add a new server. The @kbd{a} command does that. It
10282 would probably be best to use @code{nnspool} to read the cache. You
10283 could also use @code{nnml} or @code{nnmh}, though.
10285 Type @kbd{a nnspool RET cache RET}.
10287 You should now have a brand new @code{nnspool} virtual server called
10288 @samp{cache}. You now need to edit it to have the right definitions.
10289 Type @kbd{e} to edit the server. You'll be entered into a buffer that
10290 will contain the following:
10300 (nnspool-spool-directory "~/News/cache/")
10301 (nnspool-nov-directory "~/News/cache/")
10302 (nnspool-active-file "~/News/cache/active"))
10305 Type @kbd{C-c C-c} to return to the server buffer. If you now press
10306 @kbd{RET} over this virtual server, you should be entered into a browse
10307 buffer, and you should be able to enter any of the groups displayed.
10310 @node Server Variables
10311 @subsection Server Variables
10313 One sticky point when defining variables (both on backends and in Emacs
10314 in general) is that some variables are typically initialized from other
10315 variables when the definition of the variables is being loaded. If you
10316 change the "base" variable after the variables have been loaded, you
10317 won't change the "derived" variables.
10319 This typically affects directory and file variables. For instance,
10320 @code{nnml-directory} is @file{~/Mail/} by default, and all @code{nnml}
10321 directory variables are initialized from that variable, so
10322 @code{nnml-active-file} will be @file{~/Mail/active}. If you define a
10323 new virtual @code{nnml} server, it will @emph{not} suffice to set just
10324 @code{nnml-directory}---you have to explicitly set all the file
10325 variables to be what you want them to be. For a complete list of
10326 variables for each backend, see each backend's section later in this
10327 manual, but here's an example @code{nnml} definition:
10331 (nnml-directory "~/my-mail/")
10332 (nnml-active-file "~/my-mail/active")
10333 (nnml-newsgroups-file "~/my-mail/newsgroups"))
10337 @node Servers and Methods
10338 @subsection Servers and Methods
10340 Wherever you would normally use a select method
10341 (e.g. @code{gnus-secondary-select-method}, in the group select method,
10342 when browsing a foreign server) you can use a virtual server name
10343 instead. This could potentially save lots of typing. And it's nice all
10347 @node Unavailable Servers
10348 @subsection Unavailable Servers
10350 If a server seems to be unreachable, Gnus will mark that server as
10351 @code{denied}. That means that any subsequent attempt to make contact
10352 with that server will just be ignored. ``It can't be opened,'' Gnus
10353 will tell you, without making the least effort to see whether that is
10354 actually the case or not.
10356 That might seem quite naughty, but it does make sense most of the time.
10357 Let's say you have 10 groups subscribed to on server
10358 @samp{nephelococcygia.com}. This server is located somewhere quite far
10359 away from you and the machine is quite slow, so it takes 1 minute just
10360 to find out that it refuses connection to you today. If Gnus were to
10361 attempt to do that 10 times, you'd be quite annoyed, so Gnus won't
10362 attempt to do that. Once it has gotten a single ``connection refused'',
10363 it will regard that server as ``down''.
10365 So, what happens if the machine was only feeling unwell temporarily?
10366 How do you test to see whether the machine has come up again?
10368 You jump to the server buffer (@pxref{The Server Buffer}) and poke it
10369 with the following commands:
10375 @findex gnus-server-open-server
10376 Try to establish connection to the server on the current line
10377 (@code{gnus-server-open-server}).
10381 @findex gnus-server-close-server
10382 Close the connection (if any) to the server
10383 (@code{gnus-server-close-server}).
10387 @findex gnus-server-deny-server
10388 Mark the current server as unreachable
10389 (@code{gnus-server-deny-server}).
10392 @kindex M-o (Server)
10393 @findex gnus-server-open-all-servers
10394 Open the connections to all servers in the buffer
10395 (@code{gnus-server-open-all-servers}).
10398 @kindex M-c (Server)
10399 @findex gnus-server-close-all-servers
10400 Close the connections to all servers in the buffer
10401 (@code{gnus-server-close-all-servers}).
10405 @findex gnus-server-remove-denials
10406 Remove all marks to whether Gnus was denied connection from any servers
10407 (@code{gnus-server-remove-denials}).
10413 @section Getting News
10414 @cindex reading news
10415 @cindex news backends
10417 A newsreader is normally used for reading news. Gnus currently provides
10418 only two methods of getting news---it can read from an @sc{nntp} server,
10419 or it can read from a local spool.
10422 * NNTP:: Reading news from an @sc{nntp} server.
10423 * News Spool:: Reading news from the local spool.
10428 @subsection @sc{nntp}
10431 Subscribing to a foreign group from an @sc{nntp} server is rather easy.
10432 You just specify @code{nntp} as method and the address of the @sc{nntp}
10433 server as the, uhm, address.
10435 If the @sc{nntp} server is located at a non-standard port, setting the
10436 third element of the select method to this port number should allow you
10437 to connect to the right port. You'll have to edit the group info for
10438 that (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
10440 The name of the foreign group can be the same as a native group. In
10441 fact, you can subscribe to the same group from as many different servers
10442 you feel like. There will be no name collisions.
10444 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nntp}
10449 @item nntp-server-opened-hook
10450 @vindex nntp-server-opened-hook
10451 @cindex @sc{mode reader}
10453 @cindex authentification
10454 @cindex nntp authentification
10455 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10456 @findex nntp-send-mode-reader
10457 is run after a connection has been made. It can be used to send
10458 commands to the @sc{nntp} server after it has been contacted. By
10459 default it sends the command @code{MODE READER} to the server with the
10460 @code{nntp-send-mode-reader} function. This function should always be
10461 present in this hook.
10463 @item nntp-authinfo-function
10464 @vindex nntp-authinfo-function
10465 @findex nntp-send-authinfo
10466 @vindex nntp-authinfo-file
10467 This function will be used to send @samp{AUTHINFO} to the @sc{nntp}
10468 server. The default function is @code{nntp-send-authinfo}, which looks
10469 through your @file{~/.authinfo} (or whatever you've set the
10470 @code{nntp-authinfo-file} variable to) for applicable entries. If none
10471 are found, it will prompt you for a login name and a password. The
10472 format of the @file{~/.authinfo} file is (almost) the same as the
10473 @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file, which is defined in the @code{ftp}
10474 manual page, but here are the salient facts:
10478 The file contains one or more line, each of which define one server.
10481 Each line may contain an arbitrary number of token/value pairs.
10483 The valid tokens include @samp{machine}, @samp{login}, @samp{password},
10484 @samp{default}. In addition Gnus introduces two new tokens, not present
10485 in the original @file{.netrc}/@code{ftp} syntax, namely @samp{port} and
10486 @samp{force}. (This is the only way the @file{.authinfo} file format
10487 deviates from the @file{.netrc} file format.) @samp{port} is used to
10488 indicate what port on the server the credentials apply to and
10489 @samp{force} is explained below.
10493 Here's an example file:
10496 machine news.uio.no login larsi password geheimnis
10497 machine nntp.ifi.uio.no login larsi force yes
10500 The token/value pairs may appear in any order; @samp{machine} doesn't
10501 have to be first, for instance.
10503 In this example, both login name and password have been supplied for the
10504 former server, while the latter has only the login name listed, and the
10505 user will be prompted for the password. The latter also has the
10506 @samp{force} tag, which means that the authinfo will be sent to the
10507 @var{nntp} server upon connection; the default (i.e., when there is not
10508 @samp{force} tag) is to not send authinfo to the @var{nntp} server
10509 until the @var{nntp} server asks for it.
10511 You can also add @samp{default} lines that will apply to all servers
10512 that don't have matching @samp{machine} lines.
10518 This will force sending @samp{AUTHINFO} commands to all servers not
10519 previously mentioned.
10521 Remember to not leave the @file{~/.authinfo} file world-readable.
10523 @item nntp-server-action-alist
10524 @vindex nntp-server-action-alist
10525 This is a list of regexps to match on server types and actions to be
10526 taken when matches are made. For instance, if you want Gnus to beep
10527 every time you connect to innd, you could say something like:
10530 (setq nntp-server-action-alist
10531 '(("innd" (ding))))
10534 You probably don't want to do that, though.
10536 The default value is
10539 '(("nntpd 1\\.5\\.11t"
10540 (remove-hook 'nntp-server-opened-hook 'nntp-send-mode-reader)))
10543 This ensures that Gnus doesn't send the @code{MODE READER} command to
10544 nntpd 1.5.11t, since that command chokes that server, I've been told.
10546 @item nntp-maximum-request
10547 @vindex nntp-maximum-request
10548 If the @sc{nntp} server doesn't support @sc{nov} headers, this backend
10549 will collect headers by sending a series of @code{head} commands. To
10550 speed things up, the backend sends lots of these commands without
10551 waiting for reply, and then reads all the replies. This is controlled
10552 by the @code{nntp-maximum-request} variable, and is 400 by default. If
10553 your network is buggy, you should set this to 1.
10555 @item nntp-connection-timeout
10556 @vindex nntp-connection-timeout
10557 If you have lots of foreign @code{nntp} groups that you connect to
10558 regularly, you're sure to have problems with @sc{nntp} servers not
10559 responding properly, or being too loaded to reply within reasonable
10560 time. This is can lead to awkward problems, which can be helped
10561 somewhat by setting @code{nntp-connection-timeout}. This is an integer
10562 that says how many seconds the @code{nntp} backend should wait for a
10563 connection before giving up. If it is @code{nil}, which is the default,
10564 no timeouts are done.
10566 @c @item nntp-command-timeout
10567 @c @vindex nntp-command-timeout
10568 @c @cindex PPP connections
10569 @c @cindex dynamic IP addresses
10570 @c If you're running Gnus on a machine that has a dynamically assigned
10571 @c address, Gnus may become confused. If the address of your machine
10572 @c changes after connecting to the @sc{nntp} server, Gnus will simply sit
10573 @c waiting forever for replies from the server. To help with this
10574 @c unfortunate problem, you can set this command to a number. Gnus will
10575 @c then, if it sits waiting for a reply from the server longer than that
10576 @c number of seconds, shut down the connection, start a new one, and resend
10577 @c the command. This should hopefully be transparent to the user. A
10578 @c likely number is 30 seconds.
10580 @c @item nntp-retry-on-break
10581 @c @vindex nntp-retry-on-break
10582 @c If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you can also @kbd{C-g} if Gnus
10583 @c hangs. This will have much the same effect as the command timeout
10584 @c described above.
10586 @item nntp-server-hook
10587 @vindex nntp-server-hook
10588 This hook is run as the last step when connecting to an @sc{nntp}
10591 @findex nntp-open-rlogin
10592 @findex nntp-open-telnet
10593 @findex nntp-open-network-stream
10594 @item nntp-open-connection-function
10595 @vindex nntp-open-connection-function
10596 This function is used to connect to the remote system. Four pre-made
10597 functions are supplied:
10600 @item nntp-open-network-stream
10601 This is the default, and simply connects to some port or other on the
10604 @item nntp-open-rlogin
10605 Does an @samp{rlogin} on the
10606 remote system, and then does a @samp{telnet} to the @sc{nntp} server
10609 @code{nntp-open-rlogin}-related variables:
10613 @item nntp-rlogin-program
10614 @vindex nntp-rlogin-program
10615 Program used to log in on remote machines. The default is @samp{rsh},
10616 but @samp{ssh} is a popular alternative.
10618 @item nntp-rlogin-parameters
10619 @vindex nntp-rlogin-parameters
10620 This list will be used as the parameter list given to @code{rsh}.
10622 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10623 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10624 User name on the remote system.
10628 @item nntp-open-telnet
10629 Does a @samp{telnet} to the remote system and then another @samp{telnet}
10630 to get to the @sc{nntp} server.
10632 @code{nntp-open-telnet}-related variables:
10635 @item nntp-telnet-command
10636 @vindex nntp-telnet-command
10637 Command used to start @code{telnet}.
10639 @item nntp-telnet-switches
10640 @vindex nntp-telnet-switches
10641 List of strings to be used as the switches to the @code{telnet} command.
10643 @item nntp-telnet-user-name
10644 @vindex nntp-telnet-user-name
10645 User name for log in on the remote system.
10647 @item nntp-telnet-passwd
10648 @vindex nntp-telnet-passwd
10649 Password to use when logging in.
10651 @item nntp-telnet-parameters
10652 @vindex nntp-telnet-parameters
10653 A list of strings executed as a command after logging in
10656 @item nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10657 @vindex nntp-telnet-shell-prompt
10658 Regexp matching the shell prompt on the remote machine. The default is
10659 @samp{bash\\|\$ *\r?$\\|> *\r?}.
10661 @item nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10662 @vindex nntp-open-telnet-envuser
10663 If non-@code{nil}, the @code{telnet} session (client and server both)
10664 will support the @code{ENVIRON} option and not prompt for login name.
10665 This works for Solaris @code{telnet}, for instance.
10669 @findex nntp-open-ssl-stream
10670 @item nntp-open-ssl-stream
10671 Opens a connection to a server over a @dfn{secure} channel. To use this
10672 you must have SSLay installed
10673 (@uref{ftp://ftp.psy.uq.oz.au/pub/Crypto/SSL}, and you also need
10674 @file{ssl.el} (from the W3 distribution, for instance). You then
10675 define a server as follows:
10678 ;; Type `C-c C-c' after you've finished editing.
10680 ;; "snews" is port 563 and is predefined in our /etc/services
10682 (nntp "snews.bar.com"
10683 (nntp-open-connection-function nntp-open-ssl-stream)
10684 (nntp-port-number "snews")
10685 (nntp-address "snews.bar.com"))
10690 @item nntp-end-of-line
10691 @vindex nntp-end-of-line
10692 String to use as end-of-line marker when talking to the @sc{nntp}
10693 server. This is @samp{\r\n} by default, but should be @samp{\n} when
10694 using @code{rlogin} to talk to the server.
10696 @item nntp-rlogin-user-name
10697 @vindex nntp-rlogin-user-name
10698 User name on the remote system when using the @code{rlogin} connect
10702 @vindex nntp-address
10703 The address of the remote system running the @sc{nntp} server.
10705 @item nntp-port-number
10706 @vindex nntp-port-number
10707 Port number to connect to when using the @code{nntp-open-network-stream}
10710 @item nntp-buggy-select
10711 @vindex nntp-buggy-select
10712 Set this to non-@code{nil} if your select routine is buggy.
10714 @item nntp-nov-is-evil
10715 @vindex nntp-nov-is-evil
10716 If the @sc{nntp} server does not support @sc{nov}, you could set this
10717 variable to @code{t}, but @code{nntp} usually checks automatically whether @sc{nov}
10720 @item nntp-xover-commands
10721 @vindex nntp-xover-commands
10724 List of strings used as commands to fetch @sc{nov} lines from a
10725 server. The default value of this variable is @code{("XOVER"
10729 @vindex nntp-nov-gap
10730 @code{nntp} normally sends just one big request for @sc{nov} lines to
10731 the server. The server responds with one huge list of lines. However,
10732 if you have read articles 2-5000 in the group, and only want to read
10733 article 1 and 5001, that means that @code{nntp} will fetch 4999 @sc{nov}
10734 lines that you will not need. This variable says how
10735 big a gap between two consecutive articles is allowed to be before the
10736 @code{XOVER} request is split into several request. Note that if your
10737 network is fast, setting this variable to a really small number means
10738 that fetching will probably be slower. If this variable is @code{nil},
10739 @code{nntp} will never split requests. The default is 5.
10741 @item nntp-prepare-server-hook
10742 @vindex nntp-prepare-server-hook
10743 A hook run before attempting to connect to an @sc{nntp} server.
10745 @item nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10746 @vindex nntp-warn-about-losing-connection
10747 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, some noise will be made when a
10748 server closes connection.
10750 @item nntp-record-commands
10751 @vindex nntp-record-commands
10752 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nntp} will log all commands it sends to the
10753 @sc{nntp} server (along with a timestamp) in the @samp{*nntp-log*}
10754 buffer. This is useful if you are debugging a Gnus/@sc{nntp} connection
10755 that doesn't seem to work.
10761 @subsection News Spool
10765 Subscribing to a foreign group from the local spool is extremely easy,
10766 and might be useful, for instance, to speed up reading groups that
10767 contain very big articles---@samp{alt.binaries.pictures.furniture}, for
10770 Anyway, you just specify @code{nnspool} as the method and @code{""} (or
10771 anything else) as the address.
10773 If you have access to a local spool, you should probably use that as the
10774 native select method (@pxref{Finding the News}). It is normally faster
10775 than using an @code{nntp} select method, but might not be. It depends.
10776 You just have to try to find out what's best at your site.
10780 @item nnspool-inews-program
10781 @vindex nnspool-inews-program
10782 Program used to post an article.
10784 @item nnspool-inews-switches
10785 @vindex nnspool-inews-switches
10786 Parameters given to the inews program when posting an article.
10788 @item nnspool-spool-directory
10789 @vindex nnspool-spool-directory
10790 Where @code{nnspool} looks for the articles. This is normally
10791 @file{/usr/spool/news/}.
10793 @item nnspool-nov-directory
10794 @vindex nnspool-nov-directory
10795 Where @code{nnspool} will look for @sc{nov} files. This is normally
10796 @file{/usr/spool/news/over.view/}.
10798 @item nnspool-lib-dir
10799 @vindex nnspool-lib-dir
10800 Where the news lib dir is (@file{/usr/lib/news/} by default).
10802 @item nnspool-active-file
10803 @vindex nnspool-active-file
10804 The path to the active file.
10806 @item nnspool-newsgroups-file
10807 @vindex nnspool-newsgroups-file
10808 The path to the group descriptions file.
10810 @item nnspool-history-file
10811 @vindex nnspool-history-file
10812 The path to the news history file.
10814 @item nnspool-active-times-file
10815 @vindex nnspool-active-times-file
10816 The path to the active date file.
10818 @item nnspool-nov-is-evil
10819 @vindex nnspool-nov-is-evil
10820 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnspool} won't try to use any @sc{nov} files
10823 @item nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10824 @vindex nnspool-sift-nov-with-sed
10826 If non-@code{nil}, which is the default, use @code{sed} to get the
10827 relevant portion from the overview file. If nil, @code{nnspool} will
10828 load the entire file into a buffer and process it there.
10834 @section Getting Mail
10835 @cindex reading mail
10838 Reading mail with a newsreader---isn't that just plain WeIrD? But of
10842 * Mail in a Newsreader:: Important introductory notes.
10843 * Getting Started Reading Mail:: A simple cookbook example.
10844 * Splitting Mail:: How to create mail groups.
10845 * Mail Sources:: How to tell Gnus where to get mail from.
10846 * Mail Backend Variables:: Variables for customizing mail handling.
10847 * Fancy Mail Splitting:: Gnus can do hairy splitting of incoming mail.
10848 * Group Mail Splitting:: Use group customize to drive mail splitting.
10849 * Incorporating Old Mail:: What about the old mail you have?
10850 * Expiring Mail:: Getting rid of unwanted mail.
10851 * Washing Mail:: Removing gruft from the mail you get.
10852 * Duplicates:: Dealing with duplicated mail.
10853 * Not Reading Mail:: Using mail backends for reading other files.
10854 * Choosing a Mail Backend:: Gnus can read a variety of mail formats.
10858 @node Mail in a Newsreader
10859 @subsection Mail in a Newsreader
10861 If you are used to traditional mail readers, but have decided to switch
10862 to reading mail with Gnus, you may find yourself experiencing something
10863 of a culture shock.
10865 Gnus does not behave like traditional mail readers. If you want to make
10866 it behave that way, you can, but it's an uphill battle.
10868 Gnus, by default, handles all its groups using the same approach. This
10869 approach is very newsreaderly---you enter a group, see the new/unread
10870 messages, and when you read the messages, they get marked as read, and
10871 you don't see them any more. (Unless you explicitly ask for them.)
10873 In particular, you do not do anything explicitly to delete messages.
10875 Does this mean that all the messages that have been marked as read are
10876 deleted? How awful!
10878 But, no, it means that old messages are @dfn{expired} according to some
10879 scheme or other. For news messages, the expire process is controlled by
10880 the news administrator; for mail, the expire process is controlled by
10881 you. The expire process for mail is covered in depth in @pxref{Expiring
10884 What many Gnus users find, after using it a while for both news and
10885 mail, is that the transport mechanism has very little to do with how
10886 they want to treat a message.
10888 Many people subscribe to several mailing lists. These are transported
10889 via SMTP, and are therefore mail. But we might go for weeks without
10890 answering, or even reading these messages very carefully. We may not
10891 need to save them because if we should need to read one again, they are
10892 archived somewhere else.
10894 Some people have local news groups which have only a handful of readers.
10895 These are transported via @sc{nntp}, and are therefore news. But we may need
10896 to read and answer a large fraction of the messages very carefully in
10897 order to do our work. And there may not be an archive, so we may need
10898 to save the interesting messages the same way we would personal mail.
10900 The important distinction turns out to be not the transport mechanism,
10901 but other factors such as how interested we are in the subject matter,
10902 or how easy it is to retrieve the message if we need to read it again.
10904 Gnus provides many options for sorting mail into ``groups'' which behave
10905 like newsgroups, and for treating each group (whether mail or news)
10908 Some users never get comfortable using the Gnus (ahem) paradigm and wish
10909 that Gnus should grow up and be a male, er, mail reader. It is possible
10910 to whip Gnus into a more mailreaderly being, but, as said before, it's
10911 not easy. People who prefer proper mail readers should try @sc{vm}
10912 instead, which is an excellent, and proper, mail reader.
10914 I don't mean to scare anybody off, but I want to make it clear that you
10915 may be required to learn a new way of thinking about messages. After
10916 you've been subjected to The Gnus Way, you will come to love it. I can
10917 guarantee it. (At least the guy who sold me the Emacs Subliminal
10918 Brain-Washing Functions that I've put into Gnus did guarantee it. You
10919 Will Be Assimilated. You Love Gnus. You Love The Gnus Mail Way.
10923 @node Getting Started Reading Mail
10924 @subsection Getting Started Reading Mail
10926 It's quite easy to use Gnus to read your new mail. You just plonk the
10927 mail backend of your choice into @code{gnus-secondary-select-methods},
10928 and things will happen automatically.
10930 For instance, if you want to use @code{nnml} (which is a "one file per
10931 mail" backend), you could put the following in your @file{.gnus} file:
10934 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
10935 '((nnml "private")))
10938 Now, the next time you start Gnus, this backend will be queried for new
10939 articles, and it will move all the messages in your spool file to its
10940 directory, which is @code{~/Mail/} by default. The new group that will
10941 be created (@samp{mail.misc}) will be subscribed, and you can read it
10942 like any other group.
10944 You will probably want to split the mail into several groups, though:
10947 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10948 '(("junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10949 ("crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10953 This will result in three new @code{nnml} mail groups being created:
10954 @samp{nnml:junk}, @samp{nnml:crazy}, and @samp{nnml:other}. All the
10955 mail that doesn't fit into the first two groups will be placed in the
10958 This should be sufficient for reading mail with Gnus. You might want to
10959 give the other sections in this part of the manual a perusal, though.
10960 Especially @pxref{Choosing a Mail Backend} and @pxref{Expiring Mail}.
10963 @node Splitting Mail
10964 @subsection Splitting Mail
10965 @cindex splitting mail
10966 @cindex mail splitting
10968 @vindex nnmail-split-methods
10969 The @code{nnmail-split-methods} variable says how the incoming mail is
10970 to be split into groups.
10973 (setq nnmail-split-methods
10974 '(("mail.junk" "^From:.*Lars Ingebrigtsen")
10975 ("mail.crazy" "^Subject:.*die\\|^Organization:.*flabby")
10976 ("mail.other" "")))
10979 This variable is a list of lists, where the first element of each of
10980 these lists is the name of the mail group (they do not have to be called
10981 something beginning with @samp{mail}, by the way), and the second
10982 element is a regular expression used on the header of each mail to
10983 determine if it belongs in this mail group. The first string may
10984 contain @samp{\\1} forms, like the ones used by @code{replace-match} to
10985 insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For instance:
10988 ("list.\\1" "From:.* \\(.*\\)-list@@majordomo.com")
10991 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
10992 called narrowed to the headers with the first element of the rule as the
10993 argument. It should return a non-@code{nil} value if it thinks that the
10994 mail belongs in that group.
10996 The last of these groups should always be a general one, and the regular
10997 expression should @emph{always} be @samp{} so that it matches any mails
10998 that haven't been matched by any of the other regexps. (These rules are
10999 processed from the beginning of the alist toward the end. The first
11000 rule to make a match will "win", unless you have crossposting enabled.
11001 In that case, all matching rules will "win".)
11003 If you like to tinker with this yourself, you can set this variable to a
11004 function of your choice. This function will be called without any
11005 arguments in a buffer narrowed to the headers of an incoming mail
11006 message. The function should return a list of group names that it
11007 thinks should carry this mail message.
11009 Note that the mail backends are free to maul the poor, innocent,
11010 incoming headers all they want to. They all add @code{Lines} headers;
11011 some add @code{X-Gnus-Group} headers; most rename the Unix mbox
11012 @code{From<SPACE>} line to something else.
11014 @vindex nnmail-crosspost
11015 The mail backends all support cross-posting. If several regexps match,
11016 the mail will be ``cross-posted'' to all those groups.
11017 @code{nnmail-crosspost} says whether to use this mechanism or not. Note
11018 that no articles are crossposted to the general (@samp{}) group.
11020 @vindex nnmail-crosspost-link-function
11023 @code{nnmh} and @code{nnml} makes crossposts by creating hard links to
11024 the crossposted articles. However, not all file systems support hard
11025 links. If that's the case for you, set
11026 @code{nnmail-crosspost-link-function} to @code{copy-file}. (This
11027 variable is @code{add-name-to-file} by default.)
11029 @kindex M-x nnmail-split-history
11030 @kindex nnmail-split-history
11031 If you wish to see where the previous mail split put the messages, you
11032 can use the @kbd{M-x nnmail-split-history} command. If you wish to see
11033 where re-spooling messages would put the messages, you can use
11034 @code{gnus-summary-respool-trace} and related commands (@pxref{Mail
11037 Gnus gives you all the opportunity you could possibly want for shooting
11038 yourself in the foot. Let's say you create a group that will contain
11039 all the mail you get from your boss. And then you accidentally
11040 unsubscribe from the group. Gnus will still put all the mail from your
11041 boss in the unsubscribed group, and so, when your boss mails you ``Have
11042 that report ready by Monday or you're fired!'', you'll never see it and,
11043 come Tuesday, you'll still believe that you're gainfully employed while
11044 you really should be out collecting empty bottles to save up for next
11045 month's rent money.
11049 @subsection Mail Sources
11051 Mail can be gotten from many different sources---the mail spool, from a
11052 POP mail server, from a procmail directory, or from a maildir, for
11056 * Mail Source Specifiers:: How to specify what a mail source is.
11057 * Mail Source Customization:: Some variables that influence things.
11058 * Fetching Mail:: Using the mail source specifiers.
11062 @node Mail Source Specifiers
11063 @subsubsection Mail Source Specifiers
11065 @cindex mail server
11068 @cindex mail source
11070 You tell Gnus how to fetch mail by setting @code{mail-sources}
11071 (@pxref{Fetching Mail}) to a @dfn{mail source specifier}.
11076 (pop :server "pop3.mailserver.com" :user "myname")
11079 As can be observed, a mail source specifier is a list where the first
11080 element is a @dfn{mail source type}, followed by an arbitrary number of
11081 @dfn{keywords}. Keywords that are not explicitly specified are given
11084 The following mail source types are available:
11088 Get mail from a single file; typically from the mail spool.
11094 The path of the file. Defaults to the value of the @code{MAIL}
11095 environment variable or @file{/usr/mail/spool/user-name}.
11098 An example file mail source:
11101 (file :path "/usr/spool/mail/user-name")
11104 Or using the default path:
11110 If the mail spool file is not located on the local machine, it's best to
11111 use POP or @sc{imap} or the like to fetch the mail. You can not use ange-ftp
11112 file names here---it has no way to lock the mail spool while moving the
11115 If it's impossible to set up a proper server, you can use ssh instead.
11119 '((file :prescript "ssh host bin/getmail >%t")))
11122 The @samp{getmail} script would look something like the following:
11126 # getmail - move mail from spool to stdout
11129 MOVEMAIL=/usr/lib/emacs/20.3/i386-redhat-linux/movemail
11131 rm -f $TMP; $MOVEMAIL $MAIL $TMP >/dev/null && cat $TMP
11134 Alter this script to fit find the @samp{movemail} you want to use.
11138 Get mail from several files in a directory. This is typically used when
11139 you have procmail split the incoming mail into several files. Setting
11140 @code{nnmail-scan-directory-mail-source-once} to non-nil force Gnus to
11141 scan the mail source only once.
11147 The path of the directory where the files are. There is no default
11151 Only files ending with this suffix are used. The default is
11155 Only files that have this predicate return non-@code{nil} are returned.
11156 The default is @code{identity}. This is used as an additional
11157 filter---only files that have the right suffix @emph{and} satisfy this
11158 predicate are considered.
11162 Script run before/after fetching mail.
11166 An example directory mail source:
11169 (directory :path "/home/user-name/procmail-dir/"
11174 Get mail from a POP server.
11180 The name of the POP server. The default is taken from the
11181 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11184 The port number of the POP server. This can be a number (e.g.@:
11185 @samp{:port 110}) or a string (e.g.@: @samp{:port "pop3"}). If it is a
11186 string, it should be a service name as listed in @file{/etc/services} on
11187 Unix systems. The default is @samp{"pop3"}. On some systems you might
11188 need to specify it as @samp{"pop-3"} instead.
11191 The user name to give to the POP server. The default is the login
11195 The password to give to the POP server. If not specified, the user is
11199 The program to use to fetch mail from the POP server. This is should be
11200 a @code{format}-like string. Here's an example:
11203 fetchmail %u@@%s -P %p %t
11206 The valid format specifier characters are:
11210 The name of the file the mail is to be moved to. This must always be
11211 included in this string.
11214 The name of the server.
11217 The port number of the server.
11220 The user name to use.
11223 The password to use.
11226 The values used for these specs are taken from the values you give the
11227 corresponding keywords.
11230 A script to be run before fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11231 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11234 A script to be run after fetching the mail. The syntax is the same as
11235 the @code{:program} keyword. This can also be a function to be run.
11238 The function to use to fetch mail from the POP server. The function is
11239 called with one parameter---the name of the file where the mail should
11242 @item :authentication
11243 This can be either the symbol @code{password} or the symbol @code{apop}
11244 and says what authentication scheme to use. The default is
11249 If the @code{:program} and @code{:function} keywords aren't specified,
11250 @code{pop3-movemail} will be used.
11252 Here are some examples. Fetch from the default POP server, using the
11253 default user name, and default fetcher:
11259 Fetch from a named server with a named user and password:
11262 (pop :server "my.pop.server"
11263 :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11266 Use @samp{movemail} to move the mail:
11269 (pop :program "movemail po:%u %t %p")
11273 Get mail from a maildir. This is a type of mailbox that is supported by
11274 at least qmail and postfix, where each file in a special directory
11275 contains exactly one mail.
11281 The path of the directory where the mails are stored. The default is
11282 taken from the @code{MAILDIR} environment variable or
11285 The subdirectories of the Maildir. The default is
11286 @samp{("new" "cur")}.
11288 @c If you sometimes look at your mail through a pop3 daemon before fetching
11289 @c them with Gnus, you may also have to fetch your mails from the
11290 @c @code{cur} directory inside the maildir, like in the first example
11293 You can also get mails from remote hosts (because maildirs don't suffer
11294 from locking problems).
11298 Two example maildir mail sources:
11301 (maildir :path "/home/user-name/Maildir/" :subdirs ("cur" "new"))
11305 (maildir :path "/user@@remotehost.org:~/Maildir/" :subdirs ("new"))
11309 Get mail from a @sc{imap} server. If you don't want to use @sc{imap} as
11310 intended, as a network mail reading protocol (ie with nnimap), for some
11311 reason or other, Gnus let you treat it similar to a POP server and
11312 fetches articles from a given @sc{imap} mailbox.
11318 The name of the @sc{imap} server. The default is taken from the
11319 @code{MAILHOST} environment variable.
11322 The port number of the @sc{imap} server. The default is @samp{143}, or
11323 @samp{993} for SSL connections.
11326 The user name to give to the @sc{imap} server. The default is the login
11330 The password to give to the @sc{imap} server. If not specified, the user is
11334 What stream to use for connecting to the server, this is one of the
11335 symbols in @code{imap-stream-alist}. Right now, this means
11336 @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{ssl} or the default @samp{network}.
11338 @item :authentication
11339 Which authenticator to use for authenticating to the server, this is one
11340 of the symbols in @code{imap-authenticator-alist}. Right now, this
11341 means @samp{kerberos4}, @samp{cram-md5}, @samp{anonymous} or the default
11345 The name of the mailbox to get mail from. The default is @samp{INBOX}
11346 which normally is the mailbox which receive incoming mail.
11349 The predicate used to find articles to fetch. The default, @samp{UNSEEN
11350 UNDELETED}, is probably the best choice for most people, but if you
11351 sometimes peek in your mailbox with a @sc{imap} client and mark some
11352 articles as read (or; SEEN) you might want to set this to @samp{nil}.
11353 Then all articles in the mailbox is fetched, no matter what. For a
11354 complete list of predicates, see RFC 2060 §6.4.4.
11357 How to flag fetched articles on the server, the default @samp{\Deleted}
11358 will mark them as deleted, an alternative would be @samp{\Seen} which
11359 would simply mark them as read. These are the two most likely choices,
11360 but more flags are defined in RFC 2060 §2.3.2.
11363 If non-nil, don't remove all articles marked as deleted in the mailbox
11364 after finishing the fetch.
11368 An example @sc{imap} mail source:
11371 (imap :server "mail.mycorp.com" :stream kerberos4 :fetchflag "\\Seen")
11375 Get mail from a webmail server, such as www.hotmail.com,
11376 webmail.netscape.com, www.netaddress.com, www.my-deja.com.
11378 NOTE: Now mail.yahoo.com provides POP3 service, so @sc{pop} mail source
11381 NOTE: Webmail largely depends cookies. A "one-line-cookie" patch is
11382 required for url "4.0pre.46".
11384 WARNING: Mails may lost. NO WARRANTY.
11390 The type of the webmail server. The default is @code{hotmail}. The
11391 alternatives are @code{netscape}, @code{netaddress}, @code{my-deja}.
11394 The user name to give to the webmail server. The default is the login
11398 The password to give to the webmail server. If not specified, the user is
11402 If non-nil, only fetch unread articles and don't move them to trash
11403 folder after finishing the fetch.
11407 An example webmail source:
11410 (webmail :subtype 'hotmail :user "user-name" :password "secret")
11415 @item Common Keywords
11416 Common keywords can be used in any type of mail source.
11422 If non-nil, fetch the mail even when Gnus is unplugged. If you use
11423 directory source to get mail, you can specify it as in this example:
11427 '((directory :path "/home/pavel/.Spool/"
11432 Gnus will then fetch your mail even when you are unplugged. This is
11433 useful when you use local mail and news.
11438 @subsubsection Function Interface
11440 Some of the above keywords specify a Lisp function to be executed.
11441 For each keyword @code{:foo}, the Lisp variable @code{foo} is bound to
11442 the value of the keyword while the function is executing. For example,
11443 consider the following mail-source setting:
11446 (setq mail-sources '((pop :user "jrl"
11447 :server "pophost" :function fetchfunc)))
11450 While the function @code{fetchfunc} is executing, the symbol @code{user}
11451 is bound to @code{"jrl"}, and the symbol @code{server} is bound to
11452 @code{"pophost"}. The symbols @code{port}, @code{password},
11453 @code{program}, @code{prescript}, @code{postscript}, @code{function},
11454 and @code{authentication} are also bound (to their default values).
11456 See above for a list of keywords for each type of mail source.
11459 @node Mail Source Customization
11460 @subsubsection Mail Source Customization
11462 The following is a list of variables that influence how the mail is
11463 fetched. You would normally not need to set or change any of these
11467 @item mail-source-crash-box
11468 @vindex mail-source-crash-box
11469 File where mail will be stored while processing it. The default is
11470 @file{~/.emacs-mail-crash-box}.
11472 @item mail-source-delete-incoming
11473 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
11474 If non-@code{nil}, delete incoming files after handling them.
11476 @item mail-source-directory
11477 @vindex mail-source-directory
11478 Directory where files (if any) will be stored. The default is
11479 @file{~/Mail/}. At present, the only thing this is used for is to say
11480 where the incoming files will be stored if the previous variable is
11483 @item mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11484 @vindex mail-source-incoming-file-prefix
11485 Prefix for file name for storing incoming mail. The default is
11486 @file{Incoming}, in which case files will end up with names like
11487 @file{Incoming30630D_} or @file{Incoming298602ZD}. This is really only
11488 relevant if @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} is @code{nil}.
11490 @item mail-source-default-file-modes
11491 @vindex mail-source-default-file-modes
11492 All new mail files will get this file mode. The default is 384.
11497 @node Fetching Mail
11498 @subsubsection Fetching Mail
11500 @vindex mail-sources
11501 @vindex nnmail-spool-file
11502 The way to actually tell Gnus where to get new mail from is to set
11503 @code{mail-sources} to a list of mail source specifiers
11504 (@pxref{Mail Source Specifiers}).
11506 If this variable (and the obsolescent @code{nnmail-spool-file}) is
11507 @code{nil}, the mail backends will never attempt to fetch mail by
11510 If you want to fetch mail both from your local spool as well as a POP
11511 mail server, you'd say something like:
11516 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11517 :password "secret")))
11520 Or, if you don't want to use any of the keyword defaults:
11524 '((file :path "/var/spool/mail/user-name")
11525 (pop :server "pop3.mail.server"
11528 :password "secret")))
11532 When you use a mail backend, Gnus will slurp all your mail from your
11533 inbox and plonk it down in your home directory. Gnus doesn't move any
11534 mail if you're not using a mail backend---you have to do a lot of magic
11535 invocations first. At the time when you have finished drawing the
11536 pentagram, lightened the candles, and sacrificed the goat, you really
11537 shouldn't be too surprised when Gnus moves your mail.
11541 @node Mail Backend Variables
11542 @subsection Mail Backend Variables
11544 These variables are (for the most part) pertinent to all the various
11548 @vindex nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11549 @item nnmail-read-incoming-hook
11550 The mail backends all call this hook after reading new mail. You can
11551 use this hook to notify any mail watch programs, if you want to.
11553 @vindex nnmail-split-hook
11554 @item nnmail-split-hook
11555 @findex article-decode-encoded-words
11556 @findex RFC 1522 decoding
11557 @findex RFC 2047 decoding
11558 Hook run in the buffer where the mail headers of each message is kept
11559 just before the splitting based on these headers is done. The hook is
11560 free to modify the buffer contents in any way it sees fit---the buffer
11561 is discarded after the splitting has been done, and no changes performed
11562 in the buffer will show up in any files.
11563 @code{gnus-article-decode-encoded-words} is one likely function to add
11566 @vindex nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11567 @vindex nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11568 @item nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11569 @itemx nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook
11570 These are two useful hooks executed when treating new incoming
11571 mail---@code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook} (is called just before
11572 starting to handle the new mail) and
11573 @code{nnmail-post-get-new-mail-hook} (is called when the mail handling
11574 is done). Here's and example of using these two hooks to change the
11575 default file modes the new mail files get:
11578 (add-hook 'gnus-pre-get-new-mail-hook
11579 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 511)))
11581 (add-hook 'gnus-post-get-new-mail-hook
11582 (lambda () (set-default-file-modes 551)))
11585 @item nnmail-use-long-file-names
11586 @vindex nnmail-use-long-file-names
11587 If non-@code{nil}, the mail backends will use long file and directory
11588 names. Groups like @samp{mail.misc} will end up in directories
11589 (assuming use of @code{nnml} backend) or files (assuming use of
11590 @code{nnfolder} backend) like @file{mail.misc}. If it is @code{nil},
11591 the same group will end up in @file{mail/misc}.
11593 @item nnmail-delete-file-function
11594 @vindex nnmail-delete-file-function
11595 @findex delete-file
11596 Function called to delete files. It is @code{delete-file} by default.
11598 @item nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11599 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11600 If non-@code{nil}, put the @code{Message-ID}s of articles imported into
11601 the backend (via @code{Gcc}, for instance) into the mail duplication
11602 discovery cache. The default is @code{nil}.
11607 @node Fancy Mail Splitting
11608 @subsection Fancy Mail Splitting
11609 @cindex mail splitting
11610 @cindex fancy mail splitting
11612 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy
11613 @findex nnmail-split-fancy
11614 If the rather simple, standard method for specifying how to split mail
11615 doesn't allow you to do what you want, you can set
11616 @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy}. Then you can
11617 play with the @code{nnmail-split-fancy} variable.
11619 Let's look at an example value of this variable first:
11622 ;; Messages from the mailer daemon are not crossposted to any of
11623 ;; the ordinary groups. Warnings are put in a separate group
11624 ;; from real errors.
11625 (| ("from" mail (| ("subject" "warn.*" "mail.warning")
11627 ;; Non-error messages are crossposted to all relevant
11628 ;; groups, but we don't crosspost between the group for the
11629 ;; (ding) list and the group for other (ding) related mail.
11630 (& (| (any "ding@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "ding.list")
11631 ("subject" "ding" "ding.misc"))
11632 ;; Other mailing lists...
11633 (any "procmail@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "procmail.list")
11634 (any "SmartList@@informatik\\.rwth-aachen\\.de" "SmartList.list")
11635 ;; Both lists below have the same suffix, so prevent
11636 ;; cross-posting to mkpkg.list of messages posted only to
11637 ;; the bugs- list, but allow cross-posting when the
11638 ;; message was really cross-posted.
11639 (any "bugs-mypackage@@somewhere" "mypkg.bugs")
11640 (any "mypackage@@somewhere\" - "bugs-mypackage" "mypkg.list")
11642 (any "larsi@@ifi\\.uio\\.no" "people.Lars_Magne_Ingebrigtsen"))
11643 ;; Unmatched mail goes to the catch all group.
11647 This variable has the format of a @dfn{split}. A split is a (possibly)
11648 recursive structure where each split may contain other splits. Here are
11649 the five possible split syntaxes:
11654 @samp{group}: If the split is a string, that will be taken as a group
11655 name. Normal regexp match expansion will be done. See below for
11659 @code{(@var{field} @var{value} @code{[-} @var{restrict}
11660 @code{[@dots{}]}@code{]} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, the
11661 first element of which is a string, then store the message as
11662 specified by @var{split}, if header @var{field} (a regexp) contains
11663 @var{value} (also a regexp). If @var{restrict} (yet another regexp)
11664 matches some string after @var{field} and before the end of the
11665 matched @var{value}, the @var{split} is ignored. If none of the
11666 @var{restrict} clauses match, @var{split} is processed.
11669 @code{(| @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11670 element is @code{|} (vertical bar), then process each @var{split} until
11671 one of them matches. A @var{split} is said to match if it will cause
11672 the mail message to be stored in one or more groups.
11675 @code{(& @var{split}@dots{})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11676 element is @code{&}, then process all @var{split}s in the list.
11679 @code{junk}: If the split is the symbol @code{junk}, then don't save
11680 this message. Use with extreme caution.
11683 @code{(: @var{function} @var{arg1} @var{arg2} @dots{})}: If the split is
11684 a list, and the first element is @code{:}, then the second element will
11685 be called as a function with @var{args} given as arguments. The
11686 function should return a @var{split}.
11688 For instance, the following function could be used to split based on the
11689 body of the messages:
11692 (defun split-on-body ()
11694 (set-buffer " *nnmail incoming*")
11695 (goto-char (point-min))
11696 (when (re-search-forward "Some.*string" nil t)
11701 @code{(! @var{func} @var{split})}: If the split is a list, and the first
11702 element is @code{!}, then SPLIT will be processed, and FUNC will be
11703 called as a function with the result of SPLIT as argument. FUNC should
11707 @code{nil}: If the split is @code{nil}, it is ignored.
11711 In these splits, @var{field} must match a complete field name.
11712 @var{value} must match a complete word according to the fundamental mode
11713 syntax table. You can use @code{.*} in the regexps to match partial
11714 field names or words. In other words, all @var{value}'s are wrapped in
11715 @samp{\<} and @samp{\>} pairs.
11717 @vindex nnmail-split-abbrev-alist
11718 @var{field} and @var{value} can also be lisp symbols, in that case they
11719 are expanded as specified by the variable
11720 @code{nnmail-split-abbrev-alist}. This is an alist of cons cells, where
11721 the @code{car} of a cell contains the key, and the @code{cdr} contains the associated
11724 @vindex nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table
11725 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-syntax-table} is the syntax table in effect
11726 when all this splitting is performed.
11728 If you want to have Gnus create groups dynamically based on some
11729 information in the headers (i.e., do @code{replace-match}-like
11730 substitutions in the group names), you can say things like:
11733 (any "debian-\\b\\(\\w+\\)@@lists.debian.org" "mail.debian.\\1")
11736 In this example, messages sent to @samp{debian-foo@@lists.debian.org}
11737 will be filed in @samp{mail.debian.foo}.
11739 If the string contains the element @samp{\&}, then the previously
11740 matched string will be substituted. Similarly, the elements @samp{\\1}
11741 up to @samp{\\9} will be substituted with the text matched by the
11742 groupings 1 through 9.
11744 @findex nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent
11745 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} is a function which allows you to
11746 split followups into the same groups their parents are in. Sometimes
11747 you can't make splitting rules for all your mail. For example, your
11748 boss might send you personal mail regarding different projects you are
11749 working on, and as you can't tell your boss to put a distinguishing
11750 string into the subject line, you have to resort to manually moving the
11751 messages into the right group. With this function, you only have to do
11752 it once per thread.
11754 To use this feature, you have to set @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to a
11755 non-nil value. And then you can include
11756 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} using the colon feature, like so:
11758 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
11759 '(| (: nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent)
11760 ;; other splits go here
11764 This feature works as follows: when @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} is
11765 non-nil, Gnus records the message id of every message it sees in the
11766 file specified by the variable @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file},
11767 together with the group it is in (the group is omitted for non-mail
11768 messages). When mail splitting is invoked, the function
11769 @code{nnmail-split-fancy-with-parent} then looks at the References (and
11770 In-Reply-To) header of each message to split and searches the file
11771 specified by @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file} for the message ids.
11772 When it has found a parent, it returns the corresponding group name. It
11773 is recommended that you set @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length} to a
11774 somewhat higher number than the default so that the message ids are
11775 still in the cache. (A value of 5000 appears to create a file some 300
11777 @vindex nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids
11778 When @code{nnmail-cache-accepted-message-ids} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus
11779 also records the message ids of moved articles, so that the followup
11780 messages goes into the new group.
11783 @node Group Mail Splitting
11784 @subsection Group Mail Splitting
11785 @cindex mail splitting
11786 @cindex group mail splitting
11788 @findex gnus-group-split
11789 If you subscribe to dozens of mailing lists but you don't want to
11790 maintain mail splitting rules manually, group mail splitting is for you.
11791 You just have to set @var{to-list} and/or @var{to-address} in group
11792 parameters or group customization and set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to
11793 @code{gnus-group-split}. This splitting function will scan all groups
11794 for those parameters and split mail accordingly, i.e., messages posted
11795 from or to the addresses specified in the parameters @var{to-list} or
11796 @var{to-address} of a mail group will be stored in that group.
11798 Sometimes, mailing lists have multiple addresses, and you may want mail
11799 splitting to recognize them all: just set the @var{extra-aliases} group
11800 parameter to the list of additional addresses and it's done. If you'd
11801 rather use a regular expression, set @var{split-regexp}.
11803 All these parameters in a group will be used to create an
11804 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split, in which the @var{field} is @samp{any},
11805 the @var{value} is a single regular expression that matches
11806 @var{to-list}, @var{to-address}, all of @var{extra-aliases} and all
11807 matches of @var{split-regexp}, and the @var{split} is the name of the
11808 group. @var{restrict}s are also supported: just set the
11809 @var{split-exclude} parameter to a list of regular expressions.
11811 If you can't get the right split to be generated using all these
11812 parameters, or you just need something fancier, you can set the
11813 parameter @var{split-spec} to an @code{nnmail-split-fancy} split. In
11814 this case, all other aforementioned parameters will be ignored by
11815 @code{gnus-group-split}. In particular, @var{split-spec} may be set to
11816 @code{nil}, in which case the group will be ignored by
11817 @code{gnus-group-split}.
11819 @vindex gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group
11820 @code{gnus-group-split} will do cross-posting on all groups that match,
11821 by defining a single @code{&} fancy split containing one split for each
11822 group. If a message doesn't match any split, it will be stored in the
11823 group named in @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}, unless
11824 some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all}, in which case
11825 that group is used as the catch-all group. Even though this variable is
11826 often used just to name a group, it may also be set to an arbitrarily
11827 complex fancy split (after all, a group name is a fancy split), and this
11828 may be useful to split mail that doesn't go to any mailing list to
11829 personal mail folders. Note that this fancy split is added as the last
11830 element of a @code{|} split list that also contains a @code{&} split
11831 with the rules extracted from group parameters.
11833 It's time for an example. Assume the following group parameters have
11838 ((to-address . "bar@@femail.com")
11839 (split-regexp . ".*@@femail\\.com"))
11841 ((to-list . "foo@@nowhere.gov")
11842 (extra-aliases "foo@@localhost" "foo-redist@@home")
11843 (split-exclude "bugs-foo" "rambling-foo")
11844 (admin-address . "foo-request@@nowhere.gov"))
11846 ((split-spec . catch-all))
11849 Setting @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{gnus-group-split} will
11850 behave as if @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been selected and variable
11851 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} had been set as follows:
11854 (| (& (any "\\(bar@@femail\\.com\\|.*@@femail\\.com\\)" "mail.bar")
11855 (any "\\(foo@@nowhere\\.gov\\|foo@@localhost\\|foo-redist@@home\\)"
11856 - "bugs-foo" - "rambling-foo" "mail.foo"))
11860 @findex gnus-group-split-fancy
11861 If you'd rather not use group splitting for all your mail groups, you
11862 may use it for only some of them, by using @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
11866 (: gnus-mlsplt-fancy GROUPS NO-CROSSPOST CATCH-ALL)
11869 @var{groups} may be a regular expression or a list of group names whose
11870 parameters will be scanned to generate the output split.
11871 @var{no-crosspost} can be used to disable cross-posting; in this case, a
11872 single @code{|} split will be output. @var{catch-all} is the fallback
11873 fancy split, used like @var{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group}.
11874 If @var{catch-all} is @code{nil}, or if @var{split-regexp} matches the
11875 empty string in any selected group, no catch-all split will be issued.
11876 Otherwise, if some group has @var{split-spec} set to @code{catch-all},
11877 this group will override the value of the @var{catch-all} argument.
11879 @findex gnus-group-split-setup
11880 Unfortunately, scanning all groups and their parameters can be quite
11881 slow, especially considering that it has to be done for every message.
11882 But don't despair! The function @code{gnus-group-split-setup} can be
11883 used to enable @code{gnus-group-split} in a much more efficient way. It
11884 sets @code{nnmail-split-methods} to @code{nnmail-split-fancy} and sets
11885 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} to the split produced by
11886 @code{gnus-group-split-fancy}. Thus, the group parameters are only
11887 scanned once, no matter how many messages are split.
11889 @findex gnus-group-split-update
11890 However, if you change group parameters, you have to update
11891 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} manually. You can do it by running
11892 @code{gnus-group-split-update}. If you'd rather have it updated
11893 automatically, just tell @code{gnus-group-split-setup} to do it for
11894 you. For example, add to your @file{.gnus}:
11897 (gnus-group-split-setup AUTO-UPDATE CATCH-ALL)
11900 If @var{auto-update} is non-@code{nil}, @code{gnus-group-split-update}
11901 will be added to @code{nnmail-pre-get-new-mail-hook}, so you won't ever
11902 have to worry about updating @code{nnmail-split-fancy} again. If you
11903 don't omit @var{catch-all} (it's optional, equivalent to @code{nil}),
11904 @code{gnus-group-split-default-catch-all-group} will be set to its
11907 @vindex gnus-group-split-updated-hook
11908 Because you may want to change @code{nnmail-split-fancy} after it is set
11909 by @code{gnus-group-split-update}, this function will run
11910 @code{gnus-group-split-updated-hook} just before finishing.
11912 @node Incorporating Old Mail
11913 @subsection Incorporating Old Mail
11915 Most people have lots of old mail stored in various file formats. If
11916 you have set up Gnus to read mail using one of the spiffy Gnus mail
11917 backends, you'll probably wish to have that old mail incorporated into
11920 Doing so can be quite easy.
11922 To take an example: You're reading mail using @code{nnml}
11923 (@pxref{Mail Spool}), and have set @code{nnmail-split-methods} to a
11924 satisfactory value (@pxref{Splitting Mail}). You have an old Unix mbox
11925 file filled with important, but old, mail. You want to move it into
11926 your @code{nnml} groups.
11932 Go to the group buffer.
11935 Type `G f' and give the path to the mbox file when prompted to create an
11936 @code{nndoc} group from the mbox file (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
11939 Type `SPACE' to enter the newly created group.
11942 Type `M P b' to process-mark all articles in this group's buffer
11943 (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
11946 Type `B r' to respool all the process-marked articles, and answer
11947 @samp{nnml} when prompted (@pxref{Mail Group Commands}).
11950 All the mail messages in the mbox file will now also be spread out over
11951 all your @code{nnml} groups. Try entering them and check whether things
11952 have gone without a glitch. If things look ok, you may consider
11953 deleting the mbox file, but I wouldn't do that unless I was absolutely
11954 sure that all the mail has ended up where it should be.
11956 Respooling is also a handy thing to do if you're switching from one mail
11957 backend to another. Just respool all the mail in the old mail groups
11958 using the new mail backend.
11961 @node Expiring Mail
11962 @subsection Expiring Mail
11963 @cindex article expiry
11965 Traditional mail readers have a tendency to remove mail articles when
11966 you mark them as read, in some way. Gnus takes a fundamentally
11967 different approach to mail reading.
11969 Gnus basically considers mail just to be news that has been received in
11970 a rather peculiar manner. It does not think that it has the power to
11971 actually change the mail, or delete any mail messages. If you enter a
11972 mail group, and mark articles as ``read'', or kill them in some other
11973 fashion, the mail articles will still exist on the system. I repeat:
11974 Gnus will not delete your old, read mail. Unless you ask it to, of
11977 To make Gnus get rid of your unwanted mail, you have to mark the
11978 articles as @dfn{expirable}. This does not mean that the articles will
11979 disappear right away, however. In general, a mail article will be
11980 deleted from your system if, 1) it is marked as expirable, AND 2) it is
11981 more than one week old. If you do not mark an article as expirable, it
11982 will remain on your system until hell freezes over. This bears
11983 repeating one more time, with some spurious capitalizations: IF you do
11984 NOT mark articles as EXPIRABLE, Gnus will NEVER delete those ARTICLES.
11986 @vindex gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
11987 You do not have to mark articles as expirable by hand. Groups that
11988 match the regular expression @code{gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups} will
11989 have all articles that you read marked as expirable automatically. All
11990 articles marked as expirable have an @samp{E} in the first
11991 column in the summary buffer.
11993 By default, if you have auto expiry switched on, Gnus will mark all the
11994 articles you read as expirable, no matter if they were read or unread
11995 before. To avoid having articles marked as read marked as expirable
11996 automatically, you can put something like the following in your
11999 @vindex gnus-mark-article-hook
12001 (remove-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook
12002 'gnus-summary-mark-read-and-unread-as-read)
12003 (add-hook 'gnus-mark-article-hook 'gnus-summary-mark-unread-as-read)
12006 Note that making a group auto-expirable doesn't mean that all read
12007 articles are expired---only the articles marked as expirable
12008 will be expired. Also note that using the @kbd{d} command won't make
12009 groups expirable---only semi-automatic marking of articles as read will
12010 mark the articles as expirable in auto-expirable groups.
12012 Let's say you subscribe to a couple of mailing lists, and you want the
12013 articles you have read to disappear after a while:
12016 (setq gnus-auto-expirable-newsgroups
12017 "mail.nonsense-list\\|mail.nice-list")
12020 Another way to have auto-expiry happen is to have the element
12021 @code{auto-expire} in the group parameters of the group.
12023 If you use adaptive scoring (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}) and
12024 auto-expiring, you'll have problems. Auto-expiring and adaptive scoring
12025 don't really mix very well.
12027 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait
12028 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable supplies the default time an
12029 expirable article has to live. Gnus starts counting days from when the
12030 message @emph{arrived}, not from when it was sent. The default is seven
12033 Gnus also supplies a function that lets you fine-tune how long articles
12034 are to live, based on what group they are in. Let's say you want to
12035 have one month expiry period in the @samp{mail.private} group, a one day
12036 expiry period in the @samp{mail.junk} group, and a six day expiry period
12039 @vindex nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12041 (setq nnmail-expiry-wait-function
12043 (cond ((string= group "mail.private")
12045 ((string= group "mail.junk")
12047 ((string= group "important")
12053 The group names this function is fed are ``unadorned'' group
12054 names---no @samp{nnml:} prefixes and the like.
12056 The @code{nnmail-expiry-wait} variable and
12057 @code{nnmail-expiry-wait-function} function can either be a number (not
12058 necessarily an integer) or one of the symbols @code{immediate} or
12061 You can also use the @code{expiry-wait} group parameter to selectively
12062 change the expiry period (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
12064 @vindex nnmail-expiry-target
12065 The normal action taken when expiring articles is to delete them.
12066 However, in some circumstances it might make more sense to move them to
12067 other groups instead of deleting them. The variable @code{nnmail-expiry-target}
12068 (and the @code{expiry-target} group parameter) controls this. The
12069 variable supplies a default value for all groups, which can be
12070 overridden for specific groups by the group parameter.
12071 default value is @code{delete}, but this can also be a string (which
12072 should be the name of the group the message should be moved to), or a
12073 function (which will be called in a buffer narrowed to the message in
12074 question, and with the name of the group being moved from as its
12075 parameter) which should return a target -- either a group name or
12078 Here's an example for specifying a group name:
12080 (setq nnmail-expiry-target "nnml:expired")
12084 @vindex nnmail-keep-last-article
12085 If @code{nnmail-keep-last-article} is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will never
12086 expire the final article in a mail newsgroup. This is to make life
12087 easier for procmail users.
12089 @vindex gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups
12090 By the way: That line up there, about Gnus never expiring non-expirable
12091 articles, is a lie. If you put @code{total-expire} in the group
12092 parameters, articles will not be marked as expirable, but all read
12093 articles will be put through the expiry process. Use with extreme
12094 caution. Even more dangerous is the
12095 @code{gnus-total-expirable-newsgroups} variable. All groups that match
12096 this regexp will have all read articles put through the expiry process,
12097 which means that @emph{all} old mail articles in the groups in question
12098 will be deleted after a while. Use with extreme caution, and don't come
12099 crying to me when you discover that the regexp you used matched the
12100 wrong group and all your important mail has disappeared. Be a
12101 @emph{man}! Or a @emph{woman}! Whatever you feel more comfortable
12104 Most people make most of their mail groups total-expirable, though.
12106 @vindex gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire
12107 If @code{gnus-inhibit-user-auto-expire} is non-@code{nil}, user marking
12108 commands will not mark an article as expirable, even if the group has
12109 auto-expire turned on.
12113 @subsection Washing Mail
12114 @cindex mail washing
12115 @cindex list server brain damage
12116 @cindex incoming mail treatment
12118 Mailers and list servers are notorious for doing all sorts of really,
12119 really stupid things with mail. ``Hey, RFC 822 doesn't explicitly
12120 prohibit us from adding the string @code{wE aRe ElItE!!!!!1!!} to the
12121 end of all lines passing through our server, so let's do that!!!!1!''
12122 Yes, but RFC 822 wasn't designed to be read by morons. Things that were
12123 considered to be self-evident were not discussed. So. Here we are.
12125 Case in point: The German version of Microsoft Exchange adds @samp{AW:
12126 } to the subjects of replies instead of @samp{Re: }. I could pretend to
12127 be shocked and dismayed by this, but I haven't got the energy. It is to
12130 Gnus provides a plethora of functions for washing articles while
12131 displaying them, but it might be nicer to do the filtering before
12132 storing the mail to disc. For that purpose, we have three hooks and
12133 various functions that can be put in these hooks.
12136 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12137 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-hook
12138 This hook is called before doing anything with the mail and is meant for
12139 grand, sweeping gestures. It is called in a buffer that contains all
12140 the new, incoming mail. Functions to be used include:
12143 @item nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12144 @findex nnheader-ms-strip-cr
12145 Remove trailing carriage returns from each line. This is default on
12146 Emacs running on MS machines.
12150 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12151 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-header-hook
12152 This hook is called narrowed to each header. It can be used when
12153 cleaning up the headers. Functions that can be used include:
12156 @item nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12157 @findex nnmail-remove-leading-whitespace
12158 Clear leading white space that ``helpful'' listservs have added to the
12159 headers to make them look nice. Aaah.
12161 @item nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12162 @findex nnmail-remove-list-identifiers
12163 Some list servers add an identifier---for example, @samp{(idm)}---to the
12164 beginning of all @code{Subject} headers. I'm sure that's nice for
12165 people who use stone age mail readers. This function will remove
12166 strings that match the @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} regexp, which can
12167 also be a list of regexp. @code{nnmail-list-identifiers} may not contain
12170 For instance, if you want to remove the @samp{(idm)} and the
12171 @samp{nagnagnag} identifiers:
12174 (setq nnmail-list-identifiers
12175 '("(idm)" "nagnagnag"))
12178 This can also be done non-destructively with
12179 @code{gnus-list-identifiers}, @xref{Article Hiding}.
12181 @item nnmail-remove-tabs
12182 @findex nnmail-remove-tabs
12183 Translate all @samp{TAB} characters into @samp{SPACE} characters.
12185 @item nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12186 @findex nnmail-fix-eudora-headers
12188 Eudora produces broken @code{References} headers, but OK
12189 @code{In-Reply-To} headers. This function will get rid of the
12190 @code{References} headers.
12194 @item nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12195 @vindex nnmail-prepare-incoming-message-hook
12196 This hook is called narrowed to each message. Functions to be used
12200 @item article-de-quoted-unreadable
12201 @findex article-de-quoted-unreadable
12202 Decode Quoted Readable encoding.
12209 @subsection Duplicates
12211 @vindex nnmail-treat-duplicates
12212 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-length
12213 @vindex nnmail-message-id-cache-file
12214 @cindex duplicate mails
12215 If you are a member of a couple of mailing lists, you will sometimes
12216 receive two copies of the same mail. This can be quite annoying, so
12217 @code{nnmail} checks for and treats any duplicates it might find. To do
12218 this, it keeps a cache of old @code{Message-ID}s---
12219 @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-file}, which is @file{~/.nnmail-cache} by
12220 default. The approximate maximum number of @code{Message-ID}s stored
12221 there is controlled by the @code{nnmail-message-id-cache-length}
12222 variable, which is 1000 by default. (So 1000 @code{Message-ID}s will be
12223 stored.) If all this sounds scary to you, you can set
12224 @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} to @code{warn} (which is what it is by
12225 default), and @code{nnmail} won't delete duplicate mails. Instead it
12226 will insert a warning into the head of the mail saying that it thinks
12227 that this is a duplicate of a different message.
12229 This variable can also be a function. If that's the case, the function
12230 will be called from a buffer narrowed to the message in question with
12231 the @code{Message-ID} as a parameter. The function must return either
12232 @code{nil}, @code{warn}, or @code{delete}.
12234 You can turn this feature off completely by setting the variable to
12237 If you want all the duplicate mails to be put into a special
12238 @dfn{duplicates} group, you could do that using the normal mail split
12242 (setq nnmail-split-fancy
12243 '(| ;; Messages duplicates go to a separate group.
12244 ("gnus-warning" "duplication of message" "duplicate")
12245 ;; Message from daemons, postmaster, and the like to another.
12246 (any mail "mail.misc")
12253 (setq nnmail-split-methods
12254 '(("duplicates" "^Gnus-Warning:")
12259 Here's a neat feature: If you know that the recipient reads her mail
12260 with Gnus, and that she has @code{nnmail-treat-duplicates} set to
12261 @code{delete}, you can send her as many insults as you like, just by
12262 using a @code{Message-ID} of a mail that you know that she's already
12263 received. Think of all the fun! She'll never see any of it! Whee!
12266 @node Not Reading Mail
12267 @subsection Not Reading Mail
12269 If you start using any of the mail backends, they have the annoying
12270 habit of assuming that you want to read mail with them. This might not
12271 be unreasonable, but it might not be what you want.
12273 If you set @code{mail-sources} and @code{nnmail-spool-file} to
12274 @code{nil}, none of the backends will ever attempt to read incoming
12275 mail, which should help.
12277 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12278 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12279 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12280 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12281 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12282 This might be too much, if, for instance, you are reading mail quite
12283 happily with @code{nnml} and just want to peek at some old @sc{rmail}
12284 file you have stashed away with @code{nnbabyl}. All backends have
12285 variables called backend-@code{get-new-mail}. If you want to disable
12286 the @code{nnbabyl} mail reading, you edit the virtual server for the
12287 group to have a setting where @code{nnbabyl-get-new-mail} to @code{nil}.
12289 All the mail backends will call @code{nn}*@code{-prepare-save-mail-hook}
12290 narrowed to the article to be saved before saving it when reading
12294 @node Choosing a Mail Backend
12295 @subsection Choosing a Mail Backend
12297 Gnus will read the mail spool when you activate a mail group. The mail
12298 file is first copied to your home directory. What happens after that
12299 depends on what format you want to store your mail in.
12301 There are five different mail backends in the standard Gnus, and more
12302 backends are available separately. The mail backend most people use
12303 (because it is the fastest and most flexible) is @code{nnml}
12304 (@pxref{Mail Spool}).
12307 * Unix Mail Box:: Using the (quite) standard Un*x mbox.
12308 * Rmail Babyl:: Emacs programs use the rmail babyl format.
12309 * Mail Spool:: Store your mail in a private spool?
12310 * MH Spool:: An mhspool-like backend.
12311 * Mail Folders:: Having one file for each group.
12312 * Comparing Mail Backends:: An in-depth looks at pros and cons.
12316 @node Unix Mail Box
12317 @subsubsection Unix Mail Box
12319 @cindex unix mail box
12321 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12322 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12323 The @dfn{nnmbox} backend will use the standard Un*x mbox file to store
12324 mail. @code{nnmbox} will add extra headers to each mail article to say
12325 which group it belongs in.
12327 Virtual server settings:
12330 @item nnmbox-mbox-file
12331 @vindex nnmbox-mbox-file
12332 The name of the mail box in the user's home directory.
12334 @item nnmbox-active-file
12335 @vindex nnmbox-active-file
12336 The name of the active file for the mail box.
12338 @item nnmbox-get-new-mail
12339 @vindex nnmbox-get-new-mail
12340 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmbox} will read incoming mail and split it
12346 @subsubsection Rmail Babyl
12350 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12351 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12352 The @dfn{nnbabyl} backend will use a babyl mail box (aka. @dfn{rmail
12353 mbox}) to store mail. @code{nnbabyl} will add extra headers to each
12354 mail article to say which group it belongs in.
12356 Virtual server settings:
12359 @item nnbabyl-mbox-file
12360 @vindex nnbabyl-mbox-file
12361 The name of the rmail mbox file.
12363 @item nnbabyl-active-file
12364 @vindex nnbabyl-active-file
12365 The name of the active file for the rmail box.
12367 @item nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12368 @vindex nnbabyl-get-new-mail
12369 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnbabyl} will read incoming mail.
12374 @subsubsection Mail Spool
12376 @cindex mail @sc{nov} spool
12378 The @dfn{nnml} spool mail format isn't compatible with any other known
12379 format. It should be used with some caution.
12381 @vindex nnml-directory
12382 If you use this backend, Gnus will split all incoming mail into files,
12383 one file for each mail, and put the articles into the corresponding
12384 directories under the directory specified by the @code{nnml-directory}
12385 variable. The default value is @file{~/Mail/}.
12387 You do not have to create any directories beforehand; Gnus will take
12390 If you have a strict limit as to how many files you are allowed to store
12391 in your account, you should not use this backend. As each mail gets its
12392 own file, you might very well occupy thousands of inodes within a few
12393 weeks. If this is no problem for you, and it isn't a problem for you
12394 having your friendly systems administrator walking around, madly,
12395 shouting ``Who is eating all my inodes?! Who? Who!?!'', then you should
12396 know that this is probably the fastest format to use. You do not have
12397 to trudge through a big mbox file just to read your new mail.
12399 @code{nnml} is probably the slowest backend when it comes to article
12400 splitting. It has to create lots of files, and it also generates
12401 @sc{nov} databases for the incoming mails. This makes it the fastest
12402 backend when it comes to reading mail.
12404 Virtual server settings:
12407 @item nnml-directory
12408 @vindex nnml-directory
12409 All @code{nnml} directories will be placed under this directory.
12411 @item nnml-active-file
12412 @vindex nnml-active-file
12413 The active file for the @code{nnml} server.
12415 @item nnml-newsgroups-file
12416 @vindex nnml-newsgroups-file
12417 The @code{nnml} group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File
12420 @item nnml-get-new-mail
12421 @vindex nnml-get-new-mail
12422 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnml} will read incoming mail.
12424 @item nnml-nov-is-evil
12425 @vindex nnml-nov-is-evil
12426 If non-@code{nil}, this backend will ignore any @sc{nov} files.
12428 @item nnml-nov-file-name
12429 @vindex nnml-nov-file-name
12430 The name of the @sc{nov} files. The default is @file{.overview}.
12432 @item nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12433 @vindex nnml-prepare-save-mail-hook
12434 Hook run narrowed to an article before saving.
12438 @findex nnml-generate-nov-databases
12439 If your @code{nnml} groups and @sc{nov} files get totally out of whack,
12440 you can do a complete update by typing @kbd{M-x
12441 nnml-generate-nov-databases}. This command will trawl through the
12442 entire @code{nnml} hierarchy, looking at each and every article, so it
12443 might take a while to complete. A better interface to this
12444 functionality can be found in the server buffer (@pxref{Server
12449 @subsubsection MH Spool
12451 @cindex mh-e mail spool
12453 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, except that is doesn't generate
12454 @sc{nov} databases and it doesn't keep an active file. This makes
12455 @code{nnmh} a @emph{much} slower backend than @code{nnml}, but it also
12456 makes it easier to write procmail scripts for.
12458 Virtual server settings:
12461 @item nnmh-directory
12462 @vindex nnmh-directory
12463 All @code{nnmh} directories will be located under this directory.
12465 @item nnmh-get-new-mail
12466 @vindex nnmh-get-new-mail
12467 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will read incoming mail.
12470 @vindex nnmh-be-safe
12471 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnmh} will go to ridiculous lengths to make
12472 sure that the articles in the folder are actually what Gnus thinks they
12473 are. It will check date stamps and stat everything in sight, so
12474 setting this to @code{t} will mean a serious slow-down. If you never
12475 use anything but Gnus to read the @code{nnmh} articles, you do not have
12476 to set this variable to @code{t}.
12481 @subsubsection Mail Folders
12483 @cindex mbox folders
12484 @cindex mail folders
12486 @code{nnfolder} is a backend for storing each mail group in a separate
12487 file. Each file is in the standard Un*x mbox format. @code{nnfolder}
12488 will add extra headers to keep track of article numbers and arrival
12491 Virtual server settings:
12494 @item nnfolder-directory
12495 @vindex nnfolder-directory
12496 All the @code{nnfolder} mail boxes will be stored under this directory.
12498 @item nnfolder-active-file
12499 @vindex nnfolder-active-file
12500 The name of the active file.
12502 @item nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12503 @vindex nnfolder-newsgroups-file
12504 The name of the group descriptions file. @xref{Newsgroups File Format}.
12506 @item nnfolder-get-new-mail
12507 @vindex nnfolder-get-new-mail
12508 If non-@code{nil}, @code{nnfolder} will read incoming mail.
12510 @item nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12511 @vindex nnfolder-save-buffer-hook
12512 @cindex backup files
12513 Hook run before saving the folders. Note that Emacs does the normal
12514 backup renaming of files even with the @code{nnfolder} buffers. If you
12515 wish to switch this off, you could say something like the following in
12516 your @file{.emacs} file:
12519 (defun turn-off-backup ()
12520 (set (make-local-variable 'backup-inhibited) t))
12522 (add-hook 'nnfolder-save-buffer-hook 'turn-off-backup)
12525 @item nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12526 @vindex nnfolder-delete-mail-hook
12527 Hook run in a buffer narrowed to the message that is to be deleted.
12528 This function can be used to copy the message to somewhere else, or to
12529 extract some information from it before removing it.
12534 @findex nnfolder-generate-active-file
12535 @kindex M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file
12536 If you have lots of @code{nnfolder}-like files you'd like to read with
12537 @code{nnfolder}, you can use the @kbd{M-x nnfolder-generate-active-file}
12538 command to make @code{nnfolder} aware of all likely files in
12539 @code{nnfolder-directory}. This only works if you use long file names,
12542 @node Comparing Mail Backends
12543 @subsubsection Comparing Mail Backends
12545 First, just for terminology, the @dfn{backend} is the common word for a
12546 low-level access method---a transport, if you will, by which something
12547 is acquired. The sense is that one's mail has to come from somewhere,
12548 and so selection of a suitable backend is required in order to get that
12549 mail within spitting distance of Gnus.
12551 The same concept exists for Usenet itself: Though access to articles is
12552 typically done by @sc{nntp} these days, once upon a midnight dreary, everyone
12553 in the world got at Usenet by running a reader on the machine where the
12554 articles lay (the machine which today we call an @sc{nntp} server), and
12555 access was by the reader stepping into the articles' directory spool
12556 area directly. One can still select between either the @code{nntp} or
12557 @code{nnspool} backends, to select between these methods, if one happens
12558 actually to live on the server (or can see its spool directly, anyway,
12561 The goal in selecting a mail backend is to pick one which
12562 simultaneously represents a suitable way of dealing with the original
12563 format plus leaving mail in a form that is convenient to use in the
12564 future. Here are some high and low points on each:
12569 UNIX systems have historically had a single, very common, and well-
12570 defined format. All messages arrive in a single @dfn{spool file}, and
12571 they are delineated by a line whose regular expression matches
12572 @samp{^From_}. (My notational use of @samp{_} is to indicate a space,
12573 to make it clear in this instance that this is not the RFC-specified
12574 @samp{From:} header.) Because Emacs and therefore Gnus emanate
12575 historically from the Unix environment, it is simplest if one does not
12576 mess a great deal with the original mailbox format, so if one chooses
12577 this backend, Gnus' primary activity in getting mail from the real spool
12578 area to Gnus' preferred directory is simply to copy it, with no
12579 (appreciable) format change in the process. It is the ``dumbest'' way
12580 to move mail into availability in the Gnus environment. This makes it
12581 fast to move into place, but slow to parse, when Gnus has to look at
12586 Once upon a time, there was the DEC-10 and DEC-20, running operating
12587 systems called TOPS and related things, and the usual (only?) mail
12588 reading environment was a thing called Babyl. I don't know what format
12589 was used for mail landing on the system, but Babyl had its own internal
12590 format to which mail was converted, primarily involving creating a
12591 spool-file-like entity with a scheme for inserting Babyl-specific
12592 headers and status bits above the top of each message in the file.
12593 RMAIL was Emacs' first mail reader, it was written by Richard Stallman,
12594 and Stallman came out of that TOPS/Babyl environment, so he wrote RMAIL
12595 to understand the mail files folks already had in existence. Gnus (and
12596 VM, for that matter) continue to support this format because it's
12597 perceived as having some good qualities in those mailer-specific
12598 headers/status bits stuff. RMAIL itself still exists as well, of
12599 course, and is still maintained by Stallman.
12601 Both of the above forms leave your mail in a single file on your
12602 filesystem, and they must parse that entire file each time you take a
12607 @code{nnml} is the backend which smells the most as though you were
12608 actually operating with an @code{nnspool}-accessed Usenet system. (In
12609 fact, I believe @code{nnml} actually derived from @code{nnspool} code,
12610 lo these years ago.) One's mail is taken from the original spool file,
12611 and is then cut up into individual message files, 1:1. It maintains a
12612 Usenet-style active file (analogous to what one finds in an INN- or
12613 CNews-based news system in (for instance) @file{/var/lib/news/active},
12614 or what is returned via the @samp{NNTP LIST} verb) and also creates
12615 @dfn{overview} files for efficient group entry, as has been defined for
12616 @sc{nntp} servers for some years now. It is slower in mail-splitting,
12617 due to the creation of lots of files, updates to the @code{nnml} active
12618 file, and additions to overview files on a per-message basis, but it is
12619 extremely fast on access because of what amounts to the indexing support
12620 provided by the active file and overviews.
12622 @code{nnml} costs @dfn{inodes} in a big way; that is, it soaks up the
12623 resource which defines available places in the filesystem to put new
12624 files. Sysadmins take a dim view of heavy inode occupation within
12625 tight, shared filesystems. But if you live on a personal machine where
12626 the filesystem is your own and space is not at a premium, @code{nnml}
12629 It is also problematic using this backend if you are living in a
12630 FAT16-based Windows world, since much space will be wasted on all these
12635 The Rand MH mail-reading system has been around UNIX systems for a very
12636 long time; it operates by splitting one's spool file of messages into
12637 individual files, but with little or no indexing support -- @code{nnmh}
12638 is considered to be semantically equivalent to ``@code{nnml} without
12639 active file or overviews''. This is arguably the worst choice, because
12640 one gets the slowness of individual file creation married to the
12641 slowness of access parsing when learning what's new in one's groups.
12645 Basically the effect of @code{nnfolder} is @code{nnmbox} (the first
12646 method described above) on a per-group basis. That is, @code{nnmbox}
12647 itself puts *all* one's mail in one file; @code{nnfolder} provides a
12648 little bit of optimization to this so that each of one's mail groups has
12649 a Unix mail box file. It's faster than @code{nnmbox} because each group
12650 can be parsed separately, and still provides the simple Unix mail box
12651 format requiring minimal effort in moving the mail around. In addition,
12652 it maintains an ``active'' file making it much faster for Gnus to figure
12653 out how many messages there are in each separate group.
12655 If you have groups that are expected to have a massive amount of
12656 messages, @code{nnfolder} is not the best choice, but if you receive
12657 only a moderate amount of mail, @code{nnfolder} is probably the most
12658 friendly mail backend all over.
12663 @node Browsing the Web
12664 @section Browsing the Web
12666 @cindex browsing the web
12670 Web-based discussion forums are getting more and more popular. On many
12671 subjects, the web-based forums have become the most important forums,
12672 eclipsing the importance of mailing lists and news groups. The reason
12673 is easy to understand---they are friendly to new users; you just point
12674 and click, and there's the discussion. With mailing lists, you have to
12675 go through a cumbersome subscription procedure, and most people don't
12676 even know what a news group is.
12678 The problem with this scenario is that web browsers are not very good at
12679 being newsreaders. They do not keep track of what articles you've read;
12680 they do not allow you to score on subjects you're interested in; they do
12681 not allow off-line browsing; they require you to click around and drive
12682 you mad in the end.
12684 So---if web browsers suck at reading discussion forums, why not use Gnus
12687 Gnus has been getting a bit of a collection of backends for providing
12688 interfaces to these sources.
12691 * Web Searches:: Creating groups from articles that match a string.
12692 * Slashdot:: Reading the Slashdot comments.
12693 * Ultimate:: The Ultimate Bulletin Board systems.
12694 * Web Archive:: Reading mailing list archived on web.
12695 * Customizing w3:: Doing stuff to Emacs/w3 from Gnus.
12698 All the web sources require Emacs/w3 and the url library to work.
12700 The main caveat with all these web sources is that they probably won't
12701 work for a very long time. Gleaning information from the @sc{html} data
12702 is guesswork at best, and when the layout is altered, the Gnus backend
12703 will fail. If you have reasonably new versions of these backends,
12704 though, you should be ok.
12706 One thing all these Web methods have in common is that the Web sources
12707 are often down, unavailable or just plain too slow to be fun. In those
12708 cases, it makes a lot of sense to let the Gnus Agent (@pxref{Gnus
12709 Unplugged}) handle downloading articles, and then you can read them at
12710 leisure from your local disk. No more World Wide Wait for you.
12714 @subsection Web Searches
12718 @cindex InReference
12719 @cindex Usenet searches
12720 @cindex searching the Usenet
12722 It's, like, too neat to search the Usenet for articles that match a
12723 string, but it, like, totally @emph{sucks}, like, totally, to use one of
12724 those, like, Web browsers, and you, like, have to, rilly, like, look at
12725 the commercials, so, like, with Gnus you can do @emph{rad}, rilly,
12726 searches without having to use a browser.
12728 The @code{nnweb} backend allows an easy interface to the mighty search
12729 engine. You create an @code{nnweb} group, enter a search pattern, and
12730 then enter the group and read the articles like you would any normal
12731 group. The @kbd{G w} command in the group buffer (@pxref{Foreign
12732 Groups}) will do this in an easy-to-use fashion.
12734 @code{nnweb} groups don't really lend themselves to being solid
12735 groups---they have a very fleeting idea of article numbers. In fact,
12736 each time you enter an @code{nnweb} group (not even changing the search
12737 pattern), you are likely to get the articles ordered in a different
12738 manner. Not even using duplicate suppression (@pxref{Duplicate
12739 Suppression}) will help, since @code{nnweb} doesn't even know the
12740 @code{Message-ID} of the articles before reading them using some search
12741 engines (DejaNews, for instance). The only possible way to keep track
12742 of which articles you've read is by scoring on the @code{Date}
12743 header---mark all articles posted before the last date you read the
12746 If the search engine changes its output substantially, @code{nnweb}
12747 won't be able to parse it and will fail. One could hardly fault the Web
12748 providers if they were to do this---their @emph{raison d'être} is to
12749 make money off of advertisements, not to provide services to the
12750 community. Since @code{nnweb} washes the ads off all the articles, one
12751 might think that the providers might be somewhat miffed. We'll see.
12753 You must have the @code{url} and @code{w3} package installed to be able
12754 to use @code{nnweb}.
12756 Virtual server variables:
12761 What search engine type is being used. The currently supported types
12762 are @code{dejanews}, @code{dejanewsold}, @code{altavista} and
12766 @vindex nnweb-search
12767 The search string to feed to the search engine.
12769 @item nnweb-max-hits
12770 @vindex nnweb-max-hits
12771 Advisory maximum number of hits per search to display. The default is
12774 @item nnweb-type-definition
12775 @vindex nnweb-type-definition
12776 Type-to-definition alist. This alist says what @code{nnweb} should do
12777 with the various search engine types. The following elements must be
12782 Function to decode the article and provide something that Gnus
12786 Function to create an article number to message header and URL alist.
12789 Function to send the search string to the search engine.
12792 The address the aforementioned function should send the search string
12796 Format string URL to fetch an article by @code{Message-ID}.
12803 @subsection Slashdot
12807 Slashdot (@uref{http://slashdot.org/}) is a popular news site, with
12808 lively discussion following the news articles. @code{nnslashdot} will
12809 let you read this forum in a convenient manner.
12811 The easiest way to read this source is to put something like the
12812 following in your @file{.gnus.el} file:
12815 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
12816 '((nnslashdot "")))
12819 This will make Gnus query the @code{nnslashdot} backend for new comments
12820 and groups. The @kbd{F} command will subscribe each new news article as
12821 a new Gnus group, and you can read the comments by entering these
12822 groups. (Note that the default subscription method is to subscribe new
12823 groups as zombies. Other methods are available (@pxref{Subscription
12826 If you want to remove an old @code{nnslashdot} group, the @kbd{G DEL}
12827 command is the most handy tool (@pxref{Foreign Groups}).
12829 When following up to @code{nnslashdot} comments (or posting new
12830 comments), some light @sc{html}izations will be performed. In
12831 particular, text quoted with @samp{> } will be quoted with
12832 @code{blockquote} instead, and signatures will have @code{br} added to
12833 the end of each line. Other than that, you can just write @sc{html}
12834 directly into the message buffer. Note that Slashdot filters out some
12837 The following variables can be altered to change its behavior:
12840 @item nnslashdot-threaded
12841 Whether @code{nnslashdot} should display threaded groups or not. The
12842 default is @code{t}. To be able to display threads, @code{nnslashdot}
12843 has to retrieve absolutely all comments in a group upon entry. If a
12844 threaded display is not required, @code{nnslashdot} will only retrieve
12845 the comments that are actually wanted by the user. Threading is nicer,
12846 but much, much slower than untreaded.
12848 @item nnslashdot-login-name
12849 @vindex nnslashdot-login-name
12850 The login name to use when posting.
12852 @item nnslashdot-password
12853 @vindex nnslashdot-password
12854 The password to use when posting.
12856 @item nnslashdot-directory
12857 @vindex nnslashdot-directory
12858 Where @code{nnslashdot} will store its files. The default value is
12859 @samp{~/News/slashdot/}.
12861 @item nnslashdot-active-url
12862 @vindex nnslashdot-active-url
12863 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the information on
12864 news articles and comments. The default is
12865 @samp{http://slashdot.org/search.pl?section=&min=%d}.
12867 @item nnslashdot-comments-url
12868 @vindex nnslashdot-comments-url
12869 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch comments. The
12871 @samp{http://slashdot.org/comments.pl?sid=%s&threshold=%d&commentsort=%d&mode=flat&startat=%d}.
12873 @item nnslashdot-article-url
12874 @vindex nnslashdot-article-url
12875 The @sc{url} format string that will be used to fetch the news article. The
12877 @samp{http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=%s&mode=nocomment}.
12879 @item nnslashdot-threshold
12880 @vindex nnslashdot-threshold
12881 The score threshold. The default is -1.
12883 @item nnslashdot-group-number
12884 @vindex nnslashdot-group-number
12885 The number of old groups, in addition to the ten latest, to keep
12886 updated. The default is 0.
12893 @subsection Ultimate
12895 @cindex Ultimate Bulletin Board
12897 The Ultimate Bulletin Board (@uref{http://www.ultimatebb.com/}) is
12898 probably the most popular Web bulletin board system used. It has a
12899 quite regular and nice interface, and it's possible to get the
12900 information Gnus needs to keep groups updated.
12902 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnultimate} is to say
12903 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{B nnultimate RET
12904 http://www.tcj.com/messboard/ubbcgi/ RET}. (Substitute the @sc{url}
12905 (not including @samp{Ultimate.cgi} or the like at the end) for a forum
12906 you're interested in; there's quite a list of them on the Ultimate web
12907 site.) Then subscribe to the groups you're interested in from the
12908 server buffer, and read them from the group buffer.
12910 The following @code{nnultimate} variables can be altered:
12913 @item nnultimate-directory
12914 @vindex nnultimate-directory
12915 The directory where @code{nnultimate} stores its files. The default is
12916 @samp{~/News/ultimate/}.
12921 @subsection Web Archive
12923 @cindex Web Archive
12925 Some mailing lists only have archives on Web servers, such as
12926 @uref{http://www.egroups.com/} and
12927 @uref{http://www.mail-archive.com/}. It has a quite regular and nice
12928 interface, and it's possible to get the information Gnus needs to keep
12931 The easiest way to get started with @code{nnwarchive} is to say
12932 something like the following in the group buffer: @kbd{M-x
12933 gnus-group-make-warchive-group RET an_egroup RET egroups RET
12934 www.egroups.com RET your@@email.address RET}. (Substitute the
12935 @sc{an_egroup} with the mailing list you subscribed, the
12936 @sc{your@@email.address} with your email address.), or to browse the
12937 backend by @kbd{B nnwarchive RET mail-archive RET}.
12939 The following @code{nnwarchive} variables can be altered:
12942 @item nnwarchive-directory
12943 @vindex nnwarchive-directory
12944 The directory where @code{nnwarchive} stores its files. The default is
12945 @samp{~/News/warchive/}.
12947 @item nnwarchive-login
12948 @vindex nnwarchive-login
12949 The account name on the web server.
12951 @item nnwarchive-passwd
12952 @vindex nnwarchive-passwd
12953 The password for your account on the web server.
12957 @node Customizing w3
12958 @subsection Customizing w3
12964 Gnus uses the url library to fetch web pages and Emacs/w3 to display web
12965 pages. Emacs/w3 is documented in its own manual, but there are some
12966 things that may be more relevant for Gnus users.
12968 For instance, a common question is how to make Emacs/w3 follow links
12969 using the @code{browse-url} functions (which will call some external web
12970 browser like Netscape). Here's one way:
12973 (eval-after-load "w3"
12975 (fset 'w3-fetch-orig (symbol-function 'w3-fetch))
12976 (defun w3-fetch (&optional url target)
12977 (interactive (list (w3-read-url-with-default)))
12978 (if (eq major-mode 'gnus-article-mode)
12980 (w3-fetch-orig url target)))))
12983 Put that in your @file{.emacs} file, and hitting links in w3-rendered
12984 @sc{html} in the Gnus article buffers will use @code{browse-url} to
12988 @node Other Sources
12989 @section Other Sources
12991 Gnus can do more than just read news or mail. The methods described
12992 below allow Gnus to view directories and files as if they were
12996 * Directory Groups:: You can read a directory as if it was a newsgroup.
12997 * Anything Groups:: Dired? Who needs dired?
12998 * Document Groups:: Single files can be the basis of a group.
12999 * SOUP:: Reading @sc{soup} packets ``offline''.
13000 * Mail-To-News Gateways:: Posting articles via mail-to-news gateways.
13001 * IMAP:: Using Gnus as a @sc{imap} client.
13005 @node Directory Groups
13006 @subsection Directory Groups
13008 @cindex directory groups
13010 If you have a directory that has lots of articles in separate files in
13011 it, you might treat it as a newsgroup. The files have to have numerical
13014 This might be an opportune moment to mention @code{ange-ftp} (and its
13015 successor @code{efs}), that most wonderful of all wonderful Emacs
13016 packages. When I wrote @code{nndir}, I didn't think much about it---a
13017 backend to read directories. Big deal.
13019 @code{ange-ftp} changes that picture dramatically. For instance, if you
13020 enter the @code{ange-ftp} file name
13021 @file{/ftp.hpc.uh.edu:/pub/emacs/ding-list/} as the directory name,
13022 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs} will actually allow you to read this
13023 directory over at @samp{sina} as a newsgroup. Distributed news ahoy!
13025 @code{nndir} will use @sc{nov} files if they are present.
13027 @code{nndir} is a ``read-only'' backend---you can't delete or expire
13028 articles with this method. You can use @code{nnmh} or @code{nnml} for
13029 whatever you use @code{nndir} for, so you could switch to any of those
13030 methods if you feel the need to have a non-read-only @code{nndir}.
13033 @node Anything Groups
13034 @subsection Anything Groups
13037 From the @code{nndir} backend (which reads a single spool-like
13038 directory), it's just a hop and a skip to @code{nneething}, which
13039 pretends that any arbitrary directory is a newsgroup. Strange, but
13042 When @code{nneething} is presented with a directory, it will scan this
13043 directory and assign article numbers to each file. When you enter such
13044 a group, @code{nneething} must create ``headers'' that Gnus can use.
13045 After all, Gnus is a newsreader, in case you're forgetting.
13046 @code{nneething} does this in a two-step process. First, it snoops each
13047 file in question. If the file looks like an article (i.e., the first
13048 few lines look like headers), it will use this as the head. If this is
13049 just some arbitrary file without a head (e.g. a C source file),
13050 @code{nneething} will cobble up a header out of thin air. It will use
13051 file ownership, name and date and do whatever it can with these
13054 All this should happen automatically for you, and you will be presented
13055 with something that looks very much like a newsgroup. Totally like a
13056 newsgroup, to be precise. If you select an article, it will be displayed
13057 in the article buffer, just as usual.
13059 If you select a line that represents a directory, Gnus will pop you into
13060 a new summary buffer for this @code{nneething} group. And so on. You can
13061 traverse the entire disk this way, if you feel like, but remember that
13062 Gnus is not dired, really, and does not intend to be, either.
13064 There are two overall modes to this action---ephemeral or solid. When
13065 doing the ephemeral thing (i.e., @kbd{G D} from the group buffer), Gnus
13066 will not store information on what files you have read, and what files
13067 are new, and so on. If you create a solid @code{nneething} group the
13068 normal way with @kbd{G m}, Gnus will store a mapping table between
13069 article numbers and file names, and you can treat this group like any
13070 other groups. When you activate a solid @code{nneething} group, you will
13071 be told how many unread articles it contains, etc., etc.
13076 @item nneething-map-file-directory
13077 @vindex nneething-map-file-directory
13078 All the mapping files for solid @code{nneething} groups will be stored
13079 in this directory, which defaults to @file{~/.nneething/}.
13081 @item nneething-exclude-files
13082 @vindex nneething-exclude-files
13083 All files that match this regexp will be ignored. Nice to use to exclude
13084 auto-save files and the like, which is what it does by default.
13086 @item nneething-include-files
13087 @vindex nneething-include-files
13088 Regexp saying what files to include in the group. If this variable is
13089 non-@code{nil}, only files matching this regexp will be included.
13091 @item nneething-map-file
13092 @vindex nneething-map-file
13093 Name of the map files.
13097 @node Document Groups
13098 @subsection Document Groups
13100 @cindex documentation group
13103 @code{nndoc} is a cute little thing that will let you read a single file
13104 as a newsgroup. Several files types are supported:
13111 The babyl (rmail) mail box.
13116 The standard Unix mbox file.
13118 @cindex MMDF mail box
13120 The MMDF mail box format.
13123 Several news articles appended into a file.
13126 @cindex rnews batch files
13127 The rnews batch transport format.
13128 @cindex forwarded messages
13131 Forwarded articles.
13134 Netscape mail boxes.
13137 MIME multipart messages.
13139 @item standard-digest
13140 The standard (RFC 1153) digest format.
13143 Non-standard digest format---matches most things, but does it badly.
13146 You can also use the special ``file type'' @code{guess}, which means
13147 that @code{nndoc} will try to guess what file type it is looking at.
13148 @code{digest} means that @code{nndoc} should guess what digest type the
13151 @code{nndoc} will not try to change the file or insert any extra headers into
13152 it---it will simply, like, let you use the file as the basis for a
13153 group. And that's it.
13155 If you have some old archived articles that you want to insert into your
13156 new & spiffy Gnus mail backend, @code{nndoc} can probably help you with
13157 that. Say you have an old @file{RMAIL} file with mail that you now want
13158 to split into your new @code{nnml} groups. You look at that file using
13159 @code{nndoc} (using the @kbd{G f} command in the group buffer
13160 (@pxref{Foreign Groups})), set the process mark on all the articles in
13161 the buffer (@kbd{M P b}, for instance), and then re-spool (@kbd{B r})
13162 using @code{nnml}. If all goes well, all the mail in the @file{RMAIL}
13163 file is now also stored in lots of @code{nnml} directories, and you can
13164 delete that pesky @file{RMAIL} file. If you have the guts!
13166 Virtual server variables:
13169 @item nndoc-article-type
13170 @vindex nndoc-article-type
13171 This should be one of @code{mbox}, @code{babyl}, @code{digest},
13172 @code{news}, @code{rnews}, @code{mmdf}, @code{forward}, @code{rfc934},
13173 @code{rfc822-forward}, @code{mime-parts}, @code{standard-digest},
13174 @code{slack-digest}, @code{clari-briefs}, @code{nsmail} or @code{guess}.
13176 @item nndoc-post-type
13177 @vindex nndoc-post-type
13178 This variable says whether Gnus is to consider the group a news group or
13179 a mail group. There are two valid values: @code{mail} (the default)
13184 * Document Server Internals:: How to add your own document types.
13188 @node Document Server Internals
13189 @subsubsection Document Server Internals
13191 Adding new document types to be recognized by @code{nndoc} isn't
13192 difficult. You just have to whip up a definition of what the document
13193 looks like, write a predicate function to recognize that document type,
13194 and then hook into @code{nndoc}.
13196 First, here's an example document type definition:
13200 (article-begin . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n")
13201 (body-end . "^\^A\^A\^A\^A\n"))
13204 The definition is simply a unique @dfn{name} followed by a series of
13205 regexp pseudo-variable settings. Below are the possible
13206 variables---don't be daunted by the number of variables; most document
13207 types can be defined with very few settings:
13210 @item first-article
13211 If present, @code{nndoc} will skip past all text until it finds
13212 something that match this regexp. All text before this will be
13215 @item article-begin
13216 This setting has to be present in all document type definitions. It
13217 says what the beginning of each article looks like.
13219 @item head-begin-function
13220 If present, this should be a function that moves point to the head of
13223 @item nndoc-head-begin
13224 If present, this should be a regexp that matches the head of the
13227 @item nndoc-head-end
13228 This should match the end of the head of the article. It defaults to
13229 @samp{^$}---the empty line.
13231 @item body-begin-function
13232 If present, this function should move point to the beginning of the body
13236 This should match the beginning of the body of the article. It defaults
13239 @item body-end-function
13240 If present, this function should move point to the end of the body of
13244 If present, this should match the end of the body of the article.
13247 If present, this should match the end of the file. All text after this
13248 regexp will be totally ignored.
13252 So, using these variables @code{nndoc} is able to dissect a document
13253 file into a series of articles, each with a head and a body. However, a
13254 few more variables are needed since not all document types are all that
13255 news-like---variables needed to transform the head or the body into
13256 something that's palatable for Gnus:
13259 @item prepare-body-function
13260 If present, this function will be called when requesting an article. It
13261 will be called with point at the start of the body, and is useful if the
13262 document has encoded some parts of its contents.
13264 @item article-transform-function
13265 If present, this function is called when requesting an article. It's
13266 meant to be used for more wide-ranging transformation of both head and
13267 body of the article.
13269 @item generate-head-function
13270 If present, this function is called to generate a head that Gnus can
13271 understand. It is called with the article number as a parameter, and is
13272 expected to generate a nice head for the article in question. It is
13273 called when requesting the headers of all articles.
13277 Let's look at the most complicated example I can come up with---standard
13282 (first-article . ,(concat "^" (make-string 70 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13283 (article-begin . ,(concat "\n\n" (make-string 30 ?-) "\n\n+"))
13284 (prepare-body-function . nndoc-unquote-dashes)
13285 (body-end-function . nndoc-digest-body-end)
13286 (head-end . "^ ?$")
13287 (body-begin . "^ ?\n")
13288 (file-end . "^End of .*digest.*[0-9].*\n\\*\\*\\|^End of.*Digest *$")
13289 (subtype digest guess))
13292 We see that all text before a 70-width line of dashes is ignored; all
13293 text after a line that starts with that @samp{^End of} is also ignored;
13294 each article begins with a 30-width line of dashes; the line separating
13295 the head from the body may contain a single space; and that the body is
13296 run through @code{nndoc-unquote-dashes} before being delivered.
13298 To hook your own document definition into @code{nndoc}, use the
13299 @code{nndoc-add-type} function. It takes two parameters---the first is
13300 the definition itself and the second (optional) parameter says where in
13301 the document type definition alist to put this definition. The alist is
13302 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
13303 is of @code{mmdf} type, and so on. These type predicates should return
13304 @code{nil} if the document is not of the correct type; @code{t} if it is
13305 of the correct type; and a number if the document might be of the
13306 correct type. A high number means high probability; a low number means
13307 low probability with @samp{0} being the lowest valid number.
13315 In the PC world people often talk about ``offline'' newsreaders. These
13316 are thingies that are combined reader/news transport monstrosities.
13317 With built-in modem programs. Yecchh!
13319 Of course, us Unix Weenie types of human beans use things like
13320 @code{uucp} and, like, @code{nntpd} and set up proper news and mail
13321 transport things like Ghod intended. And then we just use normal
13324 However, it can sometimes be convenient to do something that's a bit
13325 easier on the brain if you have a very slow modem, and you're not really
13326 that interested in doing things properly.
13328 A file format called @sc{soup} has been developed for transporting news
13329 and mail from servers to home machines and back again. It can be a bit
13332 First some terminology:
13337 This is the machine that is connected to the outside world and where you
13338 get news and/or mail from.
13341 This is the machine that you want to do the actual reading and responding
13342 on. It is typically not connected to the rest of the world in any way.
13345 Something that contains messages and/or commands. There are two kinds
13349 @item message packets
13350 These are packets made at the server, and typically contain lots of
13351 messages for you to read. These are called @file{SoupoutX.tgz} by
13352 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13354 @item response packets
13355 These are packets made at the home machine, and typically contains
13356 replies that you've written. These are called @file{SoupinX.tgz} by
13357 default, where @var{x} is a number.
13367 You log in on the server and create a @sc{soup} packet. You can either
13368 use a dedicated @sc{soup} thingie (like the @code{awk} program), or you
13369 can use Gnus to create the packet with its @sc{soup} commands (@kbd{O
13370 s} and/or @kbd{G s b}; and then @kbd{G s p}) (@pxref{SOUP Commands}).
13373 You transfer the packet home. Rail, boat, car or modem will do fine.
13376 You put the packet in your home directory.
13379 You fire up Gnus on your home machine using the @code{nnsoup} backend as
13380 the native or secondary server.
13383 You read articles and mail and answer and followup to the things you
13384 want (@pxref{SOUP Replies}).
13387 You do the @kbd{G s r} command to pack these replies into a @sc{soup}
13391 You transfer this packet to the server.
13394 You use Gnus to mail this packet out with the @kbd{G s s} command.
13397 You then repeat until you die.
13401 So you basically have a bipartite system---you use @code{nnsoup} for
13402 reading and Gnus for packing/sending these @sc{soup} packets.
13405 * SOUP Commands:: Commands for creating and sending @sc{soup} packets
13406 * SOUP Groups:: A backend for reading @sc{soup} packets.
13407 * SOUP Replies:: How to enable @code{nnsoup} to take over mail and news.
13411 @node SOUP Commands
13412 @subsubsection SOUP Commands
13414 These are commands for creating and manipulating @sc{soup} packets.
13418 @kindex G s b (Group)
13419 @findex gnus-group-brew-soup
13420 Pack all unread articles in the current group
13421 (@code{gnus-group-brew-soup}). This command understands the
13422 process/prefix convention.
13425 @kindex G s w (Group)
13426 @findex gnus-soup-save-areas
13427 Save all @sc{soup} data files (@code{gnus-soup-save-areas}).
13430 @kindex G s s (Group)
13431 @findex gnus-soup-send-replies
13432 Send all replies from the replies packet
13433 (@code{gnus-soup-send-replies}).
13436 @kindex G s p (Group)
13437 @findex gnus-soup-pack-packet
13438 Pack all files into a @sc{soup} packet (@code{gnus-soup-pack-packet}).
13441 @kindex G s r (Group)
13442 @findex nnsoup-pack-replies
13443 Pack all replies into a replies packet (@code{nnsoup-pack-replies}).
13446 @kindex O s (Summary)
13447 @findex gnus-soup-add-article
13448 This summary-mode command adds the current article to a @sc{soup} packet
13449 (@code{gnus-soup-add-article}). It understands the process/prefix
13450 convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
13455 There are a few variables to customize where Gnus will put all these
13460 @item gnus-soup-directory
13461 @vindex gnus-soup-directory
13462 Directory where Gnus will save intermediate files while composing
13463 @sc{soup} packets. The default is @file{~/SoupBrew/}.
13465 @item gnus-soup-replies-directory
13466 @vindex gnus-soup-replies-directory
13467 This is what Gnus will use as a temporary directory while sending our
13468 reply packets. @file{~/SoupBrew/SoupReplies/} is the default.
13470 @item gnus-soup-prefix-file
13471 @vindex gnus-soup-prefix-file
13472 Name of the file where Gnus stores the last used prefix. The default is
13473 @samp{gnus-prefix}.
13475 @item gnus-soup-packer
13476 @vindex gnus-soup-packer
13477 A format string command for packing a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13478 @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupout%d.tgz}.
13480 @item gnus-soup-unpacker
13481 @vindex gnus-soup-unpacker
13482 Format string command for unpacking a @sc{soup} packet. The default is
13483 @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13485 @item gnus-soup-packet-directory
13486 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-directory
13487 Where Gnus will look for reply packets. The default is @file{~/}.
13489 @item gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13490 @vindex gnus-soup-packet-regexp
13491 Regular expression matching @sc{soup} reply packets in
13492 @code{gnus-soup-packet-directory}.
13498 @subsubsection @sc{soup} Groups
13501 @code{nnsoup} is the backend for reading @sc{soup} packets. It will
13502 read incoming packets, unpack them, and put them in a directory where
13503 you can read them at leisure.
13505 These are the variables you can use to customize its behavior:
13509 @item nnsoup-tmp-directory
13510 @vindex nnsoup-tmp-directory
13511 When @code{nnsoup} unpacks a @sc{soup} packet, it does it in this
13512 directory. (@file{/tmp/} by default.)
13514 @item nnsoup-directory
13515 @vindex nnsoup-directory
13516 @code{nnsoup} then moves each message and index file to this directory.
13517 The default is @file{~/SOUP/}.
13519 @item nnsoup-replies-directory
13520 @vindex nnsoup-replies-directory
13521 All replies will be stored in this directory before being packed into a
13522 reply packet. The default is @file{~/SOUP/replies/"}.
13524 @item nnsoup-replies-format-type
13525 @vindex nnsoup-replies-format-type
13526 The @sc{soup} format of the replies packets. The default is @samp{?n}
13527 (rnews), and I don't think you should touch that variable. I probably
13528 shouldn't even have documented it. Drats! Too late!
13530 @item nnsoup-replies-index-type
13531 @vindex nnsoup-replies-index-type
13532 The index type of the replies packet. The default is @samp{?n}, which
13533 means ``none''. Don't fiddle with this one either!
13535 @item nnsoup-active-file
13536 @vindex nnsoup-active-file
13537 Where @code{nnsoup} stores lots of information. This is not an ``active
13538 file'' in the @code{nntp} sense; it's an Emacs Lisp file. If you lose
13539 this file or mess it up in any way, you're dead. The default is
13540 @file{~/SOUP/active}.
13542 @item nnsoup-packer
13543 @vindex nnsoup-packer
13544 Format string command for packing a reply @sc{soup} packet. The default
13545 is @samp{tar cf - %s | gzip > $HOME/Soupin%d.tgz}.
13547 @item nnsoup-unpacker
13548 @vindex nnsoup-unpacker
13549 Format string command for unpacking incoming @sc{soup} packets. The
13550 default is @samp{gunzip -c %s | tar xvf -}.
13552 @item nnsoup-packet-directory
13553 @vindex nnsoup-packet-directory
13554 Where @code{nnsoup} will look for incoming packets. The default is
13557 @item nnsoup-packet-regexp
13558 @vindex nnsoup-packet-regexp
13559 Regular expression matching incoming @sc{soup} packets. The default is
13562 @item nnsoup-always-save
13563 @vindex nnsoup-always-save
13564 If non-@code{nil}, save the replies buffer after each posted message.
13570 @subsubsection SOUP Replies
13572 Just using @code{nnsoup} won't mean that your postings and mailings end
13573 up in @sc{soup} reply packets automagically. You have to work a bit
13574 more for that to happen.
13576 @findex nnsoup-set-variables
13577 The @code{nnsoup-set-variables} command will set the appropriate
13578 variables to ensure that all your followups and replies end up in the
13581 In specific, this is what it does:
13584 (setq message-send-news-function 'nnsoup-request-post)
13585 (setq message-send-mail-function 'nnsoup-request-mail)
13588 And that's it, really. If you only want news to go into the @sc{soup}
13589 system you just use the first line. If you only want mail to be
13590 @sc{soup}ed you use the second.
13593 @node Mail-To-News Gateways
13594 @subsection Mail-To-News Gateways
13595 @cindex mail-to-news gateways
13598 If your local @code{nntp} server doesn't allow posting, for some reason
13599 or other, you can post using one of the numerous mail-to-news gateways.
13600 The @code{nngateway} backend provides the interface.
13602 Note that you can't read anything from this backend---it can only be
13608 @item nngateway-address
13609 @vindex nngateway-address
13610 This is the address of the mail-to-news gateway.
13612 @item nngateway-header-transformation
13613 @vindex nngateway-header-transformation
13614 News headers often have to be transformed in some odd way or other
13615 for the mail-to-news gateway to accept it. This variable says what
13616 transformation should be called, and defaults to
13617 @code{nngateway-simple-header-transformation}. The function is called
13618 narrowed to the headers to be transformed and with one parameter---the
13621 This default function just inserts a new @code{To} header based on the
13622 @code{Newsgroups} header and the gateway address.
13623 For instance, an article with this @code{Newsgroups} header:
13626 Newsgroups: alt.religion.emacs
13629 will get this @code{From} header inserted:
13632 To: alt-religion-emacs@@GATEWAY
13635 The following pre-defined functions exist:
13637 @findex nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13640 @item nngateway-simple-header-transformation
13641 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13642 @var{newsgroup}@@@code{nngateway-address}.
13644 @findex nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13646 @item nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation
13647 Creates a @code{To} header that looks like
13648 @code{nngateway-address}.
13653 (setq gnus-post-method
13654 '(nngateway "mail2news@@replay.com"
13655 (nngateway-header-transformation
13656 nngateway-mail2news-header-transformation)))
13664 So, to use this, simply say something like:
13667 (setq gnus-post-method '(nngateway "GATEWAY.ADDRESS"))
13673 @subsection @sc{imap}
13677 @sc{imap} is a network protocol for reading mail (or news, or ...),
13678 think of it as a modernized @sc{nntp}. Connecting to a @sc{imap} server
13679 is much similar to connecting to a news server, you just specify the
13680 network address of the server.
13682 A server configuration in @code{~/.gnus} with a few @sc{imap} servers
13683 might look something like this:
13686 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods
13687 '((nnimap "simpleserver") ; no special configuration
13688 ; perhaps a ssh port forwarded server:
13690 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13691 (nnimap-server-port 1430))
13692 ; a UW server running on localhost
13694 (nnimap-server-port 143)
13695 (nnimap-address "localhost")
13696 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "mail/*")))
13697 ; anonymous public cyrus server:
13698 (nnimap "cyrus.andrew.cmu.edu"
13699 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous)
13700 (nnimap-list-pattern "archive.*")
13701 (nnimap-stream network))
13702 ; a ssl server on a non-standard port:
13704 (nnimap-address "vic20.somewhere.com")
13705 (nnimap-server-port 9930)
13706 (nnimap-stream ssl))))
13709 The following variables can be used to create a virtual @code{nnimap}
13714 @item nnimap-address
13715 @vindex nnimap-address
13717 The address of the remote @sc{imap} server. Defaults to the virtual
13718 server name if not specified.
13720 @item nnimap-server-port
13721 @vindex nnimap-server-port
13722 Port on server to contact. Defaults to port 143, or 993 for SSL.
13724 Note that this should be a integer, example server specification:
13727 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13728 (nnimap-server-port 4711))
13731 @item nnimap-list-pattern
13732 @vindex nnimap-list-pattern
13733 String or list of strings of mailboxes to limit available groups to.
13734 This is used when the server has very many mailboxes and you're only
13735 interested in a few -- some servers export your home directory via
13736 @sc{imap}, you'll probably want to limit the mailboxes to those in
13737 @file{~/Mail/*} then.
13739 The string can also be a cons of REFERENCE and the string as above, what
13740 REFERENCE is used for is server specific, but on the University of
13741 Washington server it's a directory that will be concatenated with the
13744 Example server specification:
13747 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13748 (nnimap-list-pattern ("INBOX" "Mail/*" "alt.sex.*"
13749 ("~friend/Mail/" . "list/*"))))
13752 @item nnimap-stream
13753 @vindex nnimap-stream
13754 The type of stream used to connect to your server. By default, nnimap
13755 will detect and automatically use all of the below, with the exception
13756 of SSL. (SSL is being replaced by STARTTLS, which can be automatically
13757 detected, but it's not widely deployed yet).
13759 Example server specification:
13762 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13763 (nnimap-stream ssl))
13766 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-stream} is a symbol!
13770 @dfn{gssapi:} Connect with GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5). Require the
13771 @samp{imtest} program.
13773 @dfn{kerberos4:} Connect with kerberos 4. Require the @samp{imtest} program.
13775 @dfn{starttls:} Connect via the STARTTLS extension (similar to
13776 SSL). Require the external library @samp{starttls.el} and program
13779 @dfn{ssl:} Connect through SSL. Require OpenSSL (the
13780 program @samp{openssl}) or SSLeay (@samp{s_client}).
13782 @dfn{shell:} Use a shell command to start IMAP connection.
13784 @dfn{network:} Plain, TCP/IP network connection.
13787 @vindex imap-kerberos4-program
13788 The @samp{imtest} program is shipped with Cyrus IMAPD, nnimap support
13789 both @samp{imtest} version 1.5.x and version 1.6.x. The variable
13790 @code{imap-kerberos4-program} contain parameters to pass to the imtest
13793 @vindex imap-ssl-program
13794 For SSL connections, the OpenSSL program is available from
13795 @uref{http://www.openssl.org/}. OpenSSL was formerly known as SSLeay,
13796 and nnimap support it too - altough the most recent versions of
13797 SSLeay, 0.9.x, are known to have serious bugs making it
13798 useless. Earlier versions, especially 0.8.x, of SSLeay are known to
13799 work. The variable @code{imap-ssl-program} contain parameters to pass
13802 @vindex imap-shell-program
13803 @vindex imap-shell-host
13804 For IMAP connections using the @code{shell} stream, the variable
13805 @code{imap-shell-program} specify what program to call.
13807 @item nnimap-authenticator
13808 @vindex nnimap-authenticator
13810 The authenticator used to connect to the server. By default, nnimap
13811 will use the most secure authenticator your server is capable of.
13813 Example server specification:
13816 (nnimap "mail.server.com"
13817 (nnimap-authenticator anonymous))
13820 Please note that the value of @code{nnimap-authenticator} is a symbol!
13824 @dfn{gssapi:} GSSAPI (usually kerberos 5) authentication. Require
13825 external program @code{imtest}.
13827 @dfn{kerberos4:} Kerberos authentication. Require external program
13830 @dfn{digest-md5:} Encrypted username/password via DIGEST-MD5. Require
13831 external library @code{digest-md5.el}.
13833 @dfn{cram-md5:} Encrypted username/password via CRAM-MD5.
13835 @dfn{login:} Plain-text username/password via LOGIN.
13837 @dfn{anonymous:} Login as `anonymous', supplying your emailadress as password.
13840 @item nnimap-expunge-on-close
13842 @vindex nnimap-expunge-on-close
13843 Unlike Parmenides the @sc{imap} designers has decided that things that
13844 doesn't exist actually does exist. More specifically, @sc{imap} has
13845 this concept of marking articles @code{Deleted} which doesn't actually
13846 delete them, and this (marking them @code{Deleted}, that is) is what
13847 nnimap does when you delete a article in Gnus (with @kbd{G DEL} or
13850 Since the articles aren't really removed when we mark them with the
13851 @code{Deleted} flag we'll need a way to actually delete them. Feel like
13852 running in circles yet?
13854 Traditionally, nnimap has removed all articles marked as @code{Deleted}
13855 when closing a mailbox but this is now configurable by this server
13858 The possible options are:
13863 The default behavior, delete all articles marked as "Deleted" when
13866 Never actually delete articles. Currently there is no way of showing
13867 the articles marked for deletion in nnimap, but other @sc{imap} clients
13868 may allow you to do this. If you ever want to run the EXPUNGE command
13869 manually, @xref{Expunging mailboxes}.
13871 When closing mailboxes, nnimap will ask if you wish to expunge deleted
13876 @item nnimap-authinfo-file
13877 @vindex nnimap-authinfo-file
13879 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format
13880 is (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See
13881 `nntp-authinfo-file' for exact syntax.
13883 A file containing credentials used to log in on servers. The format is
13884 (almost) the same as the @code{ftp} @file{~/.netrc} file. See the
13885 variable @code{nntp-authinfo-file} for exact syntax; also see
13891 * Splitting in IMAP:: Splitting mail with nnimap.
13892 * Editing IMAP ACLs:: Limiting/enabling other users access to a mailbox.
13893 * Expunging mailboxes:: Equivalent of a "compress mailbox" button.
13898 @node Splitting in IMAP
13899 @subsubsection Splitting in @sc{imap}
13900 @cindex splitting imap mail
13902 Splitting is something Gnus users has loved and used for years, and now
13903 the rest of the world is catching up. Yeah, dream on, not many
13904 @sc{imap} server has server side splitting and those that have splitting
13905 seem to use some non-standard protocol. This means that @sc{imap}
13906 support for Gnus has to do it's own splitting.
13910 Here are the variables of interest:
13914 @item nnimap-split-crosspost
13915 @cindex splitting, crosspost
13917 @vindex nnimap-split-crosspost
13919 If non-nil, do crossposting if several split methods match the mail. If
13920 nil, the first match in @code{nnimap-split-rule} found will be used.
13922 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-crosspost}.
13924 @item nnimap-split-inbox
13925 @cindex splitting, inbox
13927 @vindex nnimap-split-inbox
13929 A string or a list of strings that gives the name(s) of @sc{imap}
13930 mailboxes to split from. Defaults to nil, which means that splitting is
13934 (setq nnimap-split-inbox
13935 '("INBOX" ("~/friend/Mail" . "lists/*") "lists.imap"))
13938 No nnmail equivalent.
13940 @item nnimap-split-rule
13941 @cindex Splitting, rules
13942 @vindex nnimap-split-rule
13944 New mail found in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be split according to
13947 This variable contains a list of lists, where the first element in the
13948 sublist gives the name of the @sc{imap} mailbox to move articles
13949 matching the regexp in the second element in the sublist. Got that?
13950 Neither did I, we need examples.
13953 (setq nnimap-split-rule
13954 '(("INBOX.nnimap" "^Sender: owner-nnimap@@vic20.globalcom.se")
13955 ("INBOX.junk" "^Subject:.*MAKE MONEY")
13956 ("INBOX.private" "")))
13959 This will put all articles from the nnimap mailing list into mailbox
13960 INBOX.nnimap, all articles containing MAKE MONEY in the Subject: line
13961 into INBOX.spam and everything else in INBOX.private.
13963 The first string may contain `\\1' forms, like the ones used by
13964 replace-match to insert sub-expressions from the matched text. For
13968 ("INBOX.lists.\\1" "^Sender: owner-\\([a-z-]+\\)@@")
13971 The second element can also be a function. In that case, it will be
13972 called with the first element of the rule as the argument, in a buffer
13973 containing the headers of the article. It should return a non-nil value
13974 if it thinks that the mail belongs in that group.
13976 Nnmail users might recollect that the last regexp had to be empty to
13977 match all articles (like in the example above). This is not required in
13978 nnimap. Articles not matching any of the regexps will not be moved out
13979 of your inbox. (This might might affect performance if you keep lots of
13980 unread articles in your inbox, since the splitting code would go over
13981 them every time you fetch new mail.)
13983 These rules are processed from the beginning of the alist toward the
13984 end. The first rule to make a match will "win", unless you have
13985 crossposting enabled. In that case, all matching rules will "win".
13987 This variable can also have a function as its value, the function will
13988 be called with the headers narrowed and should return a group to where
13989 it thinks the article should be split. See @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
13991 The splitting code tries to create mailboxes if it need too.
13993 To allow for different split rules on different virtual servers, and
13994 even different split rules in different inboxes on the same server,
13995 the syntax of this variable have been extended along the lines of:
13998 (setq nnimap-split-rule
13999 '(("my1server" (".*" (("ding" "ding@@gnus.org")
14000 ("junk" "From:.*Simon")))
14001 ("my2server" ("INBOX" nnimap-split-fancy))
14002 ("my[34]server" (".*" (("private" "To:.*Simon")
14003 ("junk" my-junk-func)))))
14006 The virtual server name is in fact a regexp, so that the same rules
14007 may apply to several servers. In the example, the servers
14008 @code{my3server} and @code{my4server} both use the same rules.
14009 Similarly, the inbox string is also a regexp. The actual splitting
14010 rules are as before, either a function, or a list with group/regexp or
14011 group/function elements.
14013 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
14015 @item nnimap-split-predicate
14017 @vindex nnimap-split-predicate
14019 Mail matching this predicate in @code{nnimap-split-inbox} will be
14020 split; it is a string and the default is @samp{UNSEEN UNDELETED}.
14022 This might be useful if you use another @sc{imap} client to read mail in
14023 your inbox but would like Gnus to split all articles in the inbox
14024 regardless of readedness. Then you might change this to
14027 @item nnimap-split-fancy
14028 @cindex splitting, fancy
14029 @findex nnimap-split-fancy
14030 @vindex nnimap-split-fancy
14032 It's possible to set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14033 @code{nnmail-split-fancy} if you want to use fancy
14034 splitting. @xref{Fancy Mail Splitting}.
14036 However, to be able to have different fancy split rules for nnmail and
14037 nnimap backends you can set @code{nnimap-split-rule} to
14038 @code{nnimap-split-fancy} and define the nnimap specific fancy split
14039 rule in @code{nnimap-split-fancy}.
14044 (setq nnimap-split-rule 'nnimap-split-fancy
14045 nnimap-split-fancy ...)
14048 Nnmail equivalent: @code{nnmail-split-fancy}.
14052 @node Editing IMAP ACLs
14053 @subsubsection Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14054 @cindex editing imap acls
14055 @cindex Access Control Lists
14056 @cindex Editing @sc{imap} ACLs
14058 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-edit-acl
14060 ACL stands for Access Control List. ACLs are used in @sc{imap} for
14061 limiting (or enabling) other users access to your mail boxes. Not all
14062 @sc{imap} servers support this, this function will give an error if it
14065 To edit a ACL for a mailbox, type @kbd{G l}
14066 (@code{gnus-group-edit-nnimap-acl}) and you'll be presented with a ACL
14067 editing window with detailed instructions.
14069 Some possible uses:
14073 Giving "anyone" the "lrs" rights (lookup, read, keep seen/unseen flags)
14074 on your mailing list mailboxes enables other users on the same server to
14075 follow the list without subscribing to it.
14077 At least with the Cyrus server, you are required to give the user
14078 "anyone" posting ("p") capabilities to have "plussing" work (that is,
14079 mail sent to user+mailbox@@domain ending up in the @sc{imap} mailbox
14083 @node Expunging mailboxes
14084 @subsubsection Expunging mailboxes
14088 @cindex Manual expunging
14090 @findex gnus-group-nnimap-expunge
14092 If you're using the @code{never} setting of @code{nnimap-expunge-close},
14093 you may want the option of expunging all deleted articles in a mailbox
14094 manually. This is exactly what @kbd{G x} does.
14096 Currently there is no way of showing deleted articles, you can just
14101 @node Combined Groups
14102 @section Combined Groups
14104 Gnus allows combining a mixture of all the other group types into bigger
14108 * Virtual Groups:: Combining articles from many groups.
14109 * Kibozed Groups:: Looking through parts of the newsfeed for articles.
14113 @node Virtual Groups
14114 @subsection Virtual Groups
14116 @cindex virtual groups
14117 @cindex merging groups
14119 An @dfn{nnvirtual group} is really nothing more than a collection of
14122 For instance, if you are tired of reading many small groups, you can
14123 put them all in one big group, and then grow tired of reading one
14124 big, unwieldy group. The joys of computing!
14126 You specify @code{nnvirtual} as the method. The address should be a
14127 regexp to match component groups.
14129 All marks in the virtual group will stick to the articles in the
14130 component groups. So if you tick an article in a virtual group, the
14131 article will also be ticked in the component group from whence it came.
14132 (And vice versa---marks from the component groups will also be shown in
14133 the virtual group.)
14135 Here's an example @code{nnvirtual} method that collects all Andrea Dworkin
14136 newsgroups into one, big, happy newsgroup:
14139 (nnvirtual "^alt\\.fan\\.andrea-dworkin$\\|^rec\\.dworkin.*")
14142 The component groups can be native or foreign; everything should work
14143 smoothly, but if your computer explodes, it was probably my fault.
14145 Collecting the same group from several servers might actually be a good
14146 idea if users have set the Distribution header to limit distribution.
14147 If you would like to read @samp{soc.motss} both from a server in Japan
14148 and a server in Norway, you could use the following as the group regexp:
14151 "^nntp\\+server\\.jp:soc\\.motss$\\|^nntp\\+server\\.no:soc\\.motss$"
14154 (Remember, though, that if you're creating the group with @kbd{G m}, you
14155 shouldn't double the backslashes, and you should leave off the quote
14156 characters at the beginning and the end of the string.)
14158 This should work kinda smoothly---all articles from both groups should
14159 end up in this one, and there should be no duplicates. Threading (and
14160 the rest) will still work as usual, but there might be problems with the
14161 sequence of articles. Sorting on date might be an option here
14162 (@pxref{Selecting a Group}).
14164 One limitation, however---all groups included in a virtual
14165 group have to be alive (i.e., subscribed or unsubscribed). Killed or
14166 zombie groups can't be component groups for @code{nnvirtual} groups.
14168 @vindex nnvirtual-always-rescan
14169 If the @code{nnvirtual-always-rescan} is non-@code{nil},
14170 @code{nnvirtual} will always scan groups for unread articles when
14171 entering a virtual group. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
14172 default) and you read articles in a component group after the virtual
14173 group has been activated, the read articles from the component group
14174 will show up when you enter the virtual group. You'll also see this
14175 effect if you have two virtual groups that have a component group in
14176 common. If that's the case, you should set this variable to @code{t}.
14177 Or you can just tap @code{M-g} on the virtual group every time before
14178 you enter it---it'll have much the same effect.
14180 @code{nnvirtual} can have both mail and news groups as component groups.
14181 When responding to articles in @code{nnvirtual} groups, @code{nnvirtual}
14182 has to ask the backend of the component group the article comes from
14183 whether it is a news or mail backend. However, when you do a @kbd{^},
14184 there is typically no sure way for the component backend to know this,
14185 and in that case @code{nnvirtual} tells Gnus that the article came from a
14186 not-news backend. (Just to be on the safe side.)
14188 @kbd{C-c C-t} in the message buffer will insert the @code{Newsgroups}
14189 line from the article you respond to in these cases.
14193 @node Kibozed Groups
14194 @subsection Kibozed Groups
14198 @dfn{Kibozing} is defined by @sc{oed} as ``grepping through (parts of)
14199 the news feed''. @code{nnkiboze} is a backend that will do this for
14200 you. Oh joy! Now you can grind any @sc{nntp} server down to a halt
14201 with useless requests! Oh happiness!
14203 @kindex G k (Group)
14204 To create a kibozed group, use the @kbd{G k} command in the group
14207 The address field of the @code{nnkiboze} method is, as with
14208 @code{nnvirtual}, a regexp to match groups to be ``included'' in the
14209 @code{nnkiboze} group. That's where most similarities between @code{nnkiboze}
14210 and @code{nnvirtual} end.
14212 In addition to this regexp detailing component groups, an @code{nnkiboze} group
14213 must have a score file to say what articles are to be included in
14214 the group (@pxref{Scoring}).
14216 @kindex M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups
14217 @findex nnkiboze-generate-groups
14218 You must run @kbd{M-x nnkiboze-generate-groups} after creating the
14219 @code{nnkiboze} groups you want to have. This command will take time. Lots of
14220 time. Oodles and oodles of time. Gnus has to fetch the headers from
14221 all the articles in all the component groups and run them through the
14222 scoring process to determine if there are any articles in the groups
14223 that are to be part of the @code{nnkiboze} groups.
14225 Please limit the number of component groups by using restrictive
14226 regexps. Otherwise your sysadmin may become annoyed with you, and the
14227 @sc{nntp} site may throw you off and never let you back in again.
14228 Stranger things have happened.
14230 @code{nnkiboze} component groups do not have to be alive---they can be dead,
14231 and they can be foreign. No restrictions.
14233 @vindex nnkiboze-directory
14234 The generation of an @code{nnkiboze} group means writing two files in
14235 @code{nnkiboze-directory}, which is @file{~/News/} by default. One
14236 contains the @sc{nov} header lines for all the articles in the group,
14237 and the other is an additional @file{.newsrc} file to store information
14238 on what groups have been searched through to find component articles.
14240 Articles marked as read in the @code{nnkiboze} group will have
14241 their @sc{nov} lines removed from the @sc{nov} file.
14244 @node Gnus Unplugged
14245 @section Gnus Unplugged
14250 @cindex Gnus Unplugged
14252 In olden times (ca. February '88), people used to run their newsreaders
14253 on big machines with permanent connections to the net. News transport
14254 was dealt with by news servers, and all the newsreaders had to do was to
14255 read news. Believe it or not.
14257 Nowadays most people read news and mail at home, and use some sort of
14258 modem to connect to the net. To avoid running up huge phone bills, it
14259 would be nice to have a way to slurp down all the news and mail, hang up
14260 the phone, read for several hours, and then upload any responses you
14261 have to make. And then you repeat the procedure.
14263 Of course, you can use news servers for doing this as well. I've used
14264 @code{inn} together with @code{slurp}, @code{pop} and @code{sendmail}
14265 for some years, but doing that's a bore. Moving the news server
14266 functionality up to the newsreader makes sense if you're the only person
14267 reading news on a machine.
14269 Using Gnus as an ``offline'' newsreader is quite simple.
14273 First, set up Gnus as you would do if you were running it on a machine
14274 that has full connection to the net. Go ahead. I'll still be waiting
14278 Then, put the following magical incantation at the end of your
14279 @file{.gnus.el} file:
14286 That's it. Gnus is now an ``offline'' newsreader.
14288 Of course, to use it as such, you have to learn a few new commands.
14291 * Agent Basics:: How it all is supposed to work.
14292 * Agent Categories:: How to tell the Gnus Agent what to download.
14293 * Agent Commands:: New commands for all the buffers.
14294 * Agent Expiry:: How to make old articles go away.
14295 * Agent and IMAP:: How to use the Agent with IMAP.
14296 * Outgoing Messages:: What happens when you post/mail something?
14297 * Agent Variables:: Customizing is fun.
14298 * Example Setup:: An example @file{.gnus.el} file for offline people.
14299 * Batching Agents:: How to fetch news from a @code{cron} job.
14300 * Agent Caveats:: What you think it'll do and what it does.
14305 @subsection Agent Basics
14307 First, let's get some terminology out of the way.
14309 The Gnus Agent is said to be @dfn{unplugged} when you have severed the
14310 connection to the net (and notified the Agent that this is the case).
14311 When the connection to the net is up again (and Gnus knows this), the
14312 Agent is @dfn{plugged}.
14314 The @dfn{local} machine is the one you're running on, and which isn't
14315 connected to the net continuously.
14317 @dfn{Downloading} means fetching things from the net to your local
14318 machine. @dfn{Uploading} is doing the opposite.
14320 Let's take a typical Gnus session using the Agent.
14325 You start Gnus with @code{gnus-unplugged}. This brings up the Gnus
14326 Agent in a disconnected state. You can read all the news that you have
14327 already fetched while in this mode.
14330 You then decide to see whether any new news has arrived. You connect
14331 your machine to the net (using PPP or whatever), and then hit @kbd{J j}
14332 to make Gnus become @dfn{plugged} and use @kbd{g} to check for new mail
14333 as usual. To check for new mail in unplugged mode, see (@pxref{Mail
14334 Source Specifiers}).
14337 You can then read the new news immediately, or you can download the news
14338 onto your local machine. If you want to do the latter, you press @kbd{g}
14339 to check if there are any new news and then @kbd{J
14340 s} to fetch all the eligible articles in all the groups. (To let Gnus
14341 know which articles you want to download, @pxref{Agent Categories}.)
14344 After fetching the articles, you press @kbd{J j} to make Gnus become
14345 unplugged again, and you shut down the PPP thing (or whatever). And
14346 then you read the news offline.
14349 And then you go to step 2.
14352 Here are some things you should do the first time (or so) that you use
14358 Decide which servers should be covered by the Agent. If you have a mail
14359 backend, it would probably be nonsensical to have it covered by the
14360 Agent. Go to the server buffer (@kbd{^} in the group buffer) and press
14361 @kbd{J a} the server (or servers) that you wish to have covered by the
14362 Agent (@pxref{Server Agent Commands}). This will typically be only the
14363 primary select method, which is listed on the bottom in the buffer.
14366 Decide on download policy. @xref{Agent Categories}.
14373 @node Agent Categories
14374 @subsection Agent Categories
14376 One of the main reasons to integrate the news transport layer into the
14377 newsreader is to allow greater control over what articles to download.
14378 There's not much point in downloading huge amounts of articles, just to
14379 find out that you're not interested in reading any of them. It's better
14380 to be somewhat more conservative in choosing what to download, and then
14381 mark the articles for downloading manually if it should turn out that
14382 you're interested in the articles anyway.
14384 The main way to control what is to be downloaded is to create a
14385 @dfn{category} and then assign some (or all) groups to this category.
14386 Groups that do not belong in any other category belong to the
14387 @code{default} category. Gnus has its own buffer for creating and
14388 managing categories.
14391 * Category Syntax:: What a category looks like.
14392 * The Category Buffer:: A buffer for maintaining categories.
14393 * Category Variables:: Customize'r'Us.
14397 @node Category Syntax
14398 @subsubsection Category Syntax
14400 A category consists of two things.
14404 A predicate which (generally) gives a rough outline of which articles
14405 are eligible for downloading; and
14408 a score rule which (generally) gives you a finer granularity when
14409 deciding what articles to download. (Note that this @dfn{download
14410 score} is not necessarily related to normal scores.)
14413 A predicate in its simplest form can be a single predicate such as
14414 @code{true} or @code{false}. These two will download every available
14415 article or nothing respectively. In the case of these two special
14416 predicates an additional score rule is superfluous.
14418 Predicates of @code{high} or @code{low} download articles in respect of
14419 their scores in relationship to @code{gnus-agent-high-score} and
14420 @code{gnus-agent-low-score} as described below.
14422 To gain even finer control of what is to be regarded eligible for
14423 download a predicate can consist of a number of predicates with logical
14424 operators sprinkled in between.
14426 Perhaps some examples are in order.
14428 Here's a simple predicate. (It's the default predicate, in fact, used
14429 for all groups that don't belong to any other category.)
14435 Quite simple, eh? This predicate is true if and only if the article is
14436 short (for some value of ``short'').
14438 Here's a more complex predicate:
14447 This means that an article should be downloaded if it has a high score,
14448 or if the score is not low and the article is not long. You get the
14451 The available logical operators are @code{or}, @code{and} and
14452 @code{not}. (If you prefer, you can use the more ``C''-ish operators
14453 @samp{|}, @code{&} and @code{!} instead.)
14455 The following predicates are pre-defined, but if none of these fit what
14456 you want to do, you can write your own.
14460 True iff the article is shorter than @code{gnus-agent-short-article}
14461 lines; default 100.
14464 True iff the article is longer than @code{gnus-agent-long-article}
14465 lines; default 200.
14468 True iff the article has a download score less than
14469 @code{gnus-agent-low-score}; default 0.
14472 True iff the article has a download score greater than
14473 @code{gnus-agent-high-score}; default 0.
14476 True iff the Gnus Agent guesses that the article is spam. The
14477 heuristics may change over time, but at present it just computes a
14478 checksum and sees whether articles match.
14487 If you want to create your own predicate function, here's what you have
14488 to know: The functions are called with no parameters, but the
14489 @code{gnus-headers} and @code{gnus-score} dynamic variables are bound to
14492 For example, you could decide that you don't want to download articles
14493 that were posted more than a certain number of days ago (e.g. posted
14494 more than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} ago) you might write a function
14495 something along the lines of the following:
14498 (defun my-article-old-p ()
14499 "Say whether an article is old."
14500 (< (time-to-days (date-to-time (mail-header-date gnus-headers)))
14501 (- (time-to-days (current-time)) gnus-agent-expire-days)))
14504 with the predicate then defined as:
14507 (not my-article-old-p)
14510 or you could append your predicate to the predefined
14511 @code{gnus-category-predicate-alist} in your @file{~/.gnus.el} or
14512 wherever. (Note: this would have to be at a point *after*
14513 @code{gnus-agent} has been loaded via @code{(gnus-agentize)})
14516 (setq gnus-category-predicate-alist
14517 (append gnus-category-predicate-alist
14518 '((old . my-article-old-p))))
14521 and simply specify your predicate as:
14527 If/when using something like the above, be aware that there are many
14528 misconfigured systems/mailers out there and so an article's date is not
14529 always a reliable indication of when it was posted. Hell, some people
14530 just don't give a damn.
14532 The above predicates apply to *all* the groups which belong to the
14533 category. However, if you wish to have a specific predicate for an
14534 individual group within a category, or you're just too lazy to set up a
14535 new category, you can enter a group's individual predicate in it's group
14536 parameters like so:
14539 (agent-predicate . short)
14542 This is the group parameter equivalent of the agent category default.
14543 Note that when specifying a single word predicate like this, the
14544 @code{agent-predicate} specification must be in dotted pair notation.
14546 The equivalent of the longer example from above would be:
14549 (agent-predicate or high (and (not low) (not long)))
14552 The outer parenthesis required in the category specification are not
14553 entered here as, not being in dotted pair notation, the value of the
14554 predicate is assumed to be a list.
14557 Now, the syntax of the download score is the same as the syntax of
14558 normal score files, except that all elements that require actually
14559 seeing the article itself are verboten. This means that only the
14560 following headers can be scored on: @code{Subject}, @code{From},
14561 @code{Date}, @code{Message-ID}, @code{References}, @code{Chars},
14562 @code{Lines}, and @code{Xref}.
14564 As with predicates, the specification of the @code{download score rule}
14565 to use in respect of a group can be in either the category definition if
14566 it's to be applicable to all groups in therein, or a group's parameters
14567 if it's to be specific to that group.
14569 In both of these places the @code{download score rule} can take one of
14576 This has the same syntax as a normal gnus score file except only a
14577 subset of scoring keywords are available as mentioned above.
14583 Category specification
14587 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14593 Group Parameter specification
14596 (agent-score ("from"
14597 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" 1000000 nil s))
14602 Again, note the omission of the outermost parenthesis here.
14608 These score files must *only* contain the permitted scoring keywords
14615 Category specification
14618 ("~/News/agent.SCORE")
14624 ("~/News/agent.SCORE" "~/News/agent.group.SCORE")
14628 Group Parameter specification
14631 (agent-score "~/News/agent.SCORE")
14634 Additional score files can be specified as above. Need I say anything
14639 Use @code{normal} score files
14641 If you don't want to maintain two sets of scoring rules for a group, and
14642 your desired @code{downloading} criteria for a group are the same as your
14643 @code{reading} criteria then you can tell the agent to refer to your
14644 @code{normal} score files when deciding what to download.
14646 These directives in either the category definition or a group's
14647 parameters will cause the agent to read in all the applicable score
14648 files for a group, *filtering out* those those sections that do not
14649 relate to one of the permitted subset of scoring keywords.
14653 Category Specification
14660 Group Parameter specification
14663 (agent-score . file)
14668 @node The Category Buffer
14669 @subsubsection The Category Buffer
14671 You'd normally do all category maintenance from the category buffer.
14672 When you enter it for the first time (with the @kbd{J c} command from
14673 the group buffer), you'll only see the @code{default} category.
14675 The following commands are available in this buffer:
14679 @kindex q (Category)
14680 @findex gnus-category-exit
14681 Return to the group buffer (@code{gnus-category-exit}).
14684 @kindex k (Category)
14685 @findex gnus-category-kill
14686 Kill the current category (@code{gnus-category-kill}).
14689 @kindex c (Category)
14690 @findex gnus-category-copy
14691 Copy the current category (@code{gnus-category-copy}).
14694 @kindex a (Category)
14695 @findex gnus-category-add
14696 Add a new category (@code{gnus-category-add}).
14699 @kindex p (Category)
14700 @findex gnus-category-edit-predicate
14701 Edit the predicate of the current category
14702 (@code{gnus-category-edit-predicate}).
14705 @kindex g (Category)
14706 @findex gnus-category-edit-groups
14707 Edit the list of groups belonging to the current category
14708 (@code{gnus-category-edit-groups}).
14711 @kindex s (Category)
14712 @findex gnus-category-edit-score
14713 Edit the download score rule of the current category
14714 (@code{gnus-category-edit-score}).
14717 @kindex l (Category)
14718 @findex gnus-category-list
14719 List all the categories (@code{gnus-category-list}).
14723 @node Category Variables
14724 @subsubsection Category Variables
14727 @item gnus-category-mode-hook
14728 @vindex gnus-category-mode-hook
14729 Hook run in category buffers.
14731 @item gnus-category-line-format
14732 @vindex gnus-category-line-format
14733 Format of the lines in the category buffer (@pxref{Formatting
14734 Variables}). Valid elements are:
14738 The name of the category.
14741 The number of groups in the category.
14744 @item gnus-category-mode-line-format
14745 @vindex gnus-category-mode-line-format
14746 Format of the category mode line (@pxref{Mode Line Formatting}).
14748 @item gnus-agent-short-article
14749 @vindex gnus-agent-short-article
14750 Articles that have fewer lines than this are short. Default 100.
14752 @item gnus-agent-long-article
14753 @vindex gnus-agent-long-article
14754 Articles that have more lines than this are long. Default 200.
14756 @item gnus-agent-low-score
14757 @vindex gnus-agent-low-score
14758 Articles that have a score lower than this have a low score. Default
14761 @item gnus-agent-high-score
14762 @vindex gnus-agent-high-score
14763 Articles that have a score higher than this have a high score. Default
14769 @node Agent Commands
14770 @subsection Agent Commands
14772 All the Gnus Agent commands are on the @kbd{J} submap. The @kbd{J j}
14773 (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-plugged} command works in all modes, and
14774 toggles the plugged/unplugged state of the Gnus Agent.
14778 * Group Agent Commands::
14779 * Summary Agent Commands::
14780 * Server Agent Commands::
14783 You can run a complete batch fetch from the command line with the
14784 following incantation:
14786 @cindex gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14788 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-agent-batch-fetch
14793 @node Group Agent Commands
14794 @subsubsection Group Agent Commands
14798 @kindex J u (Agent Group)
14799 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-groups
14800 Fetch all eligible articles in the current group
14801 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-groups}).
14804 @kindex J c (Agent Group)
14805 @findex gnus-enter-category-buffer
14806 Enter the Agent category buffer (@code{gnus-enter-category-buffer}).
14809 @kindex J s (Agent Group)
14810 @findex gnus-agent-fetch-session
14811 Fetch all eligible articles in all groups
14812 (@code{gnus-agent-fetch-session}).
14815 @kindex J S (Agent Group)
14816 @findex gnus-group-send-drafts
14817 Send all sendable messages in the draft group
14818 (@code{gnus-group-send-drafts}). @xref{Drafts}.
14821 @kindex J a (Agent Group)
14822 @findex gnus-agent-add-group
14823 Add the current group to an Agent category
14824 (@code{gnus-agent-add-group}). This command understands the
14825 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14828 @kindex J r (Agent Group)
14829 @findex gnus-agent-remove-group
14830 Remove the current group from its category, if any
14831 (@code{gnus-agent-remove-group}). This command understands the
14832 process/prefix convention (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
14835 @kindex J Y (Agent Group)
14836 @findex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
14837 Synchronize flags changed while unplugged with remote server, if any.
14843 @node Summary Agent Commands
14844 @subsubsection Summary Agent Commands
14848 @kindex J # (Agent Summary)
14849 @findex gnus-agent-mark-article
14850 Mark the article for downloading (@code{gnus-agent-mark-article}).
14853 @kindex J M-# (Agent Summary)
14854 @findex gnus-agent-unmark-article
14855 Remove the downloading mark from the article
14856 (@code{gnus-agent-unmark-article}).
14859 @kindex @@ (Agent Summary)
14860 @findex gnus-agent-toggle-mark
14861 Toggle whether to download the article (@code{gnus-agent-toggle-mark}).
14864 @kindex J c (Agent Summary)
14865 @findex gnus-agent-catchup
14866 Mark all undownloaded articles as read (@code{gnus-agent-catchup}).
14871 @node Server Agent Commands
14872 @subsubsection Server Agent Commands
14876 @kindex J a (Agent Server)
14877 @findex gnus-agent-add-server
14878 Add the current server to the list of servers covered by the Gnus Agent
14879 (@code{gnus-agent-add-server}).
14882 @kindex J r (Agent Server)
14883 @findex gnus-agent-remove-server
14884 Remove the current server from the list of servers covered by the Gnus
14885 Agent (@code{gnus-agent-remove-server}).
14891 @subsection Agent Expiry
14893 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-days
14894 @findex gnus-agent-expire
14895 @kindex M-x gnus-agent-expire
14896 @cindex Agent expiry
14897 @cindex Gnus Agent expiry
14900 @code{nnagent} doesn't handle expiry. Instead, there's a special
14901 @code{gnus-agent-expire} command that will expire all read articles that
14902 are older than @code{gnus-agent-expire-days} days. It can be run
14903 whenever you feel that you're running out of space. It's not
14904 particularly fast or efficient, and it's not a particularly good idea to
14905 interrupt it (with @kbd{C-g} or anything else) once you've started it.
14907 @vindex gnus-agent-expire-all
14908 if @code{gnus-agent-expire-all} is non-@code{nil}, this command will
14909 expire all articles---unread, read, ticked and dormant. If @code{nil}
14910 (which is the default), only read articles are eligible for expiry, and
14911 unread, ticked and dormant articles will be kept indefinitely.
14914 @node Agent and IMAP
14915 @subsection Agent and IMAP
14917 The Agent work with any Gnus backend, including nnimap. However, since
14918 there are some conceptual differences between NNTP and IMAP, this
14919 section (should) provide you with some information to make Gnus Agent
14920 work smoother as a IMAP Disconnected Mode client.
14922 The first thing to keep in mind is that all flags (read, ticked, etc)
14923 are kept on the IMAP server, rather than in @code{.newsrc} as is the
14924 case for nntp. Thus Gnus need to remember flag changes when
14925 disconnected, and synchronize these flags when you plug back in.
14927 Gnus keep track of flag changes when reading nnimap groups under the
14928 Agent by default. When you plug back in, by default Gnus will check if
14929 you have any changed any flags and ask if you wish to synchronize these
14930 with the server. This behaviour is customizable with
14931 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags}.
14933 @vindex gnus-agent-synchronize-flags
14934 If @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} is @code{nil}, the Agent will
14935 never automatically synchronize flags. If it is @code{ask}, the
14936 default, the Agent will check if you made any changes and if so ask if
14937 you wish to synchronize these when you re-connect. If it has any other
14938 value, all flags will be synchronized automatically.
14940 If you do not wish to automatically synchronize flags when you
14941 re-connect, this can be done manually with the
14942 @code{gnus-agent-synchronize-flags} command that is bound to @kbd{J Y}
14943 in the group buffer by default.
14945 Some things are currently not implemented in the Agent that you'd might
14946 expect from a disconnected IMAP client, including:
14951 Copying/moving articles into nnimap groups when unplugged.
14954 Creating/deleting nnimap groups when unplugged.
14958 Technical note: the synchronization algorithm does not work by "pushing"
14959 all local flags to the server, but rather incrementally update the
14960 server view of flags by changing only those flags that were changed by
14961 the user. Thus, if you set one flag on a article, quit the group and
14962 re-select the group and remove the flag; the flag will be set and
14963 removed from the server when you "synchronize". The queued flag
14964 operations can be found in the per-server @code{flags} file in the Agent
14965 directory. It's emptied when you synchronize flags.
14968 @node Outgoing Messages
14969 @subsection Outgoing Messages
14971 When Gnus is unplugged, all outgoing messages (both mail and news) are
14972 stored in the draft groups (@pxref{Drafts}). You can view them there
14973 after posting, and edit them at will.
14975 When Gnus is plugged again, you can send the messages either from the
14976 draft group with the special commands available there, or you can use
14977 the @kbd{J S} command in the group buffer to send all the sendable
14978 messages in the draft group.
14982 @node Agent Variables
14983 @subsection Agent Variables
14986 @item gnus-agent-directory
14987 @vindex gnus-agent-directory
14988 Where the Gnus Agent will store its files. The default is
14989 @file{~/News/agent/}.
14991 @item gnus-agent-handle-level
14992 @vindex gnus-agent-handle-level
14993 Groups on levels (@pxref{Group Levels}) higher than this variable will
14994 be ignored by the Agent. The default is @code{gnus-level-subscribed},
14995 which means that only subscribed group will be considered by the Agent
14998 @item gnus-agent-plugged-hook
14999 @vindex gnus-agent-plugged-hook
15000 Hook run when connecting to the network.
15002 @item gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15003 @vindex gnus-agent-unplugged-hook
15004 Hook run when disconnecting from the network.
15009 @node Example Setup
15010 @subsection Example Setup
15012 If you don't want to read this manual, and you have a fairly standard
15013 setup, you may be able to use something like the following as your
15014 @file{.gnus.el} file to get started.
15017 ;;; Define how Gnus is to fetch news. We do this over @sc{nntp}
15018 ;;; from your ISP's server.
15019 (setq gnus-select-method '(nntp "news.your-isp.com"))
15021 ;;; Define how Gnus is to read your mail. We read mail from
15022 ;;; your ISP's POP server.
15023 (setq mail-sources '((pop :server "pop.your-isp.com")))
15025 ;;; Say how Gnus is to store the mail. We use nnml groups.
15026 (setq gnus-secondary-select-methods '((nnml "")))
15028 ;;; Make Gnus into an offline newsreader.
15032 That should be it, basically. Put that in your @file{~/.gnus.el} file,
15033 edit to suit your needs, start up PPP (or whatever), and type @kbd{M-x
15036 If this is the first time you've run Gnus, you will be subscribed
15037 automatically to a few default newsgroups. You'll probably want to
15038 subscribe to more groups, and to do that, you have to query the
15039 @sc{nntp} server for a complete list of groups with the @kbd{A A}
15040 command. This usually takes quite a while, but you only have to do it
15043 After reading and parsing a while, you'll be presented with a list of
15044 groups. Subscribe to the ones you want to read with the @kbd{u}
15045 command. @kbd{l} to make all the killed groups disappear after you've
15046 subscribe to all the groups you want to read. (@kbd{A k} will bring
15047 back all the killed groups.)
15049 You can now read the groups at once, or you can download the articles
15050 with the @kbd{J s} command. And then read the rest of this manual to
15051 find out which of the other gazillion things you want to customize.
15054 @node Batching Agents
15055 @subsection Batching Agents
15057 Having the Gnus Agent fetch articles (and post whatever messages you've
15058 written) is quite easy once you've gotten things set up properly. The
15059 following shell script will do everything that is necessary:
15063 emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -f gnus-agent-batch >/dev/null
15067 @node Agent Caveats
15068 @subsection Agent Caveats
15070 The Gnus Agent doesn't seem to work like most other offline
15071 newsreaders. Here are some common questions that some imaginary people
15075 @item If I read an article while plugged, do they get entered into the
15080 @item If I read an article while plugged, and the article already exists
15081 in the Agent, will it get downloaded once more?
15087 In short, when Gnus is unplugged, it only looks into the locally stored
15088 articles; when it's plugged, it only talks to your ISP.
15095 Other people use @dfn{kill files}, but we here at Gnus Towers like
15096 scoring better than killing, so we'd rather switch than fight. They do
15097 something completely different as well, so sit up straight and pay
15100 @vindex gnus-summary-mark-below
15101 All articles have a default score (@code{gnus-summary-default-score}),
15102 which is 0 by default. This score may be raised or lowered either
15103 interactively or by score files. Articles that have a score lower than
15104 @code{gnus-summary-mark-below} are marked as read.
15106 Gnus will read any @dfn{score files} that apply to the current group
15107 before generating the summary buffer.
15109 There are several commands in the summary buffer that insert score
15110 entries based on the current article. You can, for instance, ask Gnus to
15111 lower or increase the score of all articles with a certain subject.
15113 There are two sorts of scoring entries: Permanent and temporary.
15114 Temporary score entries are self-expiring entries. Any entries that are
15115 temporary and have not been used for, say, a week, will be removed
15116 silently to help keep the sizes of the score files down.
15119 * Summary Score Commands:: Adding score entries for the current group.
15120 * Group Score Commands:: General score commands.
15121 * Score Variables:: Customize your scoring. (My, what terminology).
15122 * Score File Format:: What a score file may contain.
15123 * Score File Editing:: You can edit score files by hand as well.
15124 * Adaptive Scoring:: Big Sister Gnus knows what you read.
15125 * Home Score File:: How to say where new score entries are to go.
15126 * Followups To Yourself:: Having Gnus notice when people answer you.
15127 * Scoring Tips:: How to score effectively.
15128 * Reverse Scoring:: That problem child of old is not problem.
15129 * Global Score Files:: Earth-spanning, ear-splitting score files.
15130 * Kill Files:: They are still here, but they can be ignored.
15131 * Converting Kill Files:: Translating kill files to score files.
15132 * GroupLens:: Getting predictions on what you like to read.
15133 * Advanced Scoring:: Using logical expressions to build score rules.
15134 * Score Decays:: It can be useful to let scores wither away.
15138 @node Summary Score Commands
15139 @section Summary Score Commands
15140 @cindex score commands
15142 The score commands that alter score entries do not actually modify real
15143 score files. That would be too inefficient. Gnus maintains a cache of
15144 previously loaded score files, one of which is considered the
15145 @dfn{current score file alist}. The score commands simply insert
15146 entries into this list, and upon group exit, this list is saved.
15148 The current score file is by default the group's local score file, even
15149 if no such score file actually exists. To insert score commands into
15150 some other score file (e.g. @file{all.SCORE}), you must first make this
15151 score file the current one.
15153 General score commands that don't actually change the score file:
15158 @kindex V s (Summary)
15159 @findex gnus-summary-set-score
15160 Set the score of the current article (@code{gnus-summary-set-score}).
15163 @kindex V S (Summary)
15164 @findex gnus-summary-current-score
15165 Display the score of the current article
15166 (@code{gnus-summary-current-score}).
15169 @kindex V t (Summary)
15170 @findex gnus-score-find-trace
15171 Display all score rules that have been used on the current article
15172 (@code{gnus-score-find-trace}).
15175 @kindex V R (Summary)
15176 @findex gnus-summary-rescore
15177 Run the current summary through the scoring process
15178 (@code{gnus-summary-rescore}). This might be useful if you're playing
15179 around with your score files behind Gnus' back and want to see the
15180 effect you're having.
15183 @kindex V c (Summary)
15184 @findex gnus-score-change-score-file
15185 Make a different score file the current
15186 (@code{gnus-score-change-score-file}).
15189 @kindex V e (Summary)
15190 @findex gnus-score-edit-current-scores
15191 Edit the current score file (@code{gnus-score-edit-current-scores}).
15192 You will be popped into a @code{gnus-score-mode} buffer (@pxref{Score
15196 @kindex V f (Summary)
15197 @findex gnus-score-edit-file
15198 Edit a score file and make this score file the current one
15199 (@code{gnus-score-edit-file}).
15202 @kindex V F (Summary)
15203 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15204 Flush the score cache (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}). This is useful
15205 after editing score files.
15208 @kindex V C (Summary)
15209 @findex gnus-score-customize
15210 Customize a score file in a visually pleasing manner
15211 (@code{gnus-score-customize}).
15215 The rest of these commands modify the local score file.
15220 @kindex V m (Summary)
15221 @findex gnus-score-set-mark-below
15222 Prompt for a score, and mark all articles with a score below this as
15223 read (@code{gnus-score-set-mark-below}).
15226 @kindex V x (Summary)
15227 @findex gnus-score-set-expunge-below
15228 Prompt for a score, and add a score rule to the current score file to
15229 expunge all articles below this score
15230 (@code{gnus-score-set-expunge-below}).
15233 The keystrokes for actually making score entries follow a very regular
15234 pattern, so there's no need to list all the commands. (Hundreds of
15237 @findex gnus-summary-increase-score
15238 @findex gnus-summary-lower-score
15242 The first key is either @kbd{I} (upper case i) for increasing the score
15243 or @kbd{L} for lowering the score.
15245 The second key says what header you want to score on. The following
15246 keys are available:
15250 Score on the author name.
15253 Score on the subject line.
15256 Score on the @code{Xref} line---i.e., the cross-posting line.
15259 Score on the @code{References} line.
15265 Score on the number of lines.
15268 Score on the @code{Message-ID} header.
15271 Score on followups---this matches the author name, and adds scores to
15272 the followups to this author.
15286 The third key is the match type. Which match types are valid depends on
15287 what headers you are scoring on.
15299 Substring matching.
15302 Fuzzy matching (@pxref{Fuzzy Matching}).
15331 Greater than number.
15336 The fourth and final key says whether this is a temporary (i.e., expiring)
15337 score entry, or a permanent (i.e., non-expiring) score entry, or whether
15338 it is to be done immediately, without adding to the score file.
15342 Temporary score entry.
15345 Permanent score entry.
15348 Immediately scoring.
15353 So, let's say you want to increase the score on the current author with
15354 exact matching permanently: @kbd{I a e p}. If you want to lower the
15355 score based on the subject line, using substring matching, and make a
15356 temporary score entry: @kbd{L s s t}. Pretty easy.
15358 To make things a bit more complicated, there are shortcuts. If you use
15359 a capital letter on either the second or third keys, Gnus will use
15360 defaults for the remaining one or two keystrokes. The defaults are
15361 ``substring'' and ``temporary''. So @kbd{I A} is the same as @kbd{I a s
15362 t}, and @kbd{I a R} is the same as @kbd{I a r t}.
15364 These functions take both the numerical prefix and the symbolic prefix
15365 (@pxref{Symbolic Prefixes}). A numerical prefix says how much to lower
15366 (or increase) the score of the article. A symbolic prefix of @code{a}
15367 says to use the @file{all.SCORE} file for the command instead of the
15368 current score file.
15370 @vindex gnus-score-mimic-keymap
15371 The @code{gnus-score-mimic-keymap} says whether these commands will
15372 pretend they are keymaps or not.
15375 @node Group Score Commands
15376 @section Group Score Commands
15377 @cindex group score commands
15379 There aren't many of these as yet, I'm afraid.
15384 @kindex W f (Group)
15385 @findex gnus-score-flush-cache
15386 Gnus maintains a cache of score alists to avoid having to reload them
15387 all the time. This command will flush the cache
15388 (@code{gnus-score-flush-cache}).
15392 You can do scoring from the command line by saying something like:
15394 @findex gnus-batch-score
15395 @cindex batch scoring
15397 $ emacs -batch -l ~/.emacs -l ~/.gnus.el -f gnus-batch-score
15401 @node Score Variables
15402 @section Score Variables
15403 @cindex score variables
15407 @item gnus-use-scoring
15408 @vindex gnus-use-scoring
15409 If @code{nil}, Gnus will not check for score files, and will not, in
15410 general, do any score-related work. This is @code{t} by default.
15412 @item gnus-kill-killed
15413 @vindex gnus-kill-killed
15414 If this variable is @code{nil}, Gnus will never apply score files to
15415 articles that have already been through the kill process. While this
15416 may save you lots of time, it also means that if you apply a kill file
15417 to a group, and then change the kill file and want to run it over you
15418 group again to kill more articles, it won't work. You have to set this
15419 variable to @code{t} to do that. (It is @code{t} by default.)
15421 @item gnus-kill-files-directory
15422 @vindex gnus-kill-files-directory
15423 All kill and score files will be stored in this directory, which is
15424 initialized from the @code{SAVEDIR} environment variable by default.
15425 This is @file{~/News/} by default.
15427 @item gnus-score-file-suffix
15428 @vindex gnus-score-file-suffix
15429 Suffix to add to the group name to arrive at the score file name
15430 (@samp{SCORE} by default.)
15432 @item gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15433 @vindex gnus-score-uncacheable-files
15434 @cindex score cache
15435 All score files are normally cached to avoid excessive re-loading of
15436 score files. However, if this might make your Emacs grow big and
15437 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
15438 @file{all.SCORE}, while it might be a good idea to not cache
15439 @file{comp.infosystems.www.authoring.misc.ADAPT}. In fact, this
15440 variable is @samp{ADAPT$} by default, so no adaptive score files will
15443 @item gnus-save-score
15444 @vindex gnus-save-score
15445 If you have really complicated score files, and do lots of batch
15446 scoring, then you might set this variable to @code{t}. This will make
15447 Gnus save the scores into the @file{.newsrc.eld} file.
15449 If you do not set this to @code{t}, then manual scores (like those set
15450 with @kbd{V s} (@code{gnus-summary-set-score})) will not be preserved
15451 across group visits.
15453 @item gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15454 @vindex gnus-score-interactive-default-score
15455 Score used by all the interactive raise/lower commands to raise/lower
15456 score with. Default is 1000, which may seem excessive, but this is to
15457 ensure that the adaptive scoring scheme gets enough room to play with.
15458 We don't want the small changes from the adaptive scoring to overwrite
15459 manually entered data.
15461 @item gnus-summary-default-score
15462 @vindex gnus-summary-default-score
15463 Default score of an article, which is 0 by default.
15465 @item gnus-summary-expunge-below
15466 @vindex gnus-summary-expunge-below
15467 Don't display the summary lines of articles that have scores lower than
15468 this variable. This is @code{nil} by default, which means that no
15469 articles will be hidden. This variable is local to the summary buffers,
15470 and has to be set from @code{gnus-summary-mode-hook}.
15472 @item gnus-score-over-mark
15473 @vindex gnus-score-over-mark
15474 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score over the
15475 default. Default is @samp{+}.
15477 @item gnus-score-below-mark
15478 @vindex gnus-score-below-mark
15479 Mark (in the third column) used for articles with a score below the
15480 default. Default is @samp{-}.
15482 @item gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15483 @vindex gnus-score-find-score-files-function
15484 Function used to find score files for the current group. This function
15485 is called with the name of the group as the argument.
15487 Predefined functions available are:
15490 @item gnus-score-find-single
15491 @findex gnus-score-find-single
15492 Only apply the group's own score file.
15494 @item gnus-score-find-bnews
15495 @findex gnus-score-find-bnews
15496 Apply all score files that match, using bnews syntax. This is the
15497 default. If the current group is @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}, for instance,
15498 @file{all.emacs.all.SCORE}, @file{not.alt.all.SCORE} and
15499 @file{gnu.all.SCORE} would all apply. In short, the instances of
15500 @samp{all} in the score file names are translated into @samp{.*}, and
15501 then a regexp match is done.
15503 This means that if you have some score entries that you want to apply to
15504 all groups, then you put those entries in the @file{all.SCORE} file.
15506 The score files are applied in a semi-random order, although Gnus will
15507 try to apply the more general score files before the more specific score
15508 files. It does this by looking at the number of elements in the score
15509 file names---discarding the @samp{all} elements.
15511 @item gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15512 @findex gnus-score-find-hierarchical
15513 Apply all score files from all the parent groups. This means that you
15514 can't have score files like @file{all.SCORE}, but you can have
15515 @file{SCORE}, @file{comp.SCORE} and @file{comp.emacs.SCORE} for each
15519 This variable can also be a list of functions. In that case, all these
15520 functions will be called with the group name as argument, and all the
15521 returned lists of score files will be applied. These functions can also
15522 return lists of score alists directly. In that case, the functions that
15523 return these non-file score alists should probably be placed before the
15524 ``real'' score file functions, to ensure that the last score file
15525 returned is the local score file. Phu.
15527 For example, to do hierarchical scoring but use a non-server-specific
15528 overall score file, you could use the value
15530 (list (lambda (group) ("all.SCORE")) 'gnus-score-find-hierarchical)
15533 @item gnus-score-expiry-days
15534 @vindex gnus-score-expiry-days
15535 This variable says how many days should pass before an unused score file
15536 entry is expired. If this variable is @code{nil}, no score file entries
15537 are expired. It's 7 by default.
15539 @item gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15540 @vindex gnus-update-score-entry-dates
15541 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, matching score entries will have
15542 their dates updated. (This is how Gnus controls expiry---all
15543 non-matching entries will become too old while matching entries will
15544 stay fresh and young.) However, if you set this variable to @code{nil},
15545 even matching entries will grow old and will have to face that oh-so
15548 @item gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15549 @vindex gnus-score-after-write-file-function
15550 Function called with the name of the score file just written.
15552 @item gnus-score-thread-simplify
15553 @vindex gnus-score-thread-simplify
15554 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, article subjects will be simplified
15555 for subject scoring purposes in the same manner as with
15556 threading---according to the current value of
15557 gnus-simplify-subject-functions. If the scoring entry uses
15558 @code{substring} or @code{exact} matching, the match will also be
15559 simplified in this manner.
15564 @node Score File Format
15565 @section Score File Format
15566 @cindex score file format
15568 A score file is an @code{emacs-lisp} file that normally contains just a
15569 single form. Casual users are not expected to edit these files;
15570 everything can be changed from the summary buffer.
15572 Anyway, if you'd like to dig into it yourself, here's an example:
15576 ("Lars Ingebrigtsen" -10000)
15578 ("larsi\\|lmi" -50000 nil R))
15580 ("Ding is Badd" nil 728373))
15582 ("alt.politics" -1000 728372 s))
15587 (mark-and-expunge -10)
15591 (files "/hom/larsi/News/gnu.SCORE")
15592 (exclude-files "all.SCORE")
15593 (local (gnus-newsgroup-auto-expire t)
15594 (gnus-summary-make-false-root empty))
15598 This example demonstrates most score file elements. For a different
15599 approach, see @pxref{Advanced Scoring}.
15601 Even though this looks much like lisp code, nothing here is actually
15602 @code{eval}ed. The lisp reader is used to read this form, though, so it
15603 has to be valid syntactically, if not semantically.
15605 Six keys are supported by this alist:
15610 If the key is a string, it is the name of the header to perform the
15611 match on. Scoring can only be performed on these eight headers:
15612 @code{From}, @code{Subject}, @code{References}, @code{Message-ID},
15613 @code{Xref}, @code{Lines}, @code{Chars} and @code{Date}. In addition to
15614 these headers, there are three strings to tell Gnus to fetch the entire
15615 article and do the match on larger parts of the article: @code{Body}
15616 will perform the match on the body of the article, @code{Head} will
15617 perform the match on the head of the article, and @code{All} will
15618 perform the match on the entire article. Note that using any of these
15619 last three keys will slow down group entry @emph{considerably}. The
15620 final ``header'' you can score on is @code{Followup}. These score
15621 entries will result in new score entries being added for all follow-ups
15622 to articles that matches these score entries.
15624 Following this key is a arbitrary number of score entries, where each
15625 score entry has one to four elements.
15629 The first element is the @dfn{match element}. On most headers this will
15630 be a string, but on the Lines and Chars headers, this must be an
15634 If the second element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{score
15635 element}. This number should be an integer in the neginf to posinf
15636 interval. This number is added to the score of the article if the match
15637 is successful. If this element is not present, the
15638 @code{gnus-score-interactive-default-score} number will be used
15639 instead. This is 1000 by default.
15642 If the third element is present, it should be a number---the @dfn{date
15643 element}. This date says when the last time this score entry matched,
15644 which provides a mechanism for expiring the score entries. It this
15645 element is not present, the score entry is permanent. The date is
15646 represented by the number of days since December 31, 1 BCE.
15649 If the fourth element is present, it should be a symbol---the @dfn{type
15650 element}. This element specifies what function should be used to see
15651 whether this score entry matches the article. What match types that can
15652 be used depends on what header you wish to perform the match on.
15655 @item From, Subject, References, Xref, Message-ID
15656 For most header types, there are the @code{r} and @code{R} (regexp), as
15657 well as @code{s} and @code{S} (substring) types, and @code{e} and
15658 @code{E} (exact match), and @code{w} (word match) types. If this
15659 element is not present, Gnus will assume that substring matching should
15660 be used. @code{R}, @code{S}, and @code{E} differ from the others in
15661 that the matches will be done in a case-sensitive manner. All these
15662 one-letter types are really just abbreviations for the @code{regexp},
15663 @code{string}, @code{exact}, and @code{word} types, which you can use
15664 instead, if you feel like.
15667 These two headers use different match types: @code{<}, @code{>},
15668 @code{=}, @code{>=} and @code{<=}.
15670 These predicates are true if
15673 (PREDICATE HEADER MATCH)
15676 evaluates to non-@code{nil}. For instance, the advanced match
15677 @code{("lines" 4 <)} (@pxref{Advanced Scoring}) will result in the
15684 Or to put it another way: When using @code{<} on @code{Lines} with 4 as
15685 the match, we get the score added if the article has less than 4 lines.
15686 (It's easy to get confused and think it's the other way around. But
15687 it's not. I think.)
15689 When matching on @code{Lines}, be careful because some backends (like
15690 @code{nndir}) do not generate @code{Lines} header, so every article ends
15691 up being marked as having 0 lines. This can lead to strange results if
15692 you happen to lower score of the articles with few lines.
15695 For the Date header we have three kinda silly match types:
15696 @code{before}, @code{at} and @code{after}. I can't really imagine this
15697 ever being useful, but, like, it would feel kinda silly not to provide
15698 this function. Just in case. You never know. Better safe than sorry.
15699 Once burnt, twice shy. Don't judge a book by its cover. Never not have
15700 sex on a first date. (I have been told that at least one person, and I
15701 quote, ``found this function indispensable'', however.)
15705 A more useful match type is @code{regexp}. With it, you can match the
15706 date string using a regular expression. The date is normalized to
15707 ISO8601 compact format first---@var{YYYYMMDD}@code{T}@var{HHMMSS}. If
15708 you want to match all articles that have been posted on April 1st in
15709 every year, you could use @samp{....0401.........} as a match string,
15710 for instance. (Note that the date is kept in its original time zone, so
15711 this will match articles that were posted when it was April 1st where
15712 the article was posted from. Time zones are such wholesome fun for the
15715 @item Head, Body, All
15716 These three match keys use the same match types as the @code{From} (etc)
15720 This match key is somewhat special, in that it will match the
15721 @code{From} header, and affect the score of not only the matching
15722 articles, but also all followups to the matching articles. This allows
15723 you e.g. increase the score of followups to your own articles, or
15724 decrease the score of followups to the articles of some known
15725 trouble-maker. Uses the same match types as the @code{From} header
15726 uses. (Using this match key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT}
15730 This match key works along the same lines as the @code{Followup} match
15731 key. If you say that you want to score on a (sub-)thread started by an
15732 article with a @code{Message-ID} @var{x}, then you add a @samp{thread}
15733 match. This will add a new @samp{thread} match for each article that
15734 has @var{x} in its @code{References} header. (These new @samp{thread}
15735 matches will use the @code{Message-ID}s of these matching articles.)
15736 This will ensure that you can raise/lower the score of an entire thread,
15737 even though some articles in the thread may not have complete
15738 @code{References} headers. Note that using this may lead to
15739 undeterministic scores of the articles in the thread. (Using this match
15740 key will lead to creation of @file{ADAPT} files.)
15744 @cindex Score File Atoms
15746 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15747 lower than this number will be marked as read.
15750 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15751 lower than this number will be removed from the summary buffer.
15753 @item mark-and-expunge
15754 The value of this entry should be a number. Any articles with a score
15755 lower than this number will be marked as read and removed from the
15758 @item thread-mark-and-expunge
15759 The value of this entry should be a number. All articles that belong to
15760 a thread that has a total score below this number will be marked as read
15761 and removed from the summary buffer. @code{gnus-thread-score-function}
15762 says how to compute the total score for a thread.
15765 The value of this entry should be any number of file names. These files
15766 are assumed to be score files as well, and will be loaded the same way
15769 @item exclude-files
15770 The clue of this entry should be any number of files. These files will
15771 not be loaded, even though they would normally be so, for some reason or
15775 The value of this entry will be @code{eval}el. This element will be
15776 ignored when handling global score files.
15779 Read-only score files will not be updated or saved. Global score files
15780 should feature this atom (@pxref{Global Score Files}). (Note:
15781 @dfn{Global} here really means @dfn{global}; not your personal
15782 apply-to-all-groups score files.)
15785 The value of this entry should be a number. Articles that do not have
15786 parents will get this number added to their scores. Imagine you follow
15787 some high-volume newsgroup, like @samp{comp.lang.c}. Most likely you
15788 will only follow a few of the threads, also want to see any new threads.
15790 You can do this with the following two score file entries:
15794 (mark-and-expunge -100)
15797 When you enter the group the first time, you will only see the new
15798 threads. You then raise the score of the threads that you find
15799 interesting (with @kbd{I T} or @kbd{I S}), and ignore (@kbd{C y}) the
15800 rest. Next time you enter the group, you will see new articles in the
15801 interesting threads, plus any new threads.
15803 I.e.---the orphan score atom is for high-volume groups where there
15804 exist a few interesting threads which can't be found automatically by
15805 ordinary scoring rules.
15808 This entry controls the adaptive scoring. If it is @code{t}, the
15809 default adaptive scoring rules will be used. If it is @code{ignore}, no
15810 adaptive scoring will be performed on this group. If it is a list, this
15811 list will be used as the adaptive scoring rules. If it isn't present,
15812 or is something other than @code{t} or @code{ignore}, the default
15813 adaptive scoring rules will be used. If you want to use adaptive
15814 scoring on most groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15815 @code{t}, and insert an @code{(adapt ignore)} in the groups where you do
15816 not want adaptive scoring. If you only want adaptive scoring in a few
15817 groups, you'd set @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to @code{nil}, and
15818 insert @code{(adapt t)} in the score files of the groups where you want
15822 All adaptive score entries will go to the file named by this entry. It
15823 will also be applied when entering the group. This atom might be handy
15824 if you want to adapt on several groups at once, using the same adaptive
15825 file for a number of groups.
15828 @cindex local variables
15829 The value of this entry should be a list of @code{(VAR VALUE)} pairs.
15830 Each @var{var} will be made buffer-local to the current summary buffer,
15831 and set to the value specified. This is a convenient, if somewhat
15832 strange, way of setting variables in some groups if you don't like hooks
15833 much. Note that the @var{value} won't be evaluated.
15837 @node Score File Editing
15838 @section Score File Editing
15840 You normally enter all scoring commands from the summary buffer, but you
15841 might feel the urge to edit them by hand as well, so we've supplied you
15842 with a mode for that.
15844 It's simply a slightly customized @code{emacs-lisp} mode, with these
15845 additional commands:
15850 @kindex C-c C-c (Score)
15851 @findex gnus-score-edit-done
15852 Save the changes you have made and return to the summary buffer
15853 (@code{gnus-score-edit-done}).
15856 @kindex C-c C-d (Score)
15857 @findex gnus-score-edit-insert-date
15858 Insert the current date in numerical format
15859 (@code{gnus-score-edit-insert-date}). This is really the day number, if
15860 you were wondering.
15863 @kindex C-c C-p (Score)
15864 @findex gnus-score-pretty-print
15865 The adaptive score files are saved in an unformatted fashion. If you
15866 intend to read one of these files, you want to @dfn{pretty print} it
15867 first. This command (@code{gnus-score-pretty-print}) does that for
15872 Type @kbd{M-x gnus-score-mode} to use this mode.
15874 @vindex gnus-score-mode-hook
15875 @code{gnus-score-menu-hook} is run in score mode buffers.
15877 In the summary buffer you can use commands like @kbd{V f} and @kbd{V
15878 e} to begin editing score files.
15881 @node Adaptive Scoring
15882 @section Adaptive Scoring
15883 @cindex adaptive scoring
15885 If all this scoring is getting you down, Gnus has a way of making it all
15886 happen automatically---as if by magic. Or rather, as if by artificial
15887 stupidity, to be precise.
15889 @vindex gnus-use-adaptive-scoring
15890 When you read an article, or mark an article as read, or kill an
15891 article, you leave marks behind. On exit from the group, Gnus can sniff
15892 these marks and add score elements depending on what marks it finds.
15893 You turn on this ability by setting @code{gnus-use-adaptive-scoring} to
15894 @code{t} or @code{(line)}. If you want score adaptively on separate
15895 words appearing in the subjects, you should set this variable to
15896 @code{(word)}. If you want to use both adaptive methods, set this
15897 variable to @code{(word line)}.
15899 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15900 To give you complete control over the scoring process, you can customize
15901 the @code{gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist} variable. For instance, it
15902 might look something like this:
15905 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-score-alist
15906 '((gnus-unread-mark)
15907 (gnus-ticked-mark (from 4))
15908 (gnus-dormant-mark (from 5))
15909 (gnus-del-mark (from -4) (subject -1))
15910 (gnus-read-mark (from 4) (subject 2))
15911 (gnus-expirable-mark (from -1) (subject -1))
15912 (gnus-killed-mark (from -1) (subject -3))
15913 (gnus-kill-file-mark)
15914 (gnus-ancient-mark)
15915 (gnus-low-score-mark)
15916 (gnus-catchup-mark (from -1) (subject -1))))
15919 As you see, each element in this alist has a mark as a key (either a
15920 variable name or a ``real'' mark---a character). Following this key is
15921 a arbitrary number of header/score pairs. If there are no header/score
15922 pairs following the key, no adaptive scoring will be done on articles
15923 that have that key as the article mark. For instance, articles with
15924 @code{gnus-unread-mark} in the example above will not get adaptive score
15927 Each article can have only one mark, so just a single of these rules
15928 will be applied to each article.
15930 To take @code{gnus-del-mark} as an example---this alist says that all
15931 articles that have that mark (i.e., are marked with @samp{D}) will have a
15932 score entry added to lower based on the @code{From} header by -4, and
15933 lowered by @code{Subject} by -1. Change this to fit your prejudices.
15935 If you have marked 10 articles with the same subject with
15936 @code{gnus-del-mark}, the rule for that mark will be applied ten times.
15937 That means that that subject will get a score of ten times -1, which
15938 should be, unless I'm much mistaken, -10.
15940 If you have auto-expirable (mail) groups (@pxref{Expiring Mail}), all
15941 the read articles will be marked with the @samp{E} mark. This'll
15942 probably make adaptive scoring slightly impossible, so auto-expiring and
15943 adaptive scoring doesn't really mix very well.
15945 The headers you can score on are @code{from}, @code{subject},
15946 @code{message-id}, @code{references}, @code{xref}, @code{lines},
15947 @code{chars} and @code{date}. In addition, you can score on
15948 @code{followup}, which will create an adaptive score entry that matches
15949 on the @code{References} header using the @code{Message-ID} of the
15950 current article, thereby matching the following thread.
15952 You can also score on @code{thread}, which will try to score all
15953 articles that appear in a thread. @code{thread} matches uses a
15954 @code{Message-ID} to match on the @code{References} header of the
15955 article. If the match is made, the @code{Message-ID} of the article is
15956 added to the @code{thread} rule. (Think about it. I'd recommend two
15957 aspirins afterwards.)
15959 If you use this scheme, you should set the score file atom @code{mark}
15960 to something small---like -300, perhaps, to avoid having small random
15961 changes result in articles getting marked as read.
15963 After using adaptive scoring for a week or so, Gnus should start to
15964 become properly trained and enhance the authors you like best, and kill
15965 the authors you like least, without you having to say so explicitly.
15967 You can control what groups the adaptive scoring is to be performed on
15968 by using the score files (@pxref{Score File Format}). This will also
15969 let you use different rules in different groups.
15971 @vindex gnus-adaptive-file-suffix
15972 The adaptive score entries will be put into a file where the name is the
15973 group name with @code{gnus-adaptive-file-suffix} appended. The default
15976 @vindex gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit
15977 When doing adaptive scoring, substring or fuzzy matching would probably
15978 give you the best results in most cases. However, if the header one
15979 matches is short, the possibility for false positives is great, so if
15980 the length of the match is less than
15981 @code{gnus-score-exact-adapt-limit}, exact matching will be used. If
15982 this variable is @code{nil}, exact matching will always be used to avoid
15985 @vindex gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15986 As mentioned above, you can adapt either on individual words or entire
15987 headers. If you adapt on words, the
15988 @code{gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist} variable says what score
15989 each instance of a word should add given a mark.
15992 (setq gnus-default-adaptive-word-score-alist
15993 `((,gnus-read-mark . 30)
15994 (,gnus-catchup-mark . -10)
15995 (,gnus-killed-mark . -20)
15996 (,gnus-del-mark . -15)))
15999 This is the default value. If you have adaption on words enabled, every
16000 word that appears in subjects of articles marked with
16001 @code{gnus-read-mark} will result in a score rule that increase the
16002 score with 30 points.
16004 @vindex gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words
16005 @vindex gnus-ignored-adaptive-words
16006 Words that appear in the @code{gnus-default-ignored-adaptive-words} list
16007 will be ignored. If you wish to add more words to be ignored, use the
16008 @code{gnus-ignored-adaptive-words} list instead.
16010 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table
16011 When the scoring is done, @code{gnus-adaptive-word-syntax-table} is the
16012 syntax table in effect. It is similar to the standard syntax table, but
16013 it considers numbers to be non-word-constituent characters.
16015 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-minimum
16016 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} is set to a number, the adaptive
16017 word scoring process will never bring down the score of an article to
16018 below this number. The default is @code{nil}.
16020 @vindex gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words
16021 If @code{gnus-adaptive-word-no-group-words} is set to @code{t}, gnus
16022 won't adaptively word score any of the words in the group name. Useful
16023 for groups like @samp{comp.editors.emacs}, where most of the subject
16024 lines contain the word @samp{emacs}.
16026 After using this scheme for a while, it might be nice to write a
16027 @code{gnus-psychoanalyze-user} command to go through the rules and see
16028 what words you like and what words you don't like. Or perhaps not.
16030 Note that the adaptive word scoring thing is highly experimental and is
16031 likely to change in the future. Initial impressions seem to indicate
16032 that it's totally useless as it stands. Some more work (involving more
16033 rigorous statistical methods) will have to be done to make this useful.
16036 @node Home Score File
16037 @section Home Score File
16039 The score file where new score file entries will go is called the
16040 @dfn{home score file}. This is normally (and by default) the score file
16041 for the group itself. For instance, the home score file for
16042 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} is @file{gnu.emacs.gnus.SCORE}.
16044 However, this may not be what you want. It is often convenient to share
16045 a common home score file among many groups---all @samp{emacs} groups
16046 could perhaps use the same home score file.
16048 @vindex gnus-home-score-file
16049 The variable that controls this is @code{gnus-home-score-file}. It can
16054 A string. Then this file will be used as the home score file for all
16058 A function. The result of this function will be used as the home score
16059 file. The function will be called with the name of the group as the
16063 A list. The elements in this list can be:
16067 @code{(@var{regexp} @var{file-name})}. If the @var{regexp} matches the
16068 group name, the @var{file-name} will will be used as the home score file.
16071 A function. If the function returns non-nil, the result will be used as
16072 the home score file.
16075 A string. Use the string as the home score file.
16078 The list will be traversed from the beginning towards the end looking
16083 So, if you want to use just a single score file, you could say:
16086 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16087 "my-total-score-file.SCORE")
16090 If you want to use @file{gnu.SCORE} for all @samp{gnu} groups and
16091 @file{rec.SCORE} for all @samp{rec} groups (and so on), you can say:
16093 @findex gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file
16095 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16096 'gnus-hierarchial-home-score-file)
16099 This is a ready-made function provided for your convenience.
16100 Other functions include
16103 @item gnus-current-home-score-file
16104 @findex gnus-current-home-score-file
16105 Return the ``current'' regular score file. This will make scoring
16106 commands add entry to the ``innermost'' matching score file.
16110 If you want to have one score file for the @samp{emacs} groups and
16111 another for the @samp{comp} groups, while letting all other groups use
16112 their own home score files:
16115 (setq gnus-home-score-file
16116 ;; All groups that match the regexp "\\.emacs"
16117 '(("\\.emacs" "emacs.SCORE")
16118 ;; All the comp groups in one score file
16119 ("^comp" "comp.SCORE")))
16122 @vindex gnus-home-adapt-file
16123 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file} works exactly the same way as
16124 @code{gnus-home-score-file}, but says what the home adaptive score file
16125 is instead. All new adaptive file entries will go into the file
16126 specified by this variable, and the same syntax is allowed.
16128 In addition to using @code{gnus-home-score-file} and
16129 @code{gnus-home-adapt-file}, you can also use group parameters
16130 (@pxref{Group Parameters}) and topic parameters (@pxref{Topic
16131 Parameters}) to achieve much the same. Group and topic parameters take
16132 precedence over this variable.
16135 @node Followups To Yourself
16136 @section Followups To Yourself
16138 Gnus offers two commands for picking out the @code{Message-ID} header in
16139 the current buffer. Gnus will then add a score rule that scores using
16140 this @code{Message-ID} on the @code{References} header of other
16141 articles. This will, in effect, increase the score of all articles that
16142 respond to the article in the current buffer. Quite useful if you want
16143 to easily note when people answer what you've said.
16147 @item gnus-score-followup-article
16148 @findex gnus-score-followup-article
16149 This will add a score to articles that directly follow up your own
16152 @item gnus-score-followup-thread
16153 @findex gnus-score-followup-thread
16154 This will add a score to all articles that appear in a thread ``below''
16158 @vindex message-sent-hook
16159 These two functions are both primarily meant to be used in hooks like
16160 @code{message-sent-hook}, like this:
16162 (add-hook 'message-sent-hook 'gnus-score-followup-thread)
16166 If you look closely at your own @code{Message-ID}, you'll notice that
16167 the first two or three characters are always the same. Here's two of
16171 <x6u3u47icf.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16172 <x6sp9o7ibw.fsf@@eyesore.no>
16175 So ``my'' ident on this machine is @samp{x6}. This can be
16176 exploited---the following rule will raise the score on all followups to
16181 ("<x6[0-9a-z]+\\.fsf\\(_-_\\)?@@.*eyesore\\.no>"
16185 Whether it's the first two or first three characters that are ``yours''
16186 is system-dependent.
16190 @section Scoring Tips
16191 @cindex scoring tips
16197 @cindex scoring crossposts
16198 If you want to lower the score of crossposts, the line to match on is
16199 the @code{Xref} header.
16201 ("xref" (" talk.politics.misc:" -1000))
16204 @item Multiple crossposts
16205 If you want to lower the score of articles that have been crossposted to
16206 more than, say, 3 groups:
16208 ("xref" ("[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+ +[^:\n]+:[0-9]+" -1000 nil r))
16211 @item Matching on the body
16212 This is generally not a very good idea---it takes a very long time.
16213 Gnus actually has to fetch each individual article from the server. But
16214 you might want to anyway, I guess. Even though there are three match
16215 keys (@code{Head}, @code{Body} and @code{All}), you should choose one
16216 and stick with it in each score file. If you use any two, each article
16217 will be fetched @emph{twice}. If you want to match a bit on the
16218 @code{Head} and a bit on the @code{Body}, just use @code{All} for all
16221 @item Marking as read
16222 You will probably want to mark articles that have scores below a certain
16223 number as read. This is most easily achieved by putting the following
16224 in your @file{all.SCORE} file:
16228 You may also consider doing something similar with @code{expunge}.
16230 @item Negated character classes
16231 If you say stuff like @code{[^abcd]*}, you may get unexpected results.
16232 That will match newlines, which might lead to, well, The Unknown. Say
16233 @code{[^abcd\n]*} instead.
16237 @node Reverse Scoring
16238 @section Reverse Scoring
16239 @cindex reverse scoring
16241 If you want to keep just articles that have @samp{Sex with Emacs} in the
16242 subject header, and expunge all other articles, you could put something
16243 like this in your score file:
16247 ("Sex with Emacs" 2))
16252 So, you raise all articles that match @samp{Sex with Emacs} and mark the
16253 rest as read, and expunge them to boot.
16256 @node Global Score Files
16257 @section Global Score Files
16258 @cindex global score files
16260 Sure, other newsreaders have ``global kill files''. These are usually
16261 nothing more than a single kill file that applies to all groups, stored
16262 in the user's home directory. Bah! Puny, weak newsreaders!
16264 What I'm talking about here are Global Score Files. Score files from
16265 all over the world, from users everywhere, uniting all nations in one
16266 big, happy score file union! Ange-score! New and untested!
16268 @vindex gnus-global-score-files
16269 All you have to do to use other people's score files is to set the
16270 @code{gnus-global-score-files} variable. One entry for each score file,
16271 or each score file directory. Gnus will decide by itself what score
16272 files are applicable to which group.
16274 Say you want to use the score file
16275 @file{/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE} and
16276 all score files in the @file{/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score} directory:
16279 (setq gnus-global-score-files
16280 '("/ftp@@ftp.gnus.org:/pub/larsi/ding/score/soc.motss.SCORE"
16281 "/ftp@@ftp.some-where:/pub/score/"))
16284 @findex gnus-score-search-global-directories
16285 Simple, eh? Directory names must end with a @samp{/}. These
16286 directories are typically scanned only once during each Gnus session.
16287 If you feel the need to manually re-scan the remote directories, you can
16288 use the @code{gnus-score-search-global-directories} command.
16290 Note that, at present, using this option will slow down group entry
16291 somewhat. (That is---a lot.)
16293 If you want to start maintaining score files for other people to use,
16294 just put your score file up for anonymous ftp and announce it to the
16295 world. Become a retro-moderator! Participate in the retro-moderator
16296 wars sure to ensue, where retro-moderators battle it out for the
16297 sympathy of the people, luring them to use their score files on false
16298 premises! Yay! The net is saved!
16300 Here are some tips for the would-be retro-moderator, off the top of my
16306 Articles heavily crossposted are probably junk.
16308 To lower a single inappropriate article, lower by @code{Message-ID}.
16310 Particularly brilliant authors can be raised on a permanent basis.
16312 Authors that repeatedly post off-charter for the group can safely be
16313 lowered out of existence.
16315 Set the @code{mark} and @code{expunge} atoms to obliterate the nastiest
16316 articles completely.
16319 Use expiring score entries to keep the size of the file down. You
16320 should probably have a long expiry period, though, as some sites keep
16321 old articles for a long time.
16324 ... I wonder whether other newsreaders will support global score files
16325 in the future. @emph{Snicker}. Yup, any day now, newsreaders like Blue
16326 Wave, xrn and 1stReader are bound to implement scoring. Should we start
16327 holding our breath yet?
16331 @section Kill Files
16334 Gnus still supports those pesky old kill files. In fact, the kill file
16335 entries can now be expiring, which is something I wrote before Daniel
16336 Quinlan thought of doing score files, so I've left the code in there.
16338 In short, kill processing is a lot slower (and I do mean @emph{a lot})
16339 than score processing, so it might be a good idea to rewrite your kill
16340 files into score files.
16342 Anyway, a kill file is a normal @code{emacs-lisp} file. You can put any
16343 forms into this file, which means that you can use kill files as some
16344 sort of primitive hook function to be run on group entry, even though
16345 that isn't a very good idea.
16347 Normal kill files look like this:
16350 (gnus-kill "From" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16351 (gnus-kill "Subject" "ding")
16355 This will mark every article written by me as read, and remove the
16356 marked articles from the summary buffer. Very useful, you'll agree.
16358 Other programs use a totally different kill file syntax. If Gnus
16359 encounters what looks like a @code{rn} kill file, it will take a stab at
16362 Two summary functions for editing a GNUS kill file:
16367 @kindex M-k (Summary)
16368 @findex gnus-summary-edit-local-kill
16369 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-local-kill}).
16372 @kindex M-K (Summary)
16373 @findex gnus-summary-edit-global-kill
16374 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-summary-edit-global-kill}).
16377 Two group mode functions for editing the kill files:
16382 @kindex M-k (Group)
16383 @findex gnus-group-edit-local-kill
16384 Edit this group's kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-local-kill}).
16387 @kindex M-K (Group)
16388 @findex gnus-group-edit-global-kill
16389 Edit the general kill file (@code{gnus-group-edit-global-kill}).
16392 Kill file variables:
16395 @item gnus-kill-file-name
16396 @vindex gnus-kill-file-name
16397 A kill file for the group @samp{soc.motss} is normally called
16398 @file{soc.motss.KILL}. The suffix appended to the group name to get
16399 this file name is detailed by the @code{gnus-kill-file-name} variable.
16400 The ``global'' kill file (not in the score file sense of ``global'', of
16401 course) is just called @file{KILL}.
16403 @vindex gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16404 @item gnus-kill-save-kill-file
16405 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, Gnus will save the
16406 kill file after processing, which is necessary if you use expiring
16409 @item gnus-apply-kill-hook
16410 @vindex gnus-apply-kill-hook
16411 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored
16412 @findex gnus-apply-kill-file
16413 A hook called to apply kill files to a group. It is
16414 @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file)} by default. If you want to ignore the
16415 kill file if you have a score file for the same group, you can set this
16416 hook to @code{(gnus-apply-kill-file-unless-scored)}. If you don't want
16417 kill files to be processed, you should set this variable to @code{nil}.
16419 @item gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16420 @vindex gnus-kill-file-mode-hook
16421 A hook called in kill-file mode buffers.
16426 @node Converting Kill Files
16427 @section Converting Kill Files
16429 @cindex converting kill files
16431 If you have loads of old kill files, you may want to convert them into
16432 score files. If they are ``regular'', you can use
16433 the @file{gnus-kill-to-score.el} package; if not, you'll have to do it
16436 The kill to score conversion package isn't included in Gnus by default.
16437 You can fetch it from
16438 @uref{http://www.stud.ifi.uio.no/~larsi/ding-various/gnus-kill-to-score.el}.
16440 If your old kill files are very complex---if they contain more
16441 non-@code{gnus-kill} forms than not, you'll have to convert them by
16442 hand. Or just let them be as they are. Gnus will still use them as
16450 GroupLens is a collaborative filtering system that helps you work
16451 together with other people to find the quality news articles out of the
16452 huge volume of news articles generated every day.
16454 To accomplish this the GroupLens system combines your opinions about
16455 articles you have already read with the opinions of others who have done
16456 likewise and gives you a personalized prediction for each unread news
16457 article. Think of GroupLens as a matchmaker. GroupLens watches how you
16458 rate articles, and finds other people that rate articles the same way.
16459 Once it has found some people you agree with it tells you, in the form
16460 of a prediction, what they thought of the article. You can use this
16461 prediction to help you decide whether or not you want to read the
16465 * Using GroupLens:: How to make Gnus use GroupLens.
16466 * Rating Articles:: Letting GroupLens know how you rate articles.
16467 * Displaying Predictions:: Displaying predictions given by GroupLens.
16468 * GroupLens Variables:: Customizing GroupLens.
16472 @node Using GroupLens
16473 @subsection Using GroupLens
16475 To use GroupLens you must register a pseudonym with your local Better
16477 @uref{http://www.cs.umn.edu/Research/GroupLens/bbb.html} is the only
16478 better bit in town at the moment.
16480 Once you have registered you'll need to set a couple of variables.
16484 @item gnus-use-grouplens
16485 @vindex gnus-use-grouplens
16486 Setting this variable to a non-@code{nil} value will make Gnus hook into
16487 all the relevant GroupLens functions.
16489 @item grouplens-pseudonym
16490 @vindex grouplens-pseudonym
16491 This variable should be set to the pseudonym you got when registering
16492 with the Better Bit Bureau.
16494 @item grouplens-newsgroups
16495 @vindex grouplens-newsgroups
16496 A list of groups that you want to get GroupLens predictions for.
16500 That's the minimum of what you need to get up and running with GroupLens.
16501 Once you've registered, GroupLens will start giving you scores for
16502 articles based on the average of what other people think. But, to get
16503 the real benefit of GroupLens you need to start rating articles
16504 yourself. Then the scores GroupLens gives you will be personalized for
16505 you, based on how the people you usually agree with have already rated.
16508 @node Rating Articles
16509 @subsection Rating Articles
16511 In GroupLens, an article is rated on a scale from 1 to 5, inclusive.
16512 Where 1 means something like this article is a waste of bandwidth and 5
16513 means that the article was really good. The basic question to ask
16514 yourself is, "on a scale from 1 to 5 would I like to see more articles
16517 There are four ways to enter a rating for an article in GroupLens.
16522 @kindex r (GroupLens)
16523 @findex bbb-summary-rate-article
16524 This function will prompt you for a rating on a scale of one to five.
16527 @kindex k (GroupLens)
16528 @findex grouplens-score-thread
16529 This function will prompt you for a rating, and rate all the articles in
16530 the thread. This is really useful for some of those long running giant
16531 threads in rec.humor.
16535 The next two commands, @kbd{n} and @kbd{,} take a numerical prefix to be
16536 the score of the article you're reading.
16541 @kindex n (GroupLens)
16542 @findex grouplens-next-unread-article
16543 Rate the article and go to the next unread article.
16546 @kindex , (GroupLens)
16547 @findex grouplens-best-unread-article
16548 Rate the article and go to the next unread article with the highest score.
16552 If you want to give the current article a score of 4 and then go to the
16553 next article, just type @kbd{4 n}.
16556 @node Displaying Predictions
16557 @subsection Displaying Predictions
16559 GroupLens makes a prediction for you about how much you will like a
16560 news article. The predictions from GroupLens are on a scale from 1 to
16561 5, where 1 is the worst and 5 is the best. You can use the predictions
16562 from GroupLens in one of three ways controlled by the variable
16563 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring}.
16565 @vindex gnus-grouplens-override-scoring
16566 There are three ways to display predictions in grouplens. You may
16567 choose to have the GroupLens scores contribute to, or override the
16568 regular gnus scoring mechanism. override is the default; however, some
16569 people prefer to see the Gnus scores plus the grouplens scores. To get
16570 the separate scoring behavior you need to set
16571 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'separate}. To have the
16572 GroupLens predictions combined with the grouplens scores set it to
16573 @code{'override} and to combine the scores set
16574 @code{gnus-grouplens-override-scoring} to @code{'combine}. When you use
16575 the combine option you will also want to set the values for
16576 @code{grouplens-prediction-offset} and
16577 @code{grouplens-score-scale-factor}.
16579 @vindex grouplens-prediction-display
16580 In either case, GroupLens gives you a few choices for how you would like
16581 to see your predictions displayed. The display of predictions is
16582 controlled by the @code{grouplens-prediction-display} variable.
16584 The following are valid values for that variable.
16587 @item prediction-spot
16588 The higher the prediction, the further to the right an @samp{*} is
16591 @item confidence-interval
16592 A numeric confidence interval.
16594 @item prediction-bar
16595 The higher the prediction, the longer the bar.
16597 @item confidence-bar
16598 Numerical confidence.
16600 @item confidence-spot
16601 The spot gets bigger with more confidence.
16603 @item prediction-num
16604 Plain-old numeric value.
16606 @item confidence-plus-minus
16607 Prediction +/- confidence.
16612 @node GroupLens Variables
16613 @subsection GroupLens Variables
16617 @item gnus-summary-grouplens-line-format
16618 The summary line format used in GroupLens-enhanced summary buffers. It
16619 accepts the same specs as the normal summary line format (@pxref{Summary
16620 Buffer Lines}). The default is @samp{%U%R%z%l%I%(%[%4L: %-20,20n%]%)
16623 @item grouplens-bbb-host
16624 Host running the bbbd server. @samp{grouplens.cs.umn.edu} is the
16627 @item grouplens-bbb-port
16628 Port of the host running the bbbd server. The default is 9000.
16630 @item grouplens-score-offset
16631 Offset the prediction by this value. In other words, subtract the
16632 prediction value by this number to arrive at the effective score. The
16635 @item grouplens-score-scale-factor
16636 This variable allows the user to magnify the effect of GroupLens scores.
16637 The scale factor is applied after the offset. The default is 1.
16642 @node Advanced Scoring
16643 @section Advanced Scoring
16645 Scoring on Subjects and From headers is nice enough, but what if you're
16646 really interested in what a person has to say only when she's talking
16647 about a particular subject? Or what if you really don't want to
16648 read what person A has to say when she's following up to person B, but
16649 want to read what she says when she's following up to person C?
16651 By using advanced scoring rules you may create arbitrarily complex
16655 * Advanced Scoring Syntax:: A definition.
16656 * Advanced Scoring Examples:: What they look like.
16657 * Advanced Scoring Tips:: Getting the most out of it.
16661 @node Advanced Scoring Syntax
16662 @subsection Advanced Scoring Syntax
16664 Ordinary scoring rules have a string as the first element in the rule.
16665 Advanced scoring rules have a list as the first element. The second
16666 element is the score to be applied if the first element evaluated to a
16667 non-@code{nil} value.
16669 These lists may consist of three logical operators, one redirection
16670 operator, and various match operators.
16677 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16678 one that evaluates to @code{false}, and then it'll stop. If all arguments
16679 evaluate to @code{true} values, then this operator will return
16684 This logical operator will evaluate each of its arguments until it finds
16685 one that evaluates to @code{true}. If no arguments are @code{true},
16686 then this operator will return @code{false}.
16691 This logical operator only takes a single argument. It returns the
16692 logical negation of the value of its argument.
16696 There is an @dfn{indirection operator} that will make its arguments
16697 apply to the ancestors of the current article being scored. For
16698 instance, @code{1-} will make score rules apply to the parent of the
16699 current article. @code{2-} will make score rules apply to the
16700 grandparent of the current article. Alternatively, you can write
16701 @code{^^}, where the number of @code{^}s (carets) says how far back into
16702 the ancestry you want to go.
16704 Finally, we have the match operators. These are the ones that do the
16705 real work. Match operators are header name strings followed by a match
16706 and a match type. A typical match operator looks like @samp{("from"
16707 "Lars Ingebrigtsen" s)}. The header names are the same as when using
16708 simple scoring, and the match types are also the same.
16711 @node Advanced Scoring Examples
16712 @subsection Advanced Scoring Examples
16714 Let's say you want to increase the score of articles written by Lars
16715 when he's talking about Gnus:
16719 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16720 ("subject" "Gnus"))
16726 When he writes long articles, he sometimes has something nice to say:
16730 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16737 However, when he responds to things written by Reig Eigil Logge, you
16738 really don't want to read what he's written:
16742 ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen")
16743 (1- ("from" "Reig Eigir Logge")))
16747 Everybody that follows up Redmondo when he writes about disappearing
16748 socks should have their scores raised, but only when they talk about
16749 white socks. However, when Lars talks about socks, it's usually not
16756 ("from" "redmondo@@.*no" r)
16757 ("body" "disappearing.*socks" t)))
16758 (! ("from" "Lars Ingebrigtsen"))
16759 ("body" "white.*socks"))
16763 The possibilities are endless.
16766 @node Advanced Scoring Tips
16767 @subsection Advanced Scoring Tips
16769 The @code{&} and @code{|} logical operators do short-circuit logic.
16770 That is, they stop processing their arguments when it's clear what the
16771 result of the operation will be. For instance, if one of the arguments
16772 of an @code{&} evaluates to @code{false}, there's no point in evaluating
16773 the rest of the arguments. This means that you should put slow matches
16774 (@samp{body}, @samp{header}) last and quick matches (@samp{from},
16775 @samp{subject}) first.
16777 The indirection arguments (@code{1-} and so on) will make their
16778 arguments work on previous generations of the thread. If you say
16789 Then that means "score on the from header of the grandparent of the
16790 current article". An indirection is quite fast, but it's better to say:
16796 ("subject" "Gnus")))
16803 (1- ("from" "Lars"))
16804 (1- ("subject" "Gnus")))
16809 @section Score Decays
16810 @cindex score decays
16813 You may find that your scores have a tendency to grow without
16814 bounds, especially if you're using adaptive scoring. If scores get too
16815 big, they lose all meaning---they simply max out and it's difficult to
16816 use them in any sensible way.
16818 @vindex gnus-decay-scores
16819 @findex gnus-decay-score
16820 @vindex gnus-decay-score-function
16821 Gnus provides a mechanism for decaying scores to help with this problem.
16822 When score files are loaded and @code{gnus-decay-scores} is
16823 non-@code{nil}, Gnus will run the score files through the decaying
16824 mechanism thereby lowering the scores of all non-permanent score rules.
16825 The decay itself if performed by the @code{gnus-decay-score-function}
16826 function, which is @code{gnus-decay-score} by default. Here's the
16827 definition of that function:
16830 (defun gnus-decay-score (score)
16832 This is done according to `gnus-score-decay-constant'
16833 and `gnus-score-decay-scale'."
16836 (* (if (< score 0) 1 -1)
16838 (max gnus-score-decay-constant
16840 gnus-score-decay-scale)))))))
16843 @vindex gnus-score-decay-scale
16844 @vindex gnus-score-decay-constant
16845 @code{gnus-score-decay-constant} is 3 by default and
16846 @code{gnus-score-decay-scale} is 0.05. This should cause the following:
16850 Scores between -3 and 3 will be set to 0 when this function is called.
16853 Scores with magnitudes between 3 and 60 will be shrunk by 3.
16856 Scores with magnitudes greater than 60 will be shrunk by 5% of the
16860 If you don't like this decay function, write your own. It is called
16861 with the score to be decayed as its only parameter, and it should return
16862 the new score, which should be an integer.
16864 Gnus will try to decay scores once a day. If you haven't run Gnus for
16865 four days, Gnus will decay the scores four times, for instance.
16872 * Process/Prefix:: A convention used by many treatment commands.
16873 * Interactive:: Making Gnus ask you many questions.
16874 * Symbolic Prefixes:: How to supply some Gnus functions with options.
16875 * Formatting Variables:: You can specify what buffers should look like.
16876 * Windows Configuration:: Configuring the Gnus buffer windows.
16877 * Faces and Fonts:: How to change how faces look.
16878 * Compilation:: How to speed Gnus up.
16879 * Mode Lines:: Displaying information in the mode lines.
16880 * Highlighting and Menus:: Making buffers look all nice and cozy.
16881 * Buttons:: Get tendonitis in ten easy steps!
16882 * Daemons:: Gnus can do things behind your back.
16883 * NoCeM:: How to avoid spam and other fatty foods.
16884 * Undo:: Some actions can be undone.
16885 * Moderation:: What to do if you're a moderator.
16886 * Emacs Enhancements:: There can be more pictures and stuff under
16888 * XEmacs Enhancements:: There are more pictures and stuff under XEmacs.
16889 * Fuzzy Matching:: What's the big fuzz?
16890 * Thwarting Email Spam:: A how-to on avoiding unsolicited commercial email.
16891 * Various Various:: Things that are really various.
16895 @node Process/Prefix
16896 @section Process/Prefix
16897 @cindex process/prefix convention
16899 Many functions, among them functions for moving, decoding and saving
16900 articles, use what is known as the @dfn{Process/Prefix convention}.
16902 This is a method for figuring out what articles the user wants the
16903 command to be performed on.
16907 If the numeric prefix is N, perform the operation on the next N
16908 articles, starting with the current one. If the numeric prefix is
16909 negative, perform the operation on the previous N articles, starting
16910 with the current one.
16912 @vindex transient-mark-mode
16913 If @code{transient-mark-mode} in non-@code{nil} and the region is
16914 active, all articles in the region will be worked upon.
16916 If there is no numeric prefix, but some articles are marked with the
16917 process mark, perform the operation on the articles marked with
16920 If there is neither a numeric prefix nor any articles marked with the
16921 process mark, just perform the operation on the current article.
16923 Quite simple, really, but it needs to be made clear so that surprises
16926 Commands that react to the process mark will push the current list of
16927 process marked articles onto a stack and will then clear all process
16928 marked articles. You can restore the previous configuration with the
16929 @kbd{M P y} command (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
16931 @vindex gnus-summary-goto-unread
16932 One thing that seems to shock & horrify lots of people is that, for
16933 instance, @kbd{3 d} does exactly the same as @kbd{d} @kbd{d} @kbd{d}.
16934 Since each @kbd{d} (which marks the current article as read) by default
16935 goes to the next unread article after marking, this means that @kbd{3 d}
16936 will mark the next three unread articles as read, no matter what the
16937 summary buffer looks like. Set @code{gnus-summary-goto-unread} to
16938 @code{nil} for a more straightforward action.
16940 Many commands do not use the process/prefix convention. All commands
16941 that do explicitly say so in this manual. To apply the process/prefix
16942 convention to commands that do not use it, you can use the @kbd{M-&}
16943 command. For instance, to mark all the articles in the group as
16944 expirable, you could say `M P b M-& E'.
16948 @section Interactive
16949 @cindex interaction
16953 @item gnus-novice-user
16954 @vindex gnus-novice-user
16955 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you are either a newcomer to the
16956 World of Usenet, or you are very cautious, which is a nice thing to be,
16957 really. You will be given questions of the type ``Are you sure you want
16958 to do this?'' before doing anything dangerous. This is @code{t} by
16961 @item gnus-expert-user
16962 @vindex gnus-expert-user
16963 If this variable is non-@code{nil}, you will seldom be asked any
16964 questions by Gnus. It will simply assume you know what you're doing, no
16965 matter how strange.
16967 @item gnus-interactive-catchup
16968 @vindex gnus-interactive-catchup
16969 Require confirmation before catching up a group if non-@code{nil}. It
16970 is @code{t} by default.
16972 @item gnus-interactive-exit
16973 @vindex gnus-interactive-exit
16974 Require confirmation before exiting Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
16979 @node Symbolic Prefixes
16980 @section Symbolic Prefixes
16981 @cindex symbolic prefixes
16983 Quite a lot of Emacs commands react to the (numeric) prefix. For
16984 instance, @kbd{C-u 4 C-f} moves point four characters forward, and
16985 @kbd{C-u 9 0 0 I s s p} adds a permanent @code{Subject} substring score
16986 rule of 900 to the current article.
16988 This is all nice and well, but what if you want to give a command some
16989 additional information? Well, what most commands do is interpret the
16990 ``raw'' prefix in some special way. @kbd{C-u 0 C-x C-s} means that one
16991 doesn't want a backup file to be created when saving the current buffer,
16992 for instance. But what if you want to save without making a backup
16993 file, and you want Emacs to flash lights and play a nice tune at the
16994 same time? You can't, and you're probably perfectly happy that way.
16996 @kindex M-i (Summary)
16997 @findex gnus-symbolic-argument
16998 I'm not, so I've added a second prefix---the @dfn{symbolic prefix}. The
16999 prefix key is @kbd{M-i} (@code{gnus-symbolic-argument}), and the next
17000 character typed in is the value. You can stack as many @kbd{M-i}
17001 prefixes as you want. @kbd{M-i a M-C-u} means ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u}
17002 command the symbolic prefix @code{a}''. @kbd{M-i a M-i b M-C-u} means
17003 ``feed the @kbd{M-C-u} command the symbolic prefixes @code{a} and
17004 @code{b}''. You get the drift.
17006 Typing in symbolic prefixes to commands that don't accept them doesn't
17007 hurt, but it doesn't do any good either. Currently not many Gnus
17008 functions make use of the symbolic prefix.
17010 If you're interested in how Gnus implements this, @pxref{Extended
17014 @node Formatting Variables
17015 @section Formatting Variables
17016 @cindex formatting variables
17018 Throughout this manual you've probably noticed lots of variables called
17019 things like @code{gnus-group-line-format} and
17020 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}. These control how Gnus is to
17021 output lines in the various buffers. There's quite a lot of them.
17022 Fortunately, they all use the same syntax, so there's not that much to
17025 Here's an example format spec (from the group buffer): @samp{%M%S%5y:
17026 %(%g%)\n}. We see that it is indeed extremely ugly, and that there are
17027 lots of percentages everywhere.
17030 * Formatting Basics:: A formatting variable is basically a format string.
17031 * Mode Line Formatting:: Some rules about mode line formatting variables.
17032 * Advanced Formatting:: Modifying output in various ways.
17033 * User-Defined Specs:: Having Gnus call your own functions.
17034 * Formatting Fonts:: Making the formatting look colorful and nice.
17037 Currently Gnus uses the following formatting variables:
17038 @code{gnus-group-line-format}, @code{gnus-summary-line-format},
17039 @code{gnus-server-line-format}, @code{gnus-topic-line-format},
17040 @code{gnus-group-mode-line-format},
17041 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format},
17042 @code{gnus-article-mode-line-format},
17043 @code{gnus-server-mode-line-format}, and
17044 @code{gnus-summary-pick-line-format}.
17046 All these format variables can also be arbitrary elisp forms. In that
17047 case, they will be @code{eval}ed to insert the required lines.
17049 @kindex M-x gnus-update-format
17050 @findex gnus-update-format
17051 Gnus includes a command to help you while creating your own format
17052 specs. @kbd{M-x gnus-update-format} will @code{eval} the current form,
17053 update the spec in question and pop you to a buffer where you can
17054 examine the resulting lisp code to be run to generate the line.
17058 @node Formatting Basics
17059 @subsection Formatting Basics
17061 Each @samp{%} element will be replaced by some string or other when the
17062 buffer in question is generated. @samp{%5y} means ``insert the @samp{y}
17063 spec, and pad with spaces to get a 5-character field''.
17065 As with normal C and Emacs Lisp formatting strings, the numerical
17066 modifier between the @samp{%} and the formatting type character will
17067 @dfn{pad} the output so that it is always at least that long.
17068 @samp{%5y} will make the field always (at least) five characters wide by
17069 padding with spaces to the left. If you say @samp{%-5y}, it will pad to
17072 You may also wish to limit the length of the field to protect against
17073 particularly wide values. For that you can say @samp{%4,6y}, which
17074 means that the field will never be more than 6 characters wide and never
17075 less than 4 characters wide.
17078 @node Mode Line Formatting
17079 @subsection Mode Line Formatting
17081 Mode line formatting variables (e.g.,
17082 @code{gnus-summary-mode-line-format}) follow the same rules as other,
17083 buffer line oriented formatting variables (@pxref{Formatting Basics})
17084 with the following two differences:
17089 There must be no newline (@samp{\n}) at the end.
17092 The special @samp{%%b} spec can be used to display the buffer name.
17093 Well, it's no spec at all, really---@samp{%%} is just a way to quote
17094 @samp{%} to allow it to pass through the formatting machinery unmangled,
17095 so that Emacs receives @samp{%b}, which is something the Emacs mode line
17096 display interprets to mean ``show the buffer name''. For a full list of
17097 mode line specs Emacs understands, see the documentation of the
17098 @code{mode-line-format} variable.
17103 @node Advanced Formatting
17104 @subsection Advanced Formatting
17106 It is frequently useful to post-process the fields in some way.
17107 Padding, limiting, cutting off parts and suppressing certain values can
17108 be achieved by using @dfn{tilde modifiers}. A typical tilde spec might
17109 look like @samp{%~(cut 3)~(ignore "0")y}.
17111 These are the valid modifiers:
17116 Pad the field to the left with spaces until it reaches the required
17120 Pad the field to the right with spaces until it reaches the required
17125 Cut off characters from the left until it reaches the specified length.
17128 Cut off characters from the right until it reaches the specified
17133 Cut off the specified number of characters from the left.
17136 Cut off the specified number of characters from the right.
17139 Return an empty string if the field is equal to the specified value.
17142 Use the specified form as the field value when the @samp{@@} spec is
17146 Let's take an example. The @samp{%o} spec in the summary mode lines
17147 will return a date in compact ISO8601 format---@samp{19960809T230410}.
17148 This is quite a mouthful, so we want to shave off the century number and
17149 the time, leaving us with a six-character date. That would be
17150 @samp{%~(cut-left 2)~(max-right 6)~(pad 6)o}. (Cutting is done before
17151 maxing, and we need the padding to ensure that the date is never less
17152 than 6 characters to make it look nice in columns.)
17154 Ignoring is done first; then cutting; then maxing; and then as the very
17155 last operation, padding.
17157 If you use lots of these advanced thingies, you'll find that Gnus gets
17158 quite slow. This can be helped enormously by running @kbd{M-x
17159 gnus-compile} when you are satisfied with the look of your lines.
17160 @xref{Compilation}.
17163 @node User-Defined Specs
17164 @subsection User-Defined Specs
17166 All the specs allow for inserting user defined specifiers---@samp{u}.
17167 The next character in the format string should be a letter. Gnus
17168 will call the function @code{gnus-user-format-function-}@samp{X}, where
17169 @samp{X} is the letter following @samp{%u}. The function will be passed
17170 a single parameter---what the parameter means depends on what buffer
17171 it's being called from. The function should return a string, which will
17172 be inserted into the buffer just like information from any other
17173 specifier. This function may also be called with dummy values, so it
17174 should protect against that.
17176 You can also use tilde modifiers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting} to achieve
17177 much the same without defining new functions. Here's an example:
17178 @samp{%~(form (count-lines (point-min) (point)))@@}. The form
17179 given here will be evaluated to yield the current line number, and then
17183 @node Formatting Fonts
17184 @subsection Formatting Fonts
17186 There are specs for highlighting, and these are shared by all the format
17187 variables. Text inside the @samp{%(} and @samp{%)} specifiers will get
17188 the special @code{mouse-face} property set, which means that it will be
17189 highlighted (with @code{gnus-mouse-face}) when you put the mouse pointer
17192 Text inside the @samp{%@{} and @samp{%@}} specifiers will have their
17193 normal faces set using @code{gnus-face-0}, which is @code{bold} by
17194 default. If you say @samp{%1@{}, you'll get @code{gnus-face-1} instead,
17195 and so on. Create as many faces as you wish. The same goes for the
17196 @code{mouse-face} specs---you can say @samp{%3(hello%)} to have
17197 @samp{hello} mouse-highlighted with @code{gnus-mouse-face-3}.
17199 Text inside the @samp{%<} and @samp{%>} specifiers will get the special
17200 @code{balloon-help} property set to @code{gnus-balloon-face-0}. If you
17201 say @samp{%1<}, you'll get @code{gnus-balloon-face-1} and so on. The
17202 @code{gnus-balloon-face-*} variables should be either strings or symbols
17203 naming functions that return a string. Under @code{balloon-help-mode},
17204 when the mouse passes over text with this property set, a balloon window
17205 will appear and display the string. Please refer to the doc string of
17206 @code{balloon-help-mode} for more information on this.
17208 Here's an alternative recipe for the group buffer:
17211 ;; Create three face types.
17212 (setq gnus-face-1 'bold)
17213 (setq gnus-face-3 'italic)
17215 ;; We want the article count to be in
17216 ;; a bold and green face. So we create
17217 ;; a new face called `my-green-bold'.
17218 (copy-face 'bold 'my-green-bold)
17220 (set-face-foreground 'my-green-bold "ForestGreen")
17221 (setq gnus-face-2 'my-green-bold)
17223 ;; Set the new & fancy format.
17224 (setq gnus-group-line-format
17225 "%M%S%3@{%5y%@}%2[:%] %(%1@{%g%@}%)\n")
17228 I'm sure you'll be able to use this scheme to create totally unreadable
17229 and extremely vulgar displays. Have fun!
17231 Note that the @samp{%(} specs (and friends) do not make any sense on the
17232 mode-line variables.
17235 @node Windows Configuration
17236 @section Windows Configuration
17237 @cindex windows configuration
17239 No, there's nothing here about X, so be quiet.
17241 @vindex gnus-use-full-window
17242 If @code{gnus-use-full-window} non-@code{nil}, Gnus will delete all
17243 other windows and occupy the entire Emacs screen by itself. It is
17244 @code{t} by default.
17246 Setting this variable to @code{nil} kinda works, but there are
17247 glitches. Use at your own peril.
17249 @vindex gnus-buffer-configuration
17250 @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} describes how much space each Gnus
17251 buffer should be given. Here's an excerpt of this variable:
17254 ((group (vertical 1.0 (group 1.0 point)
17255 (if gnus-carpal (group-carpal 4))))
17256 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17260 This is an alist. The @dfn{key} is a symbol that names some action or
17261 other. For instance, when displaying the group buffer, the window
17262 configuration function will use @code{group} as the key. A full list of
17263 possible names is listed below.
17265 The @dfn{value} (i.e., the @dfn{split}) says how much space each buffer
17266 should occupy. To take the @code{article} split as an example -
17269 (article (vertical 1.0 (summary 0.25 point)
17273 This @dfn{split} says that the summary buffer should occupy 25% of upper
17274 half of the screen, and that it is placed over the article buffer. As
17275 you may have noticed, 100% + 25% is actually 125% (yup, I saw y'all
17276 reaching for that calculator there). However, the special number
17277 @code{1.0} is used to signal that this buffer should soak up all the
17278 rest of the space available after the rest of the buffers have taken
17279 whatever they need. There should be only one buffer with the @code{1.0}
17280 size spec per split.
17282 Point will be put in the buffer that has the optional third element
17283 @code{point}. In a @code{frame} split, the last subsplit having a leaf
17284 split where the tag @code{frame-focus} is a member (i.e. is the third or
17285 fourth element in the list, depending on whether the @code{point} tag is
17286 present) gets focus.
17288 Here's a more complicated example:
17291 (article (vertical 1.0 (group 4)
17292 (summary 0.25 point)
17293 (if gnus-carpal (summary-carpal 4))
17297 If the size spec is an integer instead of a floating point number,
17298 then that number will be used to say how many lines a buffer should
17299 occupy, not a percentage.
17301 If the @dfn{split} looks like something that can be @code{eval}ed (to be
17302 precise---if the @code{car} of the split is a function or a subr), this
17303 split will be @code{eval}ed. If the result is non-@code{nil}, it will
17304 be used as a split. This means that there will be three buffers if
17305 @code{gnus-carpal} is @code{nil}, and four buffers if @code{gnus-carpal}
17308 Not complicated enough for you? Well, try this on for size:
17311 (article (horizontal 1.0
17316 (summary 0.25 point)
17321 Whoops. Two buffers with the mystery 100% tag. And what's that
17322 @code{horizontal} thingie?
17324 If the first element in one of the split is @code{horizontal}, Gnus will
17325 split the window horizontally, giving you two windows side-by-side.
17326 Inside each of these strips you may carry on all you like in the normal
17327 fashion. The number following @code{horizontal} says what percentage of
17328 the screen is to be given to this strip.
17330 For each split, there @emph{must} be one element that has the 100% tag.
17331 The splitting is never accurate, and this buffer will eat any leftover
17332 lines from the splits.
17334 To be slightly more formal, here's a definition of what a valid split
17338 split = frame | horizontal | vertical | buffer | form
17339 frame = "(frame " size *split ")"
17340 horizontal = "(horizontal " size *split ")"
17341 vertical = "(vertical " size *split ")"
17342 buffer = "(" buffer-name " " size *[ "point" ] *[ "frame-focus"] ")"
17343 size = number | frame-params
17344 buffer-name = group | article | summary ...
17347 The limitations are that the @code{frame} split can only appear as the
17348 top-level split. @var{form} should be an Emacs Lisp form that should
17349 return a valid split. We see that each split is fully recursive, and
17350 may contain any number of @code{vertical} and @code{horizontal} splits.
17352 @vindex gnus-window-min-width
17353 @vindex gnus-window-min-height
17354 @cindex window height
17355 @cindex window width
17356 Finding the right sizes can be a bit complicated. No window may be less
17357 than @code{gnus-window-min-height} (default 1) characters high, and all
17358 windows must be at least @code{gnus-window-min-width} (default 1)
17359 characters wide. Gnus will try to enforce this before applying the
17360 splits. If you want to use the normal Emacs window width/height limit,
17361 you can just set these two variables to @code{nil}.
17363 If you're not familiar with Emacs terminology, @code{horizontal} and
17364 @code{vertical} splits may work the opposite way of what you'd expect.
17365 Windows inside a @code{horizontal} split are shown side-by-side, and
17366 windows within a @code{vertical} split are shown above each other.
17368 @findex gnus-configure-frame
17369 If you want to experiment with window placement, a good tip is to call
17370 @code{gnus-configure-frame} directly with a split. This is the function
17371 that does all the real work when splitting buffers. Below is a pretty
17372 nonsensical configuration with 5 windows; two for the group buffer and
17373 three for the article buffer. (I said it was nonsensical.) If you
17374 @code{eval} the statement below, you can get an idea of how that would
17375 look straight away, without going through the normal Gnus channels.
17376 Play with it until you're satisfied, and then use
17377 @code{gnus-add-configuration} to add your new creation to the buffer
17378 configuration list.
17381 (gnus-configure-frame
17385 (article 0.3 point))
17393 You might want to have several frames as well. No prob---just use the
17394 @code{frame} split:
17397 (gnus-configure-frame
17400 (summary 0.25 point frame-focus)
17402 (vertical ((height . 5) (width . 15)
17403 (user-position . t)
17404 (left . -1) (top . 1))
17409 This split will result in the familiar summary/article window
17410 configuration in the first (or ``main'') frame, while a small additional
17411 frame will be created where picons will be shown. As you can see,
17412 instead of the normal @code{1.0} top-level spec, each additional split
17413 should have a frame parameter alist as the size spec.
17414 @xref{Frame Parameters, , Frame Parameters, elisp, The GNU Emacs Lisp
17415 Reference Manual}. Under XEmacs, a frame property list will be
17416 accepted, too---for instance, @code{(height 5 width 15 left -1 top 1)}
17418 The list of all possible keys for @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} can
17419 be found in its default value.
17421 Note that the @code{message} key is used for both
17422 @code{gnus-group-mail} and @code{gnus-summary-mail-other-window}. If
17423 it is desirable to distinguish between the two, something like this
17427 (message (horizontal 1.0
17428 (vertical 1.0 (message 1.0 point))
17430 (if (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer)
17435 One common desire for a multiple frame split is to have a separate frame
17436 for composing mail and news while leaving the original frame intact. To
17437 accomplish that, something like the following can be done:
17440 (message (frame 1.0
17441 (if (not (buffer-live-p gnus-summary-buffer))
17442 (car (cdr (assoc 'group gnus-buffer-configuration)))
17443 (car (cdr (assoc 'summary gnus-buffer-configuration))))
17444 (vertical ((user-position . t) (top . 1) (left . 1)
17445 (name . "Message"))
17446 (message 1.0 point))))
17449 @findex gnus-add-configuration
17450 Since the @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} variable is so long and
17451 complicated, there's a function you can use to ease changing the config
17452 of a single setting: @code{gnus-add-configuration}. If, for instance,
17453 you want to change the @code{article} setting, you could say:
17456 (gnus-add-configuration
17457 '(article (vertical 1.0
17459 (summary .25 point)
17463 You'd typically stick these @code{gnus-add-configuration} calls in your
17464 @file{.gnus.el} file or in some startup hook---they should be run after
17465 Gnus has been loaded.
17467 @vindex gnus-always-force-window-configuration
17468 If all windows mentioned in the configuration are already visible, Gnus
17469 won't change the window configuration. If you always want to force the
17470 ``right'' window configuration, you can set
17471 @code{gnus-always-force-window-configuration} to non-@code{nil}.
17473 If you're using tree displays (@pxref{Tree Display}), and the tree
17474 window is displayed vertically next to another window, you may also want
17475 to fiddle with @code{gnus-tree-minimize-window} to avoid having the
17478 @subsection Example Window Configurations
17482 Narrow left hand side occupied by group buffer. Right hand side split
17483 between summary buffer (top one-sixth) and article buffer (bottom).
17498 (gnus-add-configuration
17501 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17503 (summary 0.16 point)
17506 (gnus-add-configuration
17509 (vertical 25 (group 1.0))
17510 (vertical 1.0 (summary 1.0 point)))))
17516 @node Faces and Fonts
17517 @section Faces and Fonts
17522 Fiddling with fonts and faces used to be very difficult, but these days
17523 it is very simple. You simply say @kbd{M-x customize-face}, pick out
17524 the face you want to alter, and alter it via the standard Customize
17529 @section Compilation
17530 @cindex compilation
17531 @cindex byte-compilation
17533 @findex gnus-compile
17535 Remember all those line format specification variables?
17536 @code{gnus-summary-line-format}, @code{gnus-group-line-format}, and so
17537 on. Now, Gnus will of course heed whatever these variables are, but,
17538 unfortunately, changing them will mean a quite significant slow-down.
17539 (The default values of these variables have byte-compiled functions
17540 associated with them, while the user-generated versions do not, of
17543 To help with this, you can run @kbd{M-x gnus-compile} after you've
17544 fiddled around with the variables and feel that you're (kind of)
17545 satisfied. This will result in the new specs being byte-compiled, and
17546 you'll get top speed again. Gnus will save these compiled specs in the
17547 @file{.newsrc.eld} file. (User-defined functions aren't compiled by
17548 this function, though---you should compile them yourself by sticking
17549 them into the @code{.gnus.el} file and byte-compiling that file.)
17553 @section Mode Lines
17556 @vindex gnus-updated-mode-lines
17557 @code{gnus-updated-mode-lines} says what buffers should keep their mode
17558 lines updated. It is a list of symbols. Supported symbols include
17559 @code{group}, @code{article}, @code{summary}, @code{server},
17560 @code{browse}, and @code{tree}. If the corresponding symbol is present,
17561 Gnus will keep that mode line updated with information that may be
17562 pertinent. If this variable is @code{nil}, screen refresh may be
17565 @cindex display-time
17567 @vindex gnus-mode-non-string-length
17568 By default, Gnus displays information on the current article in the mode
17569 lines of the summary and article buffers. The information Gnus wishes
17570 to display (e.g. the subject of the article) is often longer than the
17571 mode lines, and therefore have to be cut off at some point. The
17572 @code{gnus-mode-non-string-length} variable says how long the other
17573 elements on the line is (i.e., the non-info part). If you put
17574 additional elements on the mode line (e.g. a clock), you should modify
17577 @c Hook written by Francesco Potorti` <pot@cnuce.cnr.it>
17579 (add-hook 'display-time-hook
17580 (lambda () (setq gnus-mode-non-string-length
17582 (if line-number-mode 5 0)
17583 (if column-number-mode 4 0)
17584 (length display-time-string)))))
17587 If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the default), the mode line
17588 strings won't be chopped off, and they won't be padded either. Note
17589 that the default is unlikely to be desirable, as even the percentage
17590 complete in the buffer may be crowded off the mode line; the user should
17591 configure this variable appropriately for her configuration.
17594 @node Highlighting and Menus
17595 @section Highlighting and Menus
17597 @cindex highlighting
17600 @vindex gnus-visual
17601 The @code{gnus-visual} variable controls most of the Gnus-prettifying
17602 aspects. If @code{nil}, Gnus won't attempt to create menus or use fancy
17603 colors or fonts. This will also inhibit loading the @file{gnus-vis.el}
17606 This variable can be a list of visual properties that are enabled. The
17607 following elements are valid, and are all included by default:
17610 @item group-highlight
17611 Do highlights in the group buffer.
17612 @item summary-highlight
17613 Do highlights in the summary buffer.
17614 @item article-highlight
17615 Do highlights in the article buffer.
17617 Turn on highlighting in all buffers.
17619 Create menus in the group buffer.
17621 Create menus in the summary buffers.
17623 Create menus in the article buffer.
17625 Create menus in the browse buffer.
17627 Create menus in the server buffer.
17629 Create menus in the score buffers.
17631 Create menus in all buffers.
17634 So if you only want highlighting in the article buffer and menus in all
17635 buffers, you could say something like:
17638 (setq gnus-visual '(article-highlight menu))
17641 If you want highlighting only and no menus whatsoever, you'd say:
17644 (setq gnus-visual '(highlight))
17647 If @code{gnus-visual} is @code{t}, highlighting and menus will be used
17648 in all Gnus buffers.
17650 Other general variables that influence the look of all buffers include:
17653 @item gnus-mouse-face
17654 @vindex gnus-mouse-face
17655 This is the face (i.e., font) used for mouse highlighting in Gnus. No
17656 mouse highlights will be done if @code{gnus-visual} is @code{nil}.
17660 There are hooks associated with the creation of all the different menus:
17664 @item gnus-article-menu-hook
17665 @vindex gnus-article-menu-hook
17666 Hook called after creating the article mode menu.
17668 @item gnus-group-menu-hook
17669 @vindex gnus-group-menu-hook
17670 Hook called after creating the group mode menu.
17672 @item gnus-summary-menu-hook
17673 @vindex gnus-summary-menu-hook
17674 Hook called after creating the summary mode menu.
17676 @item gnus-server-menu-hook
17677 @vindex gnus-server-menu-hook
17678 Hook called after creating the server mode menu.
17680 @item gnus-browse-menu-hook
17681 @vindex gnus-browse-menu-hook
17682 Hook called after creating the browse mode menu.
17684 @item gnus-score-menu-hook
17685 @vindex gnus-score-menu-hook
17686 Hook called after creating the score mode menu.
17697 Those new-fangled @dfn{mouse} contraptions is very popular with the
17698 young, hep kids who don't want to learn the proper way to do things
17699 these days. Why, I remember way back in the summer of '89, when I was
17700 using Emacs on a Tops 20 system. Three hundred users on one single
17701 machine, and every user was running Simula compilers. Bah!
17705 @vindex gnus-carpal
17706 Well, you can make Gnus display buffers full of buttons you can click to
17707 do anything by setting @code{gnus-carpal} to @code{t}. Pretty simple,
17708 really. Tell the chiropractor I sent you.
17713 @item gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17714 @vindex gnus-carpal-mode-hook
17715 Hook run in all carpal mode buffers.
17717 @item gnus-carpal-button-face
17718 @vindex gnus-carpal-button-face
17719 Face used on buttons.
17721 @item gnus-carpal-header-face
17722 @vindex gnus-carpal-header-face
17723 Face used on carpal buffer headers.
17725 @item gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17726 @vindex gnus-carpal-group-buffer-buttons
17727 Buttons in the group buffer.
17729 @item gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17730 @vindex gnus-carpal-summary-buffer-buttons
17731 Buttons in the summary buffer.
17733 @item gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17734 @vindex gnus-carpal-server-buffer-buttons
17735 Buttons in the server buffer.
17737 @item gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17738 @vindex gnus-carpal-browse-buffer-buttons
17739 Buttons in the browse buffer.
17742 All the @code{buttons} variables are lists. The elements in these list
17743 are either cons cells where the @code{car} contains a text to be displayed and
17744 the @code{cdr} contains a function symbol, or a simple string.
17752 Gnus, being larger than any program ever written (allegedly), does lots
17753 of strange stuff that you may wish to have done while you're not
17754 present. For instance, you may want it to check for new mail once in a
17755 while. Or you may want it to close down all connections to all servers
17756 when you leave Emacs idle. And stuff like that.
17758 Gnus will let you do stuff like that by defining various
17759 @dfn{handlers}. Each handler consists of three elements: A
17760 @var{function}, a @var{time}, and an @var{idle} parameter.
17762 Here's an example of a handler that closes connections when Emacs has
17763 been idle for thirty minutes:
17766 (gnus-demon-close-connections nil 30)
17769 Here's a handler that scans for PGP headers every hour when Emacs is
17773 (gnus-demon-scan-pgp 60 t)
17776 This @var{time} parameter and than @var{idle} parameter work together
17777 in a strange, but wonderful fashion. Basically, if @var{idle} is
17778 @code{nil}, then the function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17780 If @var{idle} is @code{t}, then the function will be called after
17781 @var{time} minutes only if Emacs is idle. So if Emacs is never idle,
17782 the function will never be called. But once Emacs goes idle, the
17783 function will be called every @var{time} minutes.
17785 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is a number, the function will
17786 be called every @var{time} minutes only when Emacs has been idle for
17787 @var{idle} minutes.
17789 If @var{idle} is a number and @var{time} is @code{nil}, the function
17790 will be called once every time Emacs has been idle for @var{idle}
17793 And if @var{time} is a string, it should look like @samp{07:31}, and
17794 the function will then be called once every day somewhere near that
17795 time. Modified by the @var{idle} parameter, of course.
17797 @vindex gnus-demon-timestep
17798 (When I say ``minute'' here, I really mean @code{gnus-demon-timestep}
17799 seconds. This is 60 by default. If you change that variable,
17800 all the timings in the handlers will be affected.)
17802 So, if you want to add a handler, you could put something like this in
17803 your @file{.gnus} file:
17805 @findex gnus-demon-add-handler
17807 (gnus-demon-add-handler 'gnus-demon-close-connections 30 t)
17810 @findex gnus-demon-add-nocem
17811 @findex gnus-demon-add-scanmail
17812 @findex gnus-demon-add-rescan
17813 @findex gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps
17814 @findex gnus-demon-add-disconnection
17815 Some ready-made functions to do this have been created:
17816 @code{gnus-demon-add-nocem}, @code{gnus-demon-add-disconnection},
17817 @code{gnus-demon-add-nntp-close-connection},
17818 @code{gnus-demon-add-scan-timestamps}, @code{gnus-demon-add-rescan}, and
17819 @code{gnus-demon-add-scanmail}. Just put those functions in your
17820 @file{.gnus} if you want those abilities.
17822 @findex gnus-demon-init
17823 @findex gnus-demon-cancel
17824 @vindex gnus-demon-handlers
17825 If you add handlers to @code{gnus-demon-handlers} directly, you should
17826 run @code{gnus-demon-init} to make the changes take hold. To cancel all
17827 daemons, you can use the @code{gnus-demon-cancel} function.
17829 Note that adding daemons can be pretty naughty if you over do it. Adding
17830 functions that scan all news and mail from all servers every two seconds
17831 is a sure-fire way of getting booted off any respectable system. So
17840 @dfn{Spamming} is posting the same article lots and lots of times.
17841 Spamming is bad. Spamming is evil.
17843 Spamming is usually canceled within a day or so by various anti-spamming
17844 agencies. These agencies usually also send out @dfn{NoCeM} messages.
17845 NoCeM is pronounced ``no see-'em'', and means what the name
17846 implies---these are messages that make the offending articles, like, go
17849 What use are these NoCeM messages if the articles are canceled anyway?
17850 Some sites do not honor cancel messages and some sites just honor cancels
17851 from a select few people. Then you may wish to make use of the NoCeM
17852 messages, which are distributed in the @samp{alt.nocem.misc} newsgroup.
17854 Gnus can read and parse the messages in this group automatically, and
17855 this will make spam disappear.
17857 There are some variables to customize, of course:
17860 @item gnus-use-nocem
17861 @vindex gnus-use-nocem
17862 Set this variable to @code{t} to set the ball rolling. It is @code{nil}
17865 @item gnus-nocem-groups
17866 @vindex gnus-nocem-groups
17867 Gnus will look for NoCeM messages in the groups in this list. The
17868 default is @code{("news.lists.filters" "news.admin.net-abuse.bulletins"
17869 "alt.nocem.misc" "news.admin.net-abuse.announce")}.
17871 @item gnus-nocem-issuers
17872 @vindex gnus-nocem-issuers
17873 There are many people issuing NoCeM messages. This list says what
17874 people you want to listen to. The default is @code{("Automoose-1"
17875 "clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" "cosmo.roadkill" "SpamHippo"
17876 "hweede@@snafu.de")}; fine, upstanding citizens all of them.
17878 Known despammers that you can put in this list are listed at
17879 @uref{http://www.xs4all.nl/~rosalind/nocemreg/nocemreg.html}.
17881 You do not have to heed NoCeM messages from all these people---just the
17882 ones you want to listen to. You also don't have to accept all NoCeM
17883 messages from the people you like. Each NoCeM message has a @dfn{type}
17884 header that gives the message a (more or less, usually less) rigorous
17885 definition. Common types are @samp{spam}, @samp{spew}, @samp{mmf},
17886 @samp{binary}, and @samp{troll}. To specify this, you have to use
17887 @code{(@var{issuer} @var{conditions} @dots{})} elements in the list.
17888 Each condition is either a string (which is a regexp that matches types
17889 you want to use) or a list on the form @code{(not @var{string})}, where
17890 @var{string} is a regexp that matches types you don't want to use.
17892 For instance, if you want all NoCeM messages from Chris Lewis except his
17893 @samp{troll} messages, you'd say:
17896 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" ".*" (not "troll"))
17899 On the other hand, if you just want nothing but his @samp{spam} and
17900 @samp{spew} messages, you'd say:
17903 ("clewis@@ferret.ocunix.on.ca" (not ".*") "spew" "spam")
17906 The specs are applied left-to-right.
17909 @item gnus-nocem-verifyer
17910 @vindex gnus-nocem-verifyer
17912 This should be a function for verifying that the NoCeM issuer is who she
17913 says she is. The default is @code{mc-verify}, which is a Mailcrypt
17914 function. If this is too slow and you don't care for verification
17915 (which may be dangerous), you can set this variable to @code{nil}.
17917 If you want signed NoCeM messages to be verified and unsigned messages
17918 not to be verified (but used anyway), you could do something like:
17921 (setq gnus-nocem-verifyer 'my-gnus-mc-verify)
17923 (defun my-gnus-mc-verify ()
17931 This might be dangerous, though.
17933 @item gnus-nocem-directory
17934 @vindex gnus-nocem-directory
17935 This is where Gnus will store its NoCeM cache files. The default is
17936 @file{~/News/NoCeM/}.
17938 @item gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17939 @vindex gnus-nocem-expiry-wait
17940 The number of days before removing old NoCeM entries from the cache.
17941 The default is 15. If you make it shorter Gnus will be faster, but you
17942 might then see old spam.
17944 @item gnus-nocem-check-from
17945 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-from
17946 Non-@code{nil} means check for valid issuers in message bodies.
17947 Otherwise don't bother fetching articles unless their author matches a
17948 valid issuer; that is much faster if you are selective about the
17951 @item gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
17952 @vindex gnus-nocem-check-article-limit
17953 If non-@code{nil}, the maximum number of articles to check in any NoCeM
17954 group. NoCeM groups can be huge and very slow to process.
17958 Using NoCeM could potentially be a memory hog. If you have many living
17959 (i. e., subscribed or unsubscribed groups), your Emacs process will grow
17960 big. If this is a problem, you should kill off all (or most) of your
17961 unsubscribed groups (@pxref{Subscription Commands}).
17968 It is very useful to be able to undo actions one has done. In normal
17969 Emacs buffers, it's easy enough---you just push the @code{undo} button.
17970 In Gnus buffers, however, it isn't that simple.
17972 The things Gnus displays in its buffer is of no value whatsoever to
17973 Gnus---it's all just data designed to look nice to the user.
17974 Killing a group in the group buffer with @kbd{C-k} makes the line
17975 disappear, but that's just a side-effect of the real action---the
17976 removal of the group in question from the internal Gnus structures.
17977 Undoing something like that can't be done by the normal Emacs
17978 @code{undo} function.
17980 Gnus tries to remedy this somewhat by keeping track of what the user
17981 does and coming up with actions that would reverse the actions the user
17982 takes. When the user then presses the @code{undo} key, Gnus will run
17983 the code to reverse the previous action, or the previous actions.
17984 However, not all actions are easily reversible, so Gnus currently offers
17985 a few key functions to be undoable. These include killing groups,
17986 yanking groups, and changing the list of read articles of groups.
17987 That's it, really. More functions may be added in the future, but each
17988 added function means an increase in data to be stored, so Gnus will
17989 never be totally undoable.
17991 @findex gnus-undo-mode
17992 @vindex gnus-use-undo
17994 The undoability is provided by the @code{gnus-undo-mode} minor mode. It
17995 is used if @code{gnus-use-undo} is non-@code{nil}, which is the
17996 default. The @kbd{M-C-_} key performs the @code{gnus-undo} command
17997 command, which should feel kinda like the normal Emacs @code{undo}
18002 @section Moderation
18005 If you are a moderator, you can use the @file{gnus-mdrtn.el} package.
18006 It is not included in the standard Gnus package. Write a mail to
18007 @samp{larsi@@gnus.org} and state what group you moderate, and you'll
18010 The moderation package is implemented as a minor mode for summary
18014 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-moderate)
18017 in your @file{.gnus.el} file.
18019 If you are the moderator of @samp{rec.zoofle}, this is how it's
18024 You split your incoming mail by matching on
18025 @samp{Newsgroups:.*rec.zoofle}, which will put all the to-be-posted
18026 articles in some mail group---for instance, @samp{nnml:rec.zoofle}.
18029 You enter that group once in a while and post articles using the @kbd{e}
18030 (edit-and-post) or @kbd{s} (just send unedited) commands.
18033 If, while reading the @samp{rec.zoofle} newsgroup, you happen upon some
18034 articles that weren't approved by you, you can cancel them with the
18038 To use moderation mode in these two groups, say:
18041 (setq gnus-moderated-list
18042 "^nnml:rec.zoofle$\\|^rec.zoofle$")
18045 @node Emacs Enhancements
18046 @section Emacs Enhancements
18049 Starting with version 21, Emacs is able to display pictures and stuff,
18050 so Gnus has taken advantage of that.
18052 Gnus-specific tool bars will be used if Tool Bar mode is on. Currently
18053 the group, summary and message buffers have tool bars defined.
18055 MIME image types may be displayed internally if Emacs was built with
18056 appropriate support (see variable @code{image-types}). `X-Face' headers
18057 may be rendered as images internally if you have appropriate support
18058 programs (@pxref{X-Face}). You can play sounds internally if Emacs was
18059 built with suitable audio support; otherwise Gnus will attempt to play
18062 @vindex gnus-treat-display-smileys
18063 A simplified version of the XEmacs Smiley support for @dfn{emoticons}
18064 (@pxref{Smileys}) is available on graphical displays under the control
18065 of @code{gnus-treat-display-smileys}. Text `smiley' faces---@samp{:-)},
18066 @samp{:-/}, @samp{:-(} and the like---are mapped to pictures which are
18067 displayed instead. The mapping is controlled by a list of regexps
18068 @vindex smiley-regexp-alist
18069 @code{smiley-regexp-alist} mapping matched text to image file names. It
18070 contains matches for `smiley', `wry' and `frowny' by default.
18072 There is currently no Emacs support for `Picons' (@pxref{Picons}), but
18073 there is no reason why it couldn't be added.
18075 @node XEmacs Enhancements
18076 @section XEmacs Enhancements
18079 XEmacs is able to display pictures and stuff, so Gnus has taken
18083 * Picons:: How to display pictures of what your reading.
18084 * Smileys:: Show all those happy faces the way they were meant to be shown.
18085 * Toolbar:: Click'n'drool.
18086 * XVarious:: Other XEmacsy Gnusey variables.
18099 So@dots{} You want to slow down your news reader even more! This is a
18100 good way to do so. Its also a great way to impress people staring
18101 over your shoulder as you read news.
18104 * Picon Basics:: What are picons and How do I get them.
18105 * Picon Requirements:: Don't go further if you aren't using XEmacs.
18106 * Easy Picons:: Displaying Picons---the easy way.
18107 * Hard Picons:: The way you should do it. You'll learn something.
18108 * Picon Useless Configuration:: Other variables you can trash/tweak/munge/play with.
18113 @subsubsection Picon Basics
18115 What are Picons? To quote directly from the Picons Web site:
18124 @dfn{Picons} is short for ``personal icons''. They're small,
18125 constrained images used to represent users and domains on the net,
18126 organized into databases so that the appropriate image for a given
18127 e-mail address can be found. Besides users and domains, there are picon
18128 databases for Usenet newsgroups and weather forecasts. The picons are
18129 in either monochrome @code{XBM} format or color @code{XPM} and
18130 @code{GIF} formats.
18133 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18134 If you have a permanent connection to the Internet you can use Steve
18135 Kinzler's Picons Search engine by setting
18136 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} to the string @*
18137 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/search.html}.
18139 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18140 Otherwise you need a local copy of his database. For instructions on
18141 obtaining and installing the picons databases, point your Web browser at @*
18142 @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu/picons/ftp/index.html}. Gnus expects
18143 picons to be installed into a location pointed to by
18144 @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18147 @node Picon Requirements
18148 @subsubsection Picon Requirements
18150 To have Gnus display Picons for you, you must be running XEmacs
18151 19.13 or greater since all other versions of Emacs aren't yet able to
18154 Additionally, you must have @code{x} support compiled into XEmacs. To
18155 display color picons which are much nicer than the black & white one,
18156 you also need one of @code{xpm} or @code{gif} compiled into XEmacs.
18158 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18159 If you want to display faces from @code{X-Face} headers, you should have
18160 the @code{xface} support compiled into XEmacs. Otherwise you must have
18161 the @code{netpbm} utilities installed, or munge the
18162 @code{gnus-picons-convert-x-face} variable to use something else.
18166 @subsubsection Easy Picons
18168 To enable displaying picons, simply put the following line in your
18169 @file{~/.gnus} file and start Gnus.
18172 (setq gnus-use-picons t)
18173 (setq gnus-treat-display-picons t)
18176 and make sure @code{gnus-picons-database} points to the directory
18177 containing the Picons databases.
18179 Alternatively if you want to use the web piconsearch engine add this:
18182 (setq gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18183 "http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch")
18188 @subsubsection Hard Picons
18196 Gnus can display picons for you as you enter and leave groups and
18197 articles. It knows how to interact with three sections of the picons
18198 database. Namely, it can display the picons newsgroup pictures,
18199 author's face picture(s), and the authors domain. To enable this
18200 feature, you need to select where to get the picons from, and where to
18205 @item gnus-picons-database
18206 @vindex gnus-picons-database
18207 The location of the picons database. Should point to a directory
18208 containing the @file{news}, @file{domains}, @file{users} (and so on)
18209 subdirectories. This is only useful if
18210 @code{gnus-picons-piconsearch-url} is @code{nil}. Defaults to
18211 @file{/usr/local/faces/}.
18213 @item gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18214 @vindex gnus-picons-piconsearch-url
18215 The URL for the web picons search engine. The only currently known
18216 engine is @uref{http://www.cs.indiana.edu:800/piconsearch}. To
18217 workaround network delays, icons will be fetched in the background. If
18218 this is @code{nil} 'the default), then picons are fetched from local
18219 database indicated by @code{gnus-picons-database}.
18221 @item gnus-picons-display-where
18222 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18223 Where the picon images should be displayed. It is @code{picons} by
18224 default (which by default maps to the buffer @samp{*Picons*}). Other
18225 valid places could be @code{article}, @code{summary}, or
18226 @samp{*scratch*} for all I care. Just make sure that you've made the
18227 buffer visible using the standard Gnus window configuration
18228 routines---@pxref{Windows Configuration}.
18230 @item gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18231 @vindex gnus-picons-group-excluded-groups
18232 Groups that are matched by this regexp won't have their group icons
18237 Note: If you set @code{gnus-use-picons} to @code{t}, it will set up your
18238 window configuration for you to include the @code{picons} buffer.
18240 Now that you've made those decision, you need to add the following
18241 functions to the appropriate hooks so these pictures will get displayed
18244 @vindex gnus-picons-display-where
18246 @item gnus-article-display-picons
18247 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18248 Looks up and displays the picons for the author and the author's domain
18249 in the @code{gnus-picons-display-where} buffer.
18251 @item gnus-picons-article-display-x-face
18252 @findex gnus-article-display-picons
18253 Decodes and displays the X-Face header if present.
18259 @node Picon Useless Configuration
18260 @subsubsection Picon Useless Configuration
18268 The following variables offer further control over how things are
18269 done, where things are located, and other useless stuff you really
18270 don't need to worry about.
18274 @item gnus-picons-news-directories
18275 @vindex gnus-picons-news-directories
18276 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18277 newsgroups faces. @code{("news")} is the default.
18279 @item gnus-picons-user-directories
18280 @vindex gnus-picons-user-directories
18281 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for user
18282 faces. @code{("local" "users" "usenix" "misc")} is the default.
18284 @item gnus-picons-domain-directories
18285 @vindex gnus-picons-domain-directories
18286 List of subdirectories to search in @code{gnus-picons-database} for
18287 domain name faces. Defaults to @code{("domains")}. Some people may
18288 want to add @samp{"unknown"} to this list.
18290 @item gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18291 @vindex gnus-picons-convert-x-face
18292 If you don't have @code{xface} support builtin XEmacs, this is the
18293 command to use to convert the @code{X-Face} header to an X bitmap
18294 (@code{xbm}). Defaults to @code{(format "@{ echo '/* Width=48,
18295 Height=48 */'; uncompface; @} | icontopbm | pbmtoxbm > %s"
18296 gnus-picons-x-face-file-name)}
18298 @item gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18299 @vindex gnus-picons-x-face-file-name
18300 Names a temporary file to store the @code{X-Face} bitmap in. Defaults
18301 to @code{(format "/tmp/picon-xface.%s.xbm" (user-login-name))}.
18303 @item gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18304 @vindex gnus-picons-has-modeline-p
18305 If you have set @code{gnus-picons-display-where} to @code{picons}, your
18306 XEmacs frame will become really cluttered. To alleviate this a bit you
18307 can set @code{gnus-picons-has-modeline-p} to @code{nil}; this will
18308 remove the mode line from the Picons buffer. This is only useful if
18309 @code{gnus-picons-display-where} is @code{picons}.
18311 @item gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18312 @vindex gnus-picons-refresh-before-display
18313 If non-nil, display the article buffer before computing the picons.
18314 Defaults to @code{nil}.
18316 @item gnus-picons-display-as-address
18317 @vindex gnus-picons-display-as-address
18318 If @code{t} display textual email addresses along with pictures.
18319 Defaults to @code{t}.
18321 @item gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18322 @vindex gnus-picons-file-suffixes
18323 Ordered list of suffixes on picon file names to try. Defaults to
18324 @code{("xpm" "gif" "xbm")} minus those not builtin your XEmacs.
18326 @item gnus-picons-setup-hook
18327 @vindex gnus-picons-setup-hook
18328 Hook run in the picon buffer, if that is displayed.
18330 @item gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18331 @vindex gnus-picons-display-article-move-p
18332 Whether to move point to first empty line when displaying picons. This
18333 has only an effect if `gnus-picons-display-where' has value `article'.
18335 If @code{nil}, display the picons in the @code{From} and
18336 @code{Newsgroups} lines. This is the default.
18338 @item gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18339 @vindex gnus-picons-clear-cache-on-shutdown
18340 Whether to clear the picons cache when exiting gnus. Gnus caches every
18341 picons it finds while it is running. This saves some time in the search
18342 process but eats some memory. If this variable is set to @code{nil},
18343 Gnus will never clear the cache itself; you will have to manually call
18344 @code{gnus-picons-clear-cache} to clear it. Otherwise the cache will be
18345 cleared every time you exit Gnus. Defaults to @code{t}.
18356 @subsection Smileys
18361 \gnusfig{-3cm}{0.5cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/BigFace.ps,height=20cm}}
18366 @dfn{Smiley} is a package separate from Gnus, but since Gnus is
18367 currently the only package that uses Smiley, it is documented here.
18369 In short---to use Smiley in Gnus, put the following in your
18370 @file{.gnus.el} file:
18373 (setq gnus-treat-display-smileys t)
18376 Smiley maps text smiley faces---@samp{:-)}, @samp{:-=}, @samp{:-(} and
18377 the like---to pictures and displays those instead of the text smiley
18378 faces. The conversion is controlled by a list of regexps that matches
18379 text and maps that to file names.
18381 @vindex smiley-nosey-regexp-alist
18382 @vindex smiley-deformed-regexp-alist
18383 Smiley supplies two example conversion alists by default:
18384 @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist} (which matches @samp{:)}, @samp{:(}
18385 and so on), and @code{smiley-nosey-regexp-alist} (which matches
18386 @samp{:-)}, @samp{:-(} and so on).
18388 The alist used is specified by the @code{smiley-regexp-alist} variable,
18389 which defaults to the value of @code{smiley-deformed-regexp-alist}.
18391 The first item in each element is the regexp to be matched; the second
18392 element is the regexp match group that is to be replaced by the picture;
18393 and the third element is the name of the file to be displayed.
18395 The following variables customize where Smiley will look for these
18396 files, as well as the color to be used and stuff:
18400 @item smiley-data-directory
18401 @vindex smiley-data-directory
18402 Where Smiley will look for smiley faces files.
18404 @item smiley-flesh-color
18405 @vindex smiley-flesh-color
18406 Skin color. The default is @samp{yellow}, which is really racist.
18408 @item smiley-features-color
18409 @vindex smiley-features-color
18410 Color of the features of the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18412 @item smiley-tongue-color
18413 @vindex smiley-tongue-color
18414 Color of the tongue. The default is @samp{red}.
18416 @item smiley-circle-color
18417 @vindex smiley-circle-color
18418 Color of the circle around the face. The default is @samp{black}.
18420 @item smiley-mouse-face
18421 @vindex smiley-mouse-face
18422 Face used for mouse highlighting over the smiley face.
18428 @subsection Toolbar
18438 @item gnus-use-toolbar
18439 @vindex gnus-use-toolbar
18440 If @code{nil}, don't display toolbars. If non-@code{nil}, it should be
18441 one of @code{default-toolbar}, @code{top-toolbar}, @code{bottom-toolbar},
18442 @code{right-toolbar}, or @code{left-toolbar}.
18444 @item gnus-group-toolbar
18445 @vindex gnus-group-toolbar
18446 The toolbar in the group buffer.
18448 @item gnus-summary-toolbar
18449 @vindex gnus-summary-toolbar
18450 The toolbar in the summary buffer.
18452 @item gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18453 @vindex gnus-summary-mail-toolbar
18454 The toolbar in the summary buffer of mail groups.
18460 @subsection Various XEmacs Variables
18463 @item gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18464 @vindex gnus-xmas-glyph-directory
18465 This is where Gnus will look for pictures. Gnus will normally
18466 auto-detect this directory, but you may set it manually if you have an
18467 unusual directory structure.
18469 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18470 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-alist
18471 This is an alist where the key is a type symbol and the values are the
18472 foreground and background color of the splash page glyph.
18474 @item gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18475 @vindex gnus-xmas-logo-color-style
18476 This is the key used to look up the color in the alist described above.
18477 Valid values include @code{flame}, @code{pine}, @code{moss},
18478 @code{irish}, @code{sky}, @code{tin}, @code{velvet}, @code{grape},
18479 @code{labia}, @code{berry}, @code{neutral}, and @code{september}.
18481 @item gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18482 @vindex gnus-xmas-modeline-glyph
18483 A glyph displayed in all Gnus mode lines. It is a tiny gnu head by
18497 @node Fuzzy Matching
18498 @section Fuzzy Matching
18499 @cindex fuzzy matching
18501 Gnus provides @dfn{fuzzy matching} of @code{Subject} lines when doing
18502 things like scoring, thread gathering and thread comparison.
18504 As opposed to regular expression matching, fuzzy matching is very fuzzy.
18505 It's so fuzzy that there's not even a definition of what @dfn{fuzziness}
18506 means, and the implementation has changed over time.
18508 Basically, it tries to remove all noise from lines before comparing.
18509 @samp{Re: }, parenthetical remarks, white space, and so on, are filtered
18510 out of the strings before comparing the results. This often leads to
18511 adequate results---even when faced with strings generated by text
18512 manglers masquerading as newsreaders.
18515 @node Thwarting Email Spam
18516 @section Thwarting Email Spam
18520 @cindex unsolicited commercial email
18522 In these last days of the Usenet, commercial vultures are hanging about
18523 and grepping through news like crazy to find email addresses they can
18524 foist off their scams and products to. As a reaction to this, many
18525 people have started putting nonsense addresses into their @code{From}
18526 lines. I think this is counterproductive---it makes it difficult for
18527 people to send you legitimate mail in response to things you write, as
18528 well as making it difficult to see who wrote what. This rewriting may
18529 perhaps be a bigger menace than the unsolicited commercial email itself
18532 The biggest problem I have with email spam is that it comes in under
18533 false pretenses. I press @kbd{g} and Gnus merrily informs me that I
18534 have 10 new emails. I say ``Golly gee! Happy is me!'' and select the
18535 mail group, only to find two pyramid schemes, seven advertisements
18536 (``New! Miracle tonic for growing full, lustrous hair on your toes!'')
18537 and one mail asking me to repent and find some god.
18541 The way to deal with this is having Gnus split out all spam into a
18542 @samp{spam} mail group (@pxref{Splitting Mail}).
18544 First, pick one (1) valid mail address that you can be reached at, and
18545 put it in your @code{From} header of all your news articles. (I've
18546 chosen @samp{larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no}, but for many addresses on the form
18547 @samp{larsi+usenet@@ifi.uio.no} will be a better choice. Ask your
18548 sysadmin whether your sendmail installation accepts keywords in the local
18549 part of the mail address.)
18552 (setq message-default-news-headers
18553 "From: Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen <larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no>\n")
18556 Then put the following split rule in @code{nnmail-split-fancy}
18557 (@pxref{Fancy Mail Splitting}):
18562 (to "larsi@@trym.ifi.uio.no"
18563 (| ("subject" "re:.*" "misc")
18564 ("references" ".*@@.*" "misc")
18570 This says that all mail to this address is suspect, but if it has a
18571 @code{Subject} that starts with a @samp{Re:} or has a @code{References}
18572 header, it's probably ok. All the rest goes to the @samp{spam} group.
18573 (This idea probably comes from Tim Pierce.)
18575 In addition, many mail spammers talk directly to your @code{smtp} server
18576 and do not include your email address explicitly in the @code{To}
18577 header. Why they do this is unknown---perhaps it's to thwart this
18578 thwarting scheme? In any case, this is trivial to deal with---you just
18579 put anything not addressed to you in the @samp{spam} group by ending
18580 your fancy split rule in this way:
18585 (to "larsi" "misc")
18589 In my experience, this will sort virtually everything into the right
18590 group. You still have to check the @samp{spam} group from time to time to
18591 check for legitimate mail, though. If you feel like being a good net
18592 citizen, you can even send off complaints to the proper authorities on
18593 each unsolicited commercial email---at your leisure.
18595 If you are also a lazy net citizen, you will probably prefer complaining
18596 automatically with the @file{gnus-junk.el} package, available FOR FREE
18597 at @* @uref{http://stud2.tuwien.ac.at/~e9426626/gnus-junk.html}.
18598 Since most e-mail spam is sent automatically, this may reconcile the
18599 cosmic balance somewhat.
18601 This works for me. It allows people an easy way to contact me (they can
18602 just press @kbd{r} in the usual way), and I'm not bothered at all with
18603 spam. It's a win-win situation. Forging @code{From} headers to point
18604 to non-existent domains is yucky, in my opinion.
18607 @node Various Various
18608 @section Various Various
18614 @item gnus-home-directory
18615 All Gnus path variables will be initialized from this variable, which
18616 defaults to @file{~/}.
18618 @item gnus-directory
18619 @vindex gnus-directory
18620 Most Gnus storage path variables will be initialized from this variable,
18621 which defaults to the @samp{SAVEDIR} environment variable, or
18622 @file{~/News/} if that variable isn't set.
18624 Note that Gnus is mostly loaded when the @file{.gnus.el} file is read.
18625 This means that other directory variables that are initialized from this
18626 variable won't be set properly if you set this variable in
18627 @file{.gnus.el}. Set this variable in @file{.emacs} instead.
18629 @item gnus-default-directory
18630 @vindex gnus-default-directory
18631 Not related to the above variable at all---this variable says what the
18632 default directory of all Gnus buffers should be. If you issue commands
18633 like @kbd{C-x C-f}, the prompt you'll get starts in the current buffer's
18634 default directory. If this variable is @code{nil} (which is the
18635 default), the default directory will be the default directory of the
18636 buffer you were in when you started Gnus.
18639 @vindex gnus-verbose
18640 This variable is an integer between zero and ten. The higher the value,
18641 the more messages will be displayed. If this variable is zero, Gnus
18642 will never flash any messages, if it is seven (which is the default),
18643 most important messages will be shown, and if it is ten, Gnus won't ever
18644 shut up, but will flash so many messages it will make your head swim.
18646 @item gnus-verbose-backends
18647 @vindex gnus-verbose-backends
18648 This variable works the same way as @code{gnus-verbose}, but it applies
18649 to the Gnus backends instead of Gnus proper.
18651 @item nnheader-max-head-length
18652 @vindex nnheader-max-head-length
18653 When the backends read straight heads of articles, they all try to read
18654 as little as possible. This variable (default 4096) specifies
18655 the absolute max length the backends will try to read before giving up
18656 on finding a separator line between the head and the body. If this
18657 variable is @code{nil}, there is no upper read bound. If it is
18658 @code{t}, the backends won't try to read the articles piece by piece,
18659 but read the entire articles. This makes sense with some versions of
18660 @code{ange-ftp} or @code{efs}.
18662 @item nnheader-head-chop-length
18663 @vindex nnheader-head-chop-length
18664 This variable (default 2048) says how big a piece of each article to
18665 read when doing the operation described above.
18667 @item nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18668 @vindex nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18670 @cindex invalid characters in file names
18671 @cindex characters in file names
18672 This is an alist that says how to translate characters in file names.
18673 For instance, if @samp{:} is invalid as a file character in file names
18674 on your system (you OS/2 user you), you could say something like:
18677 (setq nnheader-file-name-translation-alist
18681 In fact, this is the default value for this variable on OS/2 and MS
18682 Windows (phooey) systems.
18684 @item gnus-hidden-properties
18685 @vindex gnus-hidden-properties
18686 This is a list of properties to use to hide ``invisible'' text. It is
18687 @code{(invisible t intangible t)} by default on most systems, which
18688 makes invisible text invisible and intangible.
18690 @item gnus-parse-headers-hook
18691 @vindex gnus-parse-headers-hook
18692 A hook called before parsing headers. It can be used, for instance, to
18693 gather statistics on the headers fetched, or perhaps you'd like to prune
18694 some headers. I don't see why you'd want that, though.
18696 @item gnus-shell-command-separator
18697 @vindex gnus-shell-command-separator
18698 String used to separate two shell commands. The default is @samp{;}.
18700 @item gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18701 @vindex gnus-invalid-group-regexp
18703 Regexp to match ``invalid'' group names when querying user for a group
18704 name. The default value catches some @strong{really} invalid group
18705 names who could possibly mess up Gnus internally (like allowing
18706 @samp{:} in a group name, which is normally used to delimit method and
18709 IMAP users might want to allow @samp{/} in group names though.
18718 Well, that's the manual---you can get on with your life now. Keep in
18719 touch. Say hello to your cats from me.
18721 My @strong{ghod}---I just can't stand goodbyes. Sniffle.
18723 Ol' Charles Reznikoff said it pretty well, so I leave the floor to him:
18729 Not because of victories @*
18732 but for the common sunshine,@*
18734 the largess of the spring.
18738 but for the day's work done@*
18739 as well as I was able;@*
18740 not for a seat upon the dais@*
18741 but at the common table.@*
18746 @chapter Appendices
18749 * History:: How Gnus got where it is today.
18750 * On Writing Manuals:: Why this is not a beginner's guide.
18751 * Terminology:: We use really difficult, like, words here.
18752 * Customization:: Tailoring Gnus to your needs.
18753 * Troubleshooting:: What you might try if things do not work.
18754 * Gnus Reference Guide:: Rilly, rilly technical stuff.
18755 * Emacs for Heathens:: A short introduction to Emacsian terms.
18756 * Frequently Asked Questions:: A question-and-answer session.
18764 @sc{gnus} was written by Masanobu @sc{Umeda}. When autumn crept up in
18765 '94, Lars Magne Ingebrigtsen grew bored and decided to rewrite Gnus.
18767 If you want to investigate the person responsible for this outrage,
18768 you can point your (feh!) web browser to
18769 @uref{http://quimby.gnus.org/}. This is also the primary
18770 distribution point for the new and spiffy versions of Gnus, and is
18771 known as The Site That Destroys Newsrcs And Drives People Mad.
18773 During the first extended alpha period of development, the new Gnus was
18774 called ``(ding) Gnus''. @dfn{(ding)} is, of course, short for
18775 @dfn{ding is not Gnus}, which is a total and utter lie, but who cares?
18776 (Besides, the ``Gnus'' in this abbreviation should probably be
18777 pronounced ``news'' as @sc{Umeda} intended, which makes it a more
18778 appropriate name, don't you think?)
18780 In any case, after spending all that energy on coming up with a new and
18781 spunky name, we decided that the name was @emph{too} spunky, so we
18782 renamed it back again to ``Gnus''. But in mixed case. ``Gnus'' vs.
18783 ``@sc{gnus}''. New vs. old.
18786 * Gnus Versions:: What Gnus versions have been released.
18787 * Other Gnus Versions:: Other Gnus versions that also have been released.
18788 * Why?:: What's the point of Gnus?
18789 * Compatibility:: Just how compatible is Gnus with @sc{gnus}?
18790 * Conformity:: Gnus tries to conform to all standards.
18791 * Emacsen:: Gnus can be run on a few modern Emacsen.
18792 * Gnus Development:: How Gnus is developed.
18793 * Contributors:: Oodles of people.
18794 * New Features:: Pointers to some of the new stuff in Gnus.
18795 * Newest Features:: Features so new that they haven't been written yet.
18799 @node Gnus Versions
18800 @subsection Gnus Versions
18801 @cindex Pterodactyl Gnus
18803 @cindex September Gnus
18804 @cindex Quassia Gnus
18806 The first ``proper'' release of Gnus 5 was done in November 1995 when it
18807 was included in the Emacs 19.30 distribution (132 (ding) Gnus releases
18808 plus 15 Gnus 5.0 releases).
18810 In May 1996 the next Gnus generation (aka. ``September Gnus'' (after 99
18811 releases)) was released under the name ``Gnus 5.2'' (40 releases).
18813 On July 28th 1996 work on Red Gnus was begun, and it was released on
18814 January 25th 1997 (after 84 releases) as ``Gnus 5.4'' (67 releases).
18816 On September 13th 1997, Quassia Gnus was started and lasted 37 releases.
18817 If was released as ``Gnus 5.6'' on March 8th 1998 (46 releases).
18819 Gnus 5.6 begat Pterodactyl Gnus on August 29th 1998 and was released as
18820 ``Gnus 5.8'' (after 99 releases and a CVS repository) on December 3rd
18823 If you happen upon a version of Gnus that has a prefixed name --
18824 ``(ding) Gnus'', ``September Gnus'', ``Red Gnus'', ``Quassia Gnus'' --
18825 don't panic. Don't let it know that you're frightened. Back away.
18826 Slowly. Whatever you do, don't run. Walk away, calmly, until you're
18827 out of its reach. Find a proper released version of Gnus and snuggle up
18831 @node Other Gnus Versions
18832 @subsection Other Gnus Versions
18835 In addition to the versions of Gnus which have had their releases
18836 coordinated by Lars, one major development has been Semi-gnus from
18837 Japan. It's based on a library called @sc{semi}, which provides
18838 @sc{mime} capabilities.
18840 These Gnusae are based mainly on Gnus 5.6 and Pterodactyl Gnus.
18841 Collectively, they are called ``Semi-gnus'', and different strains are
18842 called T-gnus, ET-gnus, Nana-gnus and Chaos. These provide powerful
18843 @sc{mime} and multilingualization things, especially important for
18850 What's the point of Gnus?
18852 I want to provide a ``rad'', ``happening'', ``way cool'' and ``hep''
18853 newsreader, that lets you do anything you can think of. That was my
18854 original motivation, but while working on Gnus, it has become clear to
18855 me that this generation of newsreaders really belong in the stone age.
18856 Newsreaders haven't developed much since the infancy of the net. If the
18857 volume continues to rise with the current rate of increase, all current
18858 newsreaders will be pretty much useless. How do you deal with
18859 newsgroups that have thousands of new articles each day? How do you
18860 keep track of millions of people who post?
18862 Gnus offers no real solutions to these questions, but I would very much
18863 like to see Gnus being used as a testing ground for new methods of
18864 reading and fetching news. Expanding on @sc{Umeda}-san's wise decision
18865 to separate the newsreader from the backends, Gnus now offers a simple
18866 interface for anybody who wants to write new backends for fetching mail
18867 and news from different sources. I have added hooks for customizations
18868 everywhere I could imagine it being useful. By doing so, I'm inviting
18869 every one of you to explore and invent.
18871 May Gnus never be complete. @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-emacs} and
18872 @kbd{C-u 100 M-x all-hail-xemacs}.
18875 @node Compatibility
18876 @subsection Compatibility
18878 @cindex compatibility
18879 Gnus was designed to be fully compatible with @sc{gnus}. Almost all key
18880 bindings have been kept. More key bindings have been added, of course,
18881 but only in one or two obscure cases have old bindings been changed.
18886 @center In a cloud bones of steel.
18890 All commands have kept their names. Some internal functions have changed
18893 The @code{gnus-uu} package has changed drastically. @xref{Decoding
18896 One major compatibility question is the presence of several summary
18897 buffers. All variables relevant while reading a group are
18898 buffer-local to the summary buffer they belong in. Although many
18899 important variables have their values copied into their global
18900 counterparts whenever a command is executed in the summary buffer, this
18901 change might lead to incorrect values being used unless you are careful.
18903 All code that relies on knowledge of @sc{gnus} internals will probably
18904 fail. To take two examples: Sorting @code{gnus-newsrc-alist} (or
18905 changing it in any way, as a matter of fact) is strictly verboten. Gnus
18906 maintains a hash table that points to the entries in this alist (which
18907 speeds up many functions), and changing the alist directly will lead to
18911 @cindex highlighting
18912 Old hilit19 code does not work at all. In fact, you should probably
18913 remove all hilit code from all Gnus hooks
18914 (@code{gnus-group-prepare-hook} and @code{gnus-summary-prepare-hook}).
18915 Gnus provides various integrated functions for highlighting. These are
18916 faster and more accurate. To make life easier for everybody, Gnus will
18917 by default remove all hilit calls from all hilit hooks. Uncleanliness!
18920 Packages like @code{expire-kill} will no longer work. As a matter of
18921 fact, you should probably remove all old @sc{gnus} packages (and other
18922 code) when you start using Gnus. More likely than not, Gnus already
18923 does what you have written code to make @sc{gnus} do. (Snicker.)
18925 Even though old methods of doing things are still supported, only the
18926 new methods are documented in this manual. If you detect a new method of
18927 doing something while reading this manual, that does not mean you have
18928 to stop doing it the old way.
18930 Gnus understands all @sc{gnus} startup files.
18932 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
18934 @cindex reporting bugs
18936 Overall, a casual user who hasn't written much code that depends on
18937 @sc{gnus} internals should suffer no problems. If problems occur,
18938 please let me know by issuing that magic command @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}.
18940 @vindex gnus-bug-create-help-buffer
18941 If you are in the habit of sending bug reports @emph{very} often, you
18942 may find the helpful help buffer annoying after a while. If so, set
18943 @code{gnus-bug-create-help-buffer} to @code{nil} to avoid having it pop
18948 @subsection Conformity
18950 No rebels without a clue here, ma'am. We conform to all standards known
18951 to (wo)man. Except for those standards and/or conventions we disagree
18958 There are no known breaches of this standard.
18962 There are no known breaches of this standard, either.
18964 @item Son-of-RFC 1036
18965 @cindex Son-of-RFC 1036
18966 We do have some breaches to this one.
18972 These are considered to be ``vanity headers'', while I consider them
18973 to be consumer information. After seeing so many badly formatted
18974 articles coming from @code{tin} and @code{Netscape} I know not to use
18975 either of those for posting articles. I would not have known that if
18976 it wasn't for the @code{X-Newsreader} header.
18981 USEFOR is an IETF working group writing a successor to RFC 1036, based
18982 on Son-of-RFC 1036. They have produced a number of drafts proposing
18983 various changes to the format of news articles. The Gnus towers will
18984 look into implementing the changes when the draft is accepted as an RFC.
18988 If you ever notice Gnus acting non-compliant with regards to the texts
18989 mentioned above, don't hesitate to drop a note to Gnus Towers and let us
18994 @subsection Emacsen
19000 Gnus should work on :
19008 XEmacs 20.4 and up.
19012 This Gnus version will absolutely not work on any Emacsen older than
19013 that. Not reliably, at least. Older versions of Gnus may work on older
19016 There are some vague differences between Gnus on the various
19017 platforms---XEmacs features more graphics (a logo and a toolbar)---but
19018 other than that, things should look pretty much the same under all
19022 @node Gnus Development
19023 @subsection Gnus Development
19025 Gnus is developed in a two-phased cycle. The first phase involves much
19026 discussion on the @samp{ding@@gnus.org} mailing list, where people
19027 propose changes and new features, post patches and new backends. This
19028 phase is called the @dfn{alpha} phase, since the Gnusae released in this
19029 phase are @dfn{alpha releases}, or (perhaps more commonly in other
19030 circles) @dfn{snapshots}. During this phase, Gnus is assumed to be
19031 unstable and should not be used by casual users. Gnus alpha releases
19032 have names like ``Red Gnus'' and ``Quassia Gnus''.
19034 After futzing around for 50-100 alpha releases, Gnus is declared
19035 @dfn{frozen}, and only bug fixes are applied. Gnus loses the prefix,
19036 and is called things like ``Gnus 5.6.32'' instead. Normal people are
19037 supposed to be able to use these, and these are mostly discussed on the
19038 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus} newsgroup.
19041 @vindex mail-source-delete-incoming
19042 Some variable defaults differ between alpha Gnusae and released Gnusae.
19043 In particular, @code{mail-source-delete-incoming} defaults to @code{nil} in
19044 alpha Gnusae and @code{t} in released Gnusae. This is to prevent
19045 lossage of mail if an alpha release hiccups while handling the mail.
19047 The division of discussion between the ding mailing list and the Gnus
19048 newsgroup is not purely based on publicity concerns. It's true that
19049 having people write about the horrible things that an alpha Gnus release
19050 can do (sometimes) in a public forum may scare people off, but more
19051 importantly, talking about new experimental features that have been
19052 introduced may confuse casual users. New features are frequently
19053 introduced, fiddled with, and judged to be found wanting, and then
19054 either discarded or totally rewritten. People reading the mailing list
19055 usually keep up with these rapid changes, while people on the newsgroup
19056 can't be assumed to do so.
19061 @subsection Contributors
19062 @cindex contributors
19064 The new Gnus version couldn't have been done without the help of all the
19065 people on the (ding) mailing list. Every day for over a year I have
19066 gotten billions of nice bug reports from them, filling me with joy,
19067 every single one of them. Smooches. The people on the list have been
19068 tried beyond endurance, what with my ``oh, that's a neat idea <type
19069 type>, yup, I'll release it right away <ship off> no wait, that doesn't
19070 work at all <type type>, yup, I'll ship that one off right away <ship
19071 off> no, wait, that absolutely does not work'' policy for releases.
19072 Micro$oft---bah. Amateurs. I'm @emph{much} worse. (Or is that
19073 ``worser''? ``much worser''? ``worsest''?)
19075 I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Academy for... oops,
19081 Masanobu @sc{Umeda}---the writer of the original @sc{gnus}.
19084 Shenghuo Zhu---uudecode.el, mm-uu.el, rfc1843.el, webmail.el,
19085 nnwarchive and many, many other things connected with @sc{mime} and
19086 other types of en/decoding, as well as general bug fixing, new
19087 functionality and stuff.
19090 Per Abrahamsen---custom, scoring, highlighting and @sc{soup} code (as
19091 well as numerous other things).
19094 Luis Fernandes---design and graphics.
19097 Justin Sheehy--the FAQ maintainer.
19100 Erik Naggum---help, ideas, support, code and stuff.
19103 Wes Hardaker---@file{gnus-picon.el} and the manual section on
19104 @dfn{picons} (@pxref{Picons}).
19107 Kim-Minh Kaplan---further work on the picon code.
19110 Brad Miller---@file{gnus-gl.el} and the GroupLens manual section
19111 (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19114 Sudish Joseph---innumerable bug fixes.
19117 Ilja Weis---@file{gnus-topic.el}.
19120 Steven L. Baur---lots and lots and lots of bugs detections and fixes.
19123 Vladimir Alexiev---the refcard and reference booklets.
19126 Felix Lee & Jamie Zawinski---I stole some pieces from the XGnus
19127 distribution by Felix Lee and JWZ.
19130 Scott Byer---@file{nnfolder.el} enhancements & rewrite.
19133 Peter Mutsaers---orphan article scoring code.
19136 Ken Raeburn---POP mail support.
19139 Hallvard B Furuseth---various bits and pieces, especially dealing with
19143 Brian Edmonds---@file{gnus-bbdb.el}.
19146 David Moore---rewrite of @file{nnvirtual.el} and many other things.
19149 Kevin Davidson---came up with the name @dfn{ding}, so blame him.
19152 François Pinard---many, many interesting and thorough bug reports, as
19153 well as autoconf support.
19157 This manual was proof-read by Adrian Aichner, with Ricardo Nassif, Mark
19158 Borges, and Jost Krieger proof-reading parts of the manual.
19160 The following people have contributed many patches and suggestions:
19169 Jason L. Tibbitts, III,
19173 Also thanks to the following for patches and stuff:
19183 Alexei V. Barantsev,
19198 Massimo Campostrini,
19203 Jae-you Chung, @c ?
19204 James H. Cloos, Jr.,
19208 Andrew J. Cosgriff,
19211 Geoffrey T. Dairiki,
19217 Michael Welsh Duggan,
19222 Enami Tsugutomo, @c Enami
19226 Nelson Jose dos Santos Ferreira,
19234 Arne Georg Gleditsch,
19236 Michelangelo Grigni,
19240 Kenichi Handa, @c Handa
19242 Yoshiki Hayashi, @c ?
19244 Hisashige Kenji, @c Hisashige
19251 François Felix Ingrand,
19252 Tatsuya Ichikawa, @c ?
19253 Ishikawa Ichiro, @c Ishikawa
19255 Iwamuro Motonori, @c Iwamuro
19266 Peter Skov Knudsen,
19267 Shuhei Kobayashi, @c Kobayashi
19269 Koseki Yoshinori, @c Koseki
19270 Thor Kristoffersen,
19273 Seokchan Lee, @c Lee
19291 Morioka Tomohiko, @c Morioka
19292 Erik Toubro Nielsen,
19299 Masaharu Onishi, @c Onishi
19304 Jens-Ulrik Holger Petersen,
19308 John McClary Prevost,
19314 Lars Balker Rasmussen,
19319 Christian von Roques,
19322 Wolfgang Rupprecht,
19329 Philippe Schnoebelen,
19331 Randal L. Schwartz,
19345 Kiyokazu Suto, @c Suto
19350 Tozawa Akihiko, @c Tozawa
19366 Katsumi Yamaoka @c Yamaoka
19371 For a full overview of what each person has done, the ChangeLogs
19372 included in the Gnus alpha distributions should give ample reading
19373 (550kB and counting).
19375 Apologies to everybody that I've forgotten, of which there are many, I'm
19378 Gee, that's quite a list of people. I guess that must mean that there
19379 actually are people who are using Gnus. Who'd'a thunk it!
19383 @subsection New Features
19384 @cindex new features
19387 * ding Gnus:: New things in Gnus 5.0/5.1, the first new Gnus.
19388 * September Gnus:: The Thing Formally Known As Gnus 5.3/5.3.
19389 * Red Gnus:: Third time best---Gnus 5.4/5.5.
19390 * Quassia Gnus:: Two times two is four, or Gnus 5.6/5.7.
19393 These lists are, of course, just @emph{short} overviews of the
19394 @emph{most} important new features. No, really. There are tons more.
19395 Yes, we have feeping creaturism in full effect.
19399 @subsubsection (ding) Gnus
19401 New features in Gnus 5.0/5.1:
19406 The look of all buffers can be changed by setting format-like variables
19407 (@pxref{Group Buffer Format} and @pxref{Summary Buffer Format}).
19410 Local spool and several @sc{nntp} servers can be used at once
19411 (@pxref{Select Methods}).
19414 You can combine groups into virtual groups (@pxref{Virtual Groups}).
19417 You can read a number of different mail formats (@pxref{Getting Mail}).
19418 All the mail backends implement a convenient mail expiry scheme
19419 (@pxref{Expiring Mail}).
19422 Gnus can use various strategies for gathering threads that have lost
19423 their roots (thereby gathering loose sub-threads into one thread) or it
19424 can go back and retrieve enough headers to build a complete thread
19425 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19428 Killed groups can be displayed in the group buffer, and you can read
19429 them as well (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19432 Gnus can do partial group updates---you do not have to retrieve the
19433 entire active file just to check for new articles in a few groups
19434 (@pxref{The Active File}).
19437 Gnus implements a sliding scale of subscribedness to groups
19438 (@pxref{Group Levels}).
19441 You can score articles according to any number of criteria
19442 (@pxref{Scoring}). You can even get Gnus to find out how to score
19443 articles for you (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19446 Gnus maintains a dribble buffer that is auto-saved the normal Emacs
19447 manner, so it should be difficult to lose much data on what you have
19448 read if your machine should go down (@pxref{Auto Save}).
19451 Gnus now has its own startup file (@file{.gnus}) to avoid cluttering up
19452 the @file{.emacs} file.
19455 You can set the process mark on both groups and articles and perform
19456 operations on all the marked items (@pxref{Process/Prefix}).
19459 You can grep through a subset of groups and create a group from the
19460 results (@pxref{Kibozed Groups}).
19463 You can list subsets of groups according to, well, anything
19464 (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19467 You can browse foreign servers and subscribe to groups from those
19468 servers (@pxref{Browse Foreign Server}).
19471 Gnus can fetch articles, asynchronously, on a second connection to the
19472 server (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19475 You can cache articles locally (@pxref{Article Caching}).
19478 The uudecode functions have been expanded and generalized
19479 (@pxref{Decoding Articles}).
19482 You can still post uuencoded articles, which was a little-known feature
19483 of @sc{gnus}' past (@pxref{Uuencoding and Posting}).
19486 Fetching parents (and other articles) now actually works without
19487 glitches (@pxref{Finding the Parent}).
19490 Gnus can fetch FAQs and group descriptions (@pxref{Group Information}).
19493 Digests (and other files) can be used as the basis for groups
19494 (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19497 Articles can be highlighted and customized (@pxref{Customizing
19501 URLs and other external references can be buttonized (@pxref{Article
19505 You can do lots of strange stuff with the Gnus window & frame
19506 configuration (@pxref{Windows Configuration}).
19509 You can click on buttons instead of using the keyboard
19515 @node September Gnus
19516 @subsubsection September Gnus
19520 \gnusfig{-28cm}{0cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/september.ps,height=20cm}}
19524 New features in Gnus 5.2/5.3:
19529 A new message composition mode is used. All old customization variables
19530 for @code{mail-mode}, @code{rnews-reply-mode} and @code{gnus-msg} are
19534 Gnus is now able to generate @dfn{sparse} threads---threads where
19535 missing articles are represented by empty nodes (@pxref{Customizing
19539 (setq gnus-build-sparse-threads 'some)
19543 Outgoing articles are stored on a special archive server
19544 (@pxref{Archived Messages}).
19547 Partial thread regeneration now happens when articles are
19551 Gnus can make use of GroupLens predictions (@pxref{GroupLens}).
19554 Picons (personal icons) can be displayed under XEmacs (@pxref{Picons}).
19557 A @code{trn}-like tree buffer can be displayed (@pxref{Tree Display}).
19560 (setq gnus-use-trees t)
19564 An @code{nn}-like pick-and-read minor mode is available for the summary
19565 buffers (@pxref{Pick and Read}).
19568 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-mode-hook 'gnus-pick-mode)
19572 In binary groups you can use a special binary minor mode (@pxref{Binary
19576 Groups can be grouped in a folding topic hierarchy (@pxref{Group
19580 (add-hook 'gnus-group-mode-hook 'gnus-topic-mode)
19584 Gnus can re-send and bounce mail (@pxref{Summary Mail Commands}).
19587 Groups can now have a score, and bubbling based on entry frequency
19588 is possible (@pxref{Group Score}).
19591 (add-hook 'gnus-summary-exit-hook 'gnus-summary-bubble-group)
19595 Groups can be process-marked, and commands can be performed on
19596 groups of groups (@pxref{Marking Groups}).
19599 Caching is possible in virtual groups.
19602 @code{nndoc} now understands all kinds of digests, mail boxes, rnews
19603 news batches, ClariNet briefs collections, and just about everything
19604 else (@pxref{Document Groups}).
19607 Gnus has a new backend (@code{nnsoup}) to create/read SOUP packets
19611 The Gnus cache is much faster.
19614 Groups can be sorted according to many criteria (@pxref{Sorting
19618 New group parameters have been introduced to set list-addresses and
19619 expiry times (@pxref{Group Parameters}).
19622 All formatting specs allow specifying faces to be used
19623 (@pxref{Formatting Fonts}).
19626 There are several more commands for setting/removing/acting on process
19627 marked articles on the @kbd{M P} submap (@pxref{Setting Process Marks}).
19630 The summary buffer can be limited to show parts of the available
19631 articles based on a wide range of criteria. These commands have been
19632 bound to keys on the @kbd{/} submap (@pxref{Limiting}).
19635 Articles can be made persistent with the @kbd{*} command
19636 (@pxref{Persistent Articles}).
19639 All functions for hiding article elements are now toggles.
19642 Article headers can be buttonized (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19645 All mail backends support fetching articles by @code{Message-ID}.
19648 Duplicate mail can now be treated properly (@pxref{Duplicates}).
19651 All summary mode commands are available directly from the article
19652 buffer (@pxref{Article Keymap}).
19655 Frames can be part of @code{gnus-buffer-configuration} (@pxref{Windows
19659 Mail can be re-scanned by a daemonic process (@pxref{Daemons}).
19662 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fseptember.ps,height=5cm}}
19667 Gnus can make use of NoCeM files to weed out spam (@pxref{NoCeM}).
19670 (setq gnus-use-nocem t)
19674 Groups can be made permanently visible (@pxref{Listing Groups}).
19677 (setq gnus-permanently-visible-groups "^nnml:")
19681 Many new hooks have been introduced to make customizing easier.
19684 Gnus respects the @code{Mail-Copies-To} header.
19687 Threads can be gathered by looking at the @code{References} header
19688 (@pxref{Customizing Threading}).
19691 (setq gnus-summary-thread-gathering-function
19692 'gnus-gather-threads-by-references)
19696 Read articles can be stored in a special backlog buffer to avoid
19697 refetching (@pxref{Article Backlog}).
19700 (setq gnus-keep-backlog 50)
19704 A clean copy of the current article is always stored in a separate
19705 buffer to allow easier treatment.
19708 Gnus can suggest where to save articles (@pxref{Saving Articles}).
19711 Gnus doesn't have to do as much prompting when saving (@pxref{Saving
19715 (setq gnus-prompt-before-saving t)
19719 @code{gnus-uu} can view decoded files asynchronously while fetching
19720 articles (@pxref{Other Decode Variables}).
19723 (setq gnus-uu-grabbed-file-functions 'gnus-uu-grab-view)
19727 Filling in the article buffer now works properly on cited text
19728 (@pxref{Article Washing}).
19731 Hiding cited text adds buttons to toggle hiding, and how much
19732 cited text to hide is now customizable (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19735 (setq gnus-cited-lines-visible 2)
19739 Boring headers can be hidden (@pxref{Article Hiding}).
19742 Default scoring values can now be set from the menu bar.
19745 Further syntax checking of outgoing articles have been added.
19751 @subsubsection Red Gnus
19753 New features in Gnus 5.4/5.5:
19757 \gnusfig{-5.5cm}{-4cm}{\epsfig{figure=tmp/red.ps,height=20cm}}
19764 @file{nntp.el} has been totally rewritten in an asynchronous fashion.
19767 Article prefetching functionality has been moved up into
19768 Gnus (@pxref{Asynchronous Fetching}).
19771 Scoring can now be performed with logical operators like @code{and},
19772 @code{or}, @code{not}, and parent redirection (@pxref{Advanced
19776 Article washing status can be displayed in the
19777 article mode line (@pxref{Misc Article}).
19780 @file{gnus.el} has been split into many smaller files.
19783 Suppression of duplicate articles based on Message-ID can be done
19784 (@pxref{Duplicate Suppression}).
19787 (setq gnus-suppress-duplicates t)
19791 New variables for specifying what score and adapt files are to be
19792 considered home score and adapt files (@pxref{Home Score File}) have
19796 @code{nndoc} was rewritten to be easily extendable (@pxref{Document
19797 Server Internals}).
19800 Groups can inherit group parameters from parent topics (@pxref{Topic
19804 Article editing has been revamped and is now actually usable.
19807 Signatures can be recognized in more intelligent fashions
19808 (@pxref{Article Signature}).
19811 Summary pick mode has been made to look more @code{nn}-like. Line
19812 numbers are displayed and the @kbd{.} command can be used to pick
19813 articles (@code{Pick and Read}).
19816 Commands for moving the @file{.newsrc.eld} from one server to
19817 another have been added (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19820 There's a way now to specify that ``uninteresting'' fields be suppressed
19821 when generating lines in buffers (@pxref{Advanced Formatting}).
19824 Several commands in the group buffer can be undone with @kbd{M-C-_}
19828 Scoring can be done on words using the new score type @code{w}
19829 (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19832 Adaptive scoring can be done on a Subject word-by-word basis
19833 (@pxref{Adaptive Scoring}).
19836 (setq gnus-use-adaptive-scoring '(word))
19840 Scores can be decayed (@pxref{Score Decays}).
19843 (setq gnus-decay-scores t)
19847 Scoring can be performed using a regexp on the Date header. The Date is
19848 normalized to compact ISO 8601 format first (@pxref{Score File Format}).
19851 A new command has been added to remove all data on articles from
19852 the native server (@pxref{Changing Servers}).
19855 A new command for reading collections of documents
19856 (@code{nndoc} with @code{nnvirtual} on top) has been added---@kbd{M-C-d}
19857 (@pxref{Really Various Summary Commands}).
19860 Process mark sets can be pushed and popped (@pxref{Setting Process
19864 A new mail-to-news backend makes it possible to post even when the @sc{nntp}
19865 server doesn't allow posting (@pxref{Mail-To-News Gateways}).
19868 A new backend for reading searches from Web search engines
19869 (@dfn{DejaNews}, @dfn{Alta Vista}, @dfn{InReference}) has been added
19870 (@pxref{Web Searches}).
19873 Groups inside topics can now be sorted using the standard sorting
19874 functions, and each topic can be sorted independently (@pxref{Topic
19878 Subsets of the groups can be sorted independently (@code{Sorting
19882 Cached articles can be pulled into the groups (@pxref{Summary Generation
19886 \marginpar[\mbox{}\hfill\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}]{\epsfig{figure=tmp/fred.ps,width=3cm}}
19891 Score files are now applied in a more reliable order (@pxref{Score
19895 Reports on where mail messages end up can be generated (@pxref{Splitting
19899 More hooks and functions have been added to remove junk from incoming
19900 mail before saving the mail (@pxref{Washing Mail}).
19903 Emphasized text can be properly fontisized:
19909 @subsubsection Quassia Gnus
19911 New features in Gnus 5.6:
19916 New functionality for using Gnus as an offline newsreader has been
19917 added. A plethora of new commands and modes have been added. See
19918 @pxref{Gnus Unplugged} for the full story.
19921 The @code{nndraft} backend has returned, but works differently than
19922 before. All Message buffers are now also articles in the @code{nndraft}
19923 group, which is created automatically.
19926 @code{gnus-alter-header-function} can now be used to alter header
19930 @code{gnus-summary-goto-article} now accept Message-ID's.
19933 A new Message command for deleting text in the body of a message
19934 outside the region: @kbd{C-c C-v}.
19937 You can now post to component group in @code{nnvirtual} groups with
19941 @code{nntp-rlogin-program}---new variable to ease customization.
19944 @code{C-u C-c C-c} in @code{gnus-article-edit-mode} will now inhibit
19945 re-highlighting of the article buffer.
19948 New element in @code{gnus-boring-article-headers}---@code{long-to}.
19951 @kbd{M-i} symbolic prefix command. See the section "Symbolic
19952 Prefixes" in the Gnus manual for details.
19955 @kbd{L} and @kbd{I} in the summary buffer now take the symbolic prefix
19956 @kbd{a} to add the score rule to the "all.SCORE" file.
19959 @code{gnus-simplify-subject-functions} variable to allow greater
19960 control over simplification.
19963 @kbd{A T}---new command for fetching the current thread.
19966 @kbd{/ T}---new command for including the current thread in the
19970 @kbd{M-RET} is a new Message command for breaking cited text.
19973 @samp{\\1}-expressions are now valid in @code{nnmail-split-methods}.
19976 The @code{custom-face-lookup} function has been removed.
19977 If you used this function in your initialization files, you must
19978 rewrite them to use @code{face-spec-set} instead.
19981 Canceling now uses the current select method. Symbolic prefix
19982 @kbd{a} forces normal posting method.
19985 New command to translate M******** sm*rtq**t*s into proper
19989 For easier debugging of @code{nntp}, you can set
19990 @code{nntp-record-commands} to a non-@code{nil} value.
19993 @code{nntp} now uses @file{~/.authinfo}, a @file{.netrc}-like file, for
19994 controlling where and how to send @sc{authinfo} to @sc{nntp} servers.
19997 A command for editing group parameters from the summary buffer
20001 A history of where mails have been split is available.
20004 A new article date command has been added---@code{article-date-iso8601}.
20007 Subjects can be simplified when threading by setting
20008 @code{gnus-score-thread-simplify}.
20011 A new function for citing in Message has been
20012 added---@code{message-cite-original-without-signature}.
20015 @code{article-strip-all-blank-lines}---new article command.
20018 A new Message command to kill to the end of the article has
20022 A minimum adaptive score can be specified by using the
20023 @code{gnus-adaptive-word-minimum} variable.
20026 The "lapsed date" article header can be kept continually
20027 updated by the @code{gnus-start-date-timer} command.
20030 Web listserv archives can be read with the @code{nnlistserv} backend.
20033 Old dejanews archives can now be read by @code{nnweb}.
20038 @node Newest Features
20039 @subsection Newest Features
20042 Also known as the @dfn{todo list}. Sure to be implemented before the
20045 Be afraid. Be very afraid.
20047 (That a feature appears in this list doesn't necessarily mean that I've
20048 decided to actually implement it. It just means that I think it sounds
20051 (Yes, this is the actual, up-to-the-second todo list.)
20056 I would like the zombie-page to contain an URL to the source of the
20057 latest version of gnus or some explanation on where to find it.
20060 A way to continue editing the latest Message composition.
20063 @uref{http://www.sonicnet.com/feature/ari3/}
20066 facep is not declared.
20069 Include a section in the manual on why the number of articles
20070 isn't the same in the group buffer and on the SPC prompt.
20073 Interacting with rmail fcc isn't easy.
20078 <URL:http://www.falch.no/people/pepper/DSSSL-Lite/archives/>
20079 <URL:http://www.eit.com/software/hypermail/hypermail.html>
20080 <URL:http://homer.ncm.com/>
20081 <URL:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/World_Wide_Web/HTML_Converters/>
20082 http://www.uwsg.indiana.edu/hypermail/linux/kernel/9610/index.html
20083 <URL:http://union.ncsa.uiuc.edu/HyperNews/get/www/html/converters.html>
20084 http://www.miranova.com/gnus-list/
20089 @samp{^-- } is made into - in LaTeX.
20092 gnus-kill is much slower than it was in GNUS 4.1.3.
20095 when expunging articles on low score, the sparse nodes keep hanging on?
20097 starting the first time seems to hang Gnus on some systems. Does
20098 NEWGROUPS answer too fast?
20100 nndir doesn't read gzipped files.
20102 FAQ doesn't have an up node?
20104 when moving mail from a procmail spool to the crash-box,
20105 the crash-box is only appropriate to one specific group.
20107 `t' `t' makes X-Faces disappear.
20109 nnmh-be-safe means that crossposted articles will
20110 be marked as unread.
20112 Orphan score entries don't show on "V t" score trace
20114 when clearing out data, the cache data should also be reset.
20116 rewrite gnus-summary-limit-children to be non-recursive
20117 to avoid exceeding lisp nesting on huge groups.
20119 expunged articles are counted when computing scores.
20121 implement gnus-batch-brew-soup
20123 ticked articles aren't easy to read in pick mode -- `n' and
20124 stuff just skips past them. Read articles are the same.
20126 topics that contain just groups with ticked
20127 articles aren't displayed.
20129 nndoc should always allocate unique Message-IDs.
20131 If there are mail groups the first time you use Gnus, Gnus'll
20132 make the mail groups killed.
20134 no "no news is good news" when using topics.
20136 when doing crosspost marking, the cache has to be consulted
20137 and articles have to be removed.
20139 nnweb should fetch complete articles when they are split into several
20142 scoring on head immediate doesn't work.
20144 finding short score file names takes forever.
20146 canceling articles in foreign groups.
20148 nntp-open-rlogin no longer works.
20150 C-u C-x C-s (Summary) switches to the group buffer.
20152 move nnmail-split-history out to the backends.
20154 nnweb doesn't work properly.
20156 using a virtual server name as `gnus-select-method' doesn't work?
20158 when killing/yanking a group from one topic to another in a slave, the
20159 master will yank it first to one topic and then add it to another.
20163 warn user about `=' redirection of a group in the active file?
20165 take over the XEmacs menubar and offer a toggle between the XEmacs
20166 bar and the Gnus bar.
20169 push active file and NOV file parsing down into C code.
20170 `(canonize-message-id id)'
20171 `(mail-parent-message-id references n)'
20172 `(parse-news-nov-line &optional dependency-hashtb)'
20173 `(parse-news-nov-region beg end &optional dependency-hashtb fullp)'
20174 `(parse-news-active-region beg end hashtb)'
20179 nnml .overview directory with splits.
20183 postponed commands.
20185 the selected article show have its Subject displayed in its summary line.
20187 when entering groups, get the real number of unread articles from
20190 sort after gathering threads -- make false roots have the
20191 headers of the oldest orphan with a 0 article number?
20193 nndoc groups should inherit the score files of their parents? Also
20194 inherit copy prompts and save files.
20196 command to start up Gnus (if not running) and enter a mail mode buffer.
20198 allow editing the group description from the group buffer
20199 for backends that support that.
20201 gnus-hide,show-all-topics
20203 groups and sub-topics should be allowed to mingle inside each topic,
20204 and not just list all subtopics at the end.
20206 a command to remove all read articles that are not needed to connect
20207 threads -- `gnus-summary-limit-to-sparse-unread'?
20209 a variable to turn off limiting/cutting of threads in the tree buffer.
20211 a variable to limit how many files are uudecoded.
20213 add zombie groups to a special "New Groups" topic.
20215 server mode command: close/open all connections
20217 put a file date in gnus-score-alist and check whether the file
20218 has been changed before using it.
20220 on exit from a digest group, go to the next article in the parent group.
20222 hide (sub)threads with low score.
20224 when expiring, remove all marks from expired articles.
20226 gnus-summary-limit-to-body
20228 a regexp alist that says what level groups are to be subscribed
20229 on. Eg. -- `(("nnml:" . 1))'.
20231 easier interface to nnkiboze to create ephemeral groups that
20232 contain groups that match a regexp.
20234 allow newlines in <URL:> urls, but remove them before using
20237 If there is no From line, the mail backends should fudge one from the
20240 fuzzy simplifying should strip all non-alpha-numerical info
20241 from subject lines.
20243 gnus-soup-brew-soup-with-high-scores.
20245 nntp-ping-before-connect
20247 command to check whether NOV is evil. "list overview.fmt".
20249 when entering a group, Gnus should look through the score
20250 files very early for `local' atoms and set those local variables.
20252 message annotations.
20254 topics are always yanked before groups, and that's not good.
20256 (set-extent-property extent 'help-echo "String to display in minibuf")
20257 to display help in the minibuffer on buttons under XEmacs.
20259 allow group line format spec to say how many articles there
20264 `run-with-idle-timer' in gnus-demon.
20266 stop using invisible text properties and start using overlays instead
20268 C-c C-f C-e to add an Expires header.
20270 go from one group to the next; everything is expunged; go to the
20271 next group instead of going to the group buffer.
20273 gnus-renumber-cache -- to renumber the cache using "low" numbers.
20275 record topic changes in the dribble buffer.
20277 `nnfolder-generate-active-file' should look at the folders it
20278 finds and generate proper active ranges.
20280 nneething-look-in-files-for-article-heads variable to control
20281 whether nneething should sniff all files in the directories.
20283 gnus-fetch-article -- start Gnus, enter group, display article
20285 gnus-dont-move-articles-to-same-group variable when respooling.
20287 when messages are crossposted between several auto-expirable groups,
20288 articles aren't properly marked as expirable.
20290 nneething should allow deletion/moving.
20292 TAB on the last button should go to the first button.
20294 if the car of an element in `mail-split-methods' is a function,
20295 and the function returns non-nil, use that as the name of the group(s) to
20298 command for listing all score files that have been applied.
20300 a command in the article buffer to return to `summary' config.
20302 `gnus-always-post-using-current-server' -- variable to override
20303 `C-c C-c' when posting.
20305 nnmail-group-spool-alist -- says where each group should use
20308 when an article is crossposted to an auto-expirable group, the article
20309 should be marker as expirable.
20311 article mode command/menu for "send region as URL to browser".
20313 on errors, jump to info nodes that explain the error. For instance,
20314 on invalid From headers, or on error messages from the nntp server.
20316 when gathering threads, make the article that has no "Re: " the parent.
20317 Also consult Date headers.
20319 a token in splits to call shrink-window-if-larger-than-buffer
20321 `1 0 A M' to do matches on the active hashtb.
20323 duplicates -- command to remove Gnus-Warning header, use the read
20324 Message-ID, delete the "original".
20326 when replying to several messages at once, put the "other" message-ids
20327 into a See-Also header.
20329 support setext: @uref{http://www.bsdi.com/setext/}
20331 support ProleText: @uref{http://proletext.clari.net/prole/proletext.html}
20333 when browsing a foreign server, the groups that are already subscribed
20334 should be listed as such and not as "K".
20336 generate font names dynamically.
20338 score file mode auto-alist.
20340 allow nndoc to change/add/delete things from documents. Implement
20341 methods for each format for adding an article to the document.
20343 `gnus-fetch-old-headers' `all' value to incorporate
20344 absolutely all headers there is.
20346 function like `|', but concatenate all marked articles
20347 and pipe them to the process.
20349 cache the list of killed (or active) groups in a separate file. Update
20350 the file whenever we read the active file or the list
20351 of killed groups in the .eld file reaches a certain length.
20353 function for starting to edit a file to put into
20354 the current mail group.
20356 score-find-trace should display the total score of the article.
20358 "ghettozie" -- score on Xref header and nix it out after using it
20359 to avoid marking as read in other groups it has been crossposted to.
20361 look at procmail splitting. The backends should create
20362 the groups automatically if a spool file exists for that group.
20364 function for backends to register themselves with Gnus.
20366 when replying to several process-marked articles,
20367 have all the From end up in Cc headers? Variable to toggle.
20369 command to delete a crossposted mail article from all
20370 groups it has been mailed to.
20372 `B c' and `B m' should be crosspost aware.
20374 hide-pgp should also hide PGP public key blocks.
20376 Command in the group buffer to respool process-marked groups.
20378 `gnus-summary-find-matching' should accept
20379 pseudo-"headers" like "body", "head" and "all"
20381 When buttifying <URL: > things, all white space (including
20382 newlines) should be ignored.
20384 Process-marking all groups in a topic should process-mark
20385 groups in subtopics as well.
20387 Add non-native groups to the list of killed groups when killing them.
20389 nntp-suggest-kewl-config to probe the nntp server and suggest
20392 add edit and forward secondary marks.
20394 nnml shouldn't visit its .overview files.
20396 allow customizing sorting within gathered threads.
20398 `B q' shouldn't select the current article.
20400 nnmbox should support a newsgroups file for descriptions.
20402 allow fetching mail from several pop servers.
20404 Be able to specify whether the saving commands save the original
20405 or the formatted article.
20407 a command to reparent with the child process-marked (cf. `T ^'.).
20409 I think the possibility to send a password with nntp-open-rlogin
20410 should be a feature in Red Gnus.
20412 The `Z n' command should be possible to execute from a mouse click.
20414 more limiting functions -- date, etc.
20416 be able to limit on a random header; on body; using reverse matches.
20418 a group parameter (`absofucking-total-expiry') that will make Gnus expire
20419 even unread articles.
20421 a command to print the article buffer as postscript.
20423 variable to disable password fetching when opening by nntp-open-telnet.
20425 manual: more example servers -- nntp with rlogin, telnet
20427 checking for bogus groups should clean topic alists as well.
20429 canceling articles in foreign groups.
20431 article number in folded topics isn't properly updated by
20434 Movement in the group buffer to the next unread group should go to the
20435 next closed topic with unread messages if no group can be found.
20437 Extensive info pages generated on the fly with help everywhere --
20438 in the "*Gnus edit*" buffers, for instance.
20440 Topic movement commands -- like thread movement. Up, down, forward, next.
20442 a way to tick/mark as read Gcc'd articles.
20444 a way to say that all groups within a specific topic comes
20445 from a particular server? Hm.
20447 `gnus-article-fill-if-long-lines' -- a function to fill
20448 the article buffer if there are any looong lines there.
20450 `T h' should jump to the parent topic and fold it.
20452 a command to create an ephemeral nndoc group out of a file,
20453 and then splitting it/moving it to some other group/backend.
20455 a group parameter for nnkiboze groups that says that
20456 all kibozed articles should be entered into the cache.
20458 It should also probably be possible to delimit what
20459 `gnus-jog-cache' does -- for instance, work on just some groups, or on
20460 some levels, and entering just articles that have a score higher than
20463 nnfolder should append to the folder instead of re-writing
20464 the entire folder to disk when accepting new messages.
20466 allow all backends to do the proper thing with .gz files.
20468 a backend for reading collections of babyl files nnbabylfolder?
20470 a command for making the native groups into foreign groups.
20472 server mode command for clearing read marks from all groups
20475 when following up multiple articles, include all To, Cc, etc headers
20478 a command for deciding what the total score of the current
20479 thread is. Also a way to highlight based on this.
20481 command to show and edit group scores
20483 a gnus-tree-minimize-horizontal to minimize tree buffers
20486 command to generate nnml overview file for one group.
20488 `C-u C-u a' -- prompt for many crossposted groups.
20490 keep track of which mail groups have received new articles (in this session).
20491 Be able to generate a report and perhaps do some marking in the group
20494 gnus-build-sparse-threads to a number -- build only sparse threads
20495 that are of that length.
20497 have nnmh respect mh's unseen sequence in .mh_profile.
20499 cache the newsgroups descriptions locally.
20501 asynchronous posting under nntp.
20503 be able to control word adaptive scoring from the score files.
20505 a variable to make `C-c C-c' post using the "current" select method.
20507 `limit-exclude-low-scored-articles'.
20509 if `gnus-summary-show-thread' is a number, hide threads that have
20510 a score lower than this number.
20512 split newsgroup subscription variable up into "order" and "method".
20514 buttonize ange-ftp file names.
20516 a command to make a duplicate copy of the current article
20517 so that each copy can be edited separately.
20519 nnweb should allow fetching from the local nntp server.
20521 record the sorting done in the summary buffer so that
20522 it can be repeated when limiting/regenerating the buffer.
20524 nnml-generate-nov-databses should generate for
20527 when the user does commands in the group buffer, check
20528 the modification time of the .newsrc.eld file and use
20529 ask-user-about-supersession-threat. Also warn when trying
20530 to save .newsrc.eld and it has changed.
20532 M-g on a topic will display all groups with 0 articles in
20535 command to remove all topic stuff.
20537 allow exploding incoming digests when reading incoming mail
20538 and splitting the resulting digests.
20540 nnsoup shouldn't set the `message-' variables.
20542 command to nix out all nnoo state information.
20544 nnmail-process-alist that calls functions if group names
20545 matches an alist -- before saving.
20547 use buffer-invisibility-spec everywhere for hiding text.
20549 variable to activate each group before entering them
20550 to get the (new) number of articles. `gnus-activate-before-entering'.
20552 command to fetch a Message-ID from any buffer, even
20553 starting Gnus first if necessary.
20555 when posting and checking whether a group exists or not, just
20556 ask the nntp server instead of relying on the active hashtb.
20558 buttonize the output of `C-c C-a' in an apropos-like way.
20560 `G p' should understand process/prefix, and allow editing
20561 of several groups at once.
20563 command to create an ephemeral nnvirtual group that
20564 matches some regexp(s).
20566 nndoc should understand "Content-Type: message/rfc822" forwarded messages.
20568 it should be possible to score "thread" on the From header.
20570 hitting RET on a "gnus-uu-archive" pseudo article should unpack it.
20572 `B i' should display the article at once in the summary buffer.
20574 remove the "*" mark at once when unticking an article.
20576 `M-s' should highlight the matching text.
20578 when checking for duplicated mails, use Resent-Message-ID if present.
20580 killing and yanking groups in topics should be better. If killing one copy
20581 of a group that exists in multiple topics, only that copy should
20582 be removed. Yanking should insert the copy, and yanking topics
20583 should be possible to be interspersed with the other yankings.
20585 command for enter a group just to read the cached articles. A way to say
20586 "ignore the nntp connection; just read from the cache."
20588 `X u' should decode base64 articles.
20590 a way to hide all "inner" cited text, leaving just the most
20591 recently cited text.
20593 nnvirtual should be asynchronous.
20595 after editing an article, gnus-original-article-buffer should
20598 there should probably be a way to make Gnus not connect to the
20599 server and just read the articles in the server
20601 allow a `set-default' (or something) to change the default
20602 value of nnoo variables.
20604 a command to import group infos from a .newsrc.eld file.
20606 groups from secondary servers have the entire select method
20607 listed in each group info.
20609 a command for just switching from the summary buffer to the group
20612 a way to specify that some incoming mail washing functions
20613 should only be applied to some groups.
20615 Message `C-f C-t' should ask the user whether to heed
20616 mail-copies-to: never.
20618 new group parameter -- `post-to-server' that says to post
20619 using the current server. Also a variable to do the same.
20621 the slave dribble files should auto-save to the slave file names.
20623 a group parameter that says what articles to display on group entry, based
20626 a way to visually distinguish slave Gnusae from masters. (Whip instead
20629 Use DJ Bernstein "From " quoting/dequoting, where applicable.
20631 Why is hide-citation-maybe and hide-citation different? Also
20634 group user-defined meta-parameters.
20638 From: John Griffith <griffith@@sfs.nphil.uni-tuebingen.de>
20640 I like the option for trying to retrieve the FAQ for a group and I was
20641 thinking it would be great if for those newsgroups that had archives
20642 you could also try to read the archive for that group. Part of the
20643 problem is that archives are spread all over the net, unlike FAQs.
20644 What would be best I suppose is to find the one closest to your site.
20646 In any case, there is a list of general news group archives at @*
20647 @uref{ftp://ftp.neosoft.com/pub/users/claird/news.lists/newsgroup_archives.html}
20654 From: Jason L Tibbitts III <tibbs@@hpc.uh.edu>
20655 (add-hook 'gnus-select-group-hook
20657 (gnus-group-add-parameter group
20658 (cons 'gnus-group-date-last-entered (list (current-time-string))))))
20660 (defun gnus-user-format-function-d (headers)
20661 "Return the date the group was last read."
20662 (cond ((car (gnus-group-get-parameter gnus-tmp-group 'gnus-group-date-last-entered)))
20667 tanken var at når du bruker `gnus-startup-file' som prefix (FOO) til å lete
20668 opp en fil FOO-SERVER, FOO-SERVER.el, FOO-SERVER.eld, kan du la den være en
20669 liste hvor du bruker hvert element i listen som FOO, istedet. da kunne man
20670 hatt forskjellige serveres startup-filer forskjellige steder.
20674 LMI> Well, nnbabyl could alter the group info to heed labels like
20675 LMI> answered and read, I guess.
20677 It could also keep them updated (the same for the Status: header of
20680 They could be used like this:
20684 `M l <name> RET' add label <name> to current message.
20685 `M u <name> RET' remove label <name> from current message.
20686 `/ l <expr> RET' limit summary buffer according to <expr>.
20688 <expr> would be a boolean expression on the labels, e.g.
20690 `/ l bug & !fixed RET'
20693 would show all the messages which are labeled `bug' but not labeled
20696 One could also imagine the labels being used for highlighting, or
20697 affect the summary line format.
20701 Sender: abraham@@dina.kvl.dk
20703 I'd like a gnus-find-file which work like find file, except that it
20704 would recognize things that looks like messages or folders:
20706 - If it is a directory containing numbered files, create an nndir
20709 - For other directories, create a nneething summary buffer.
20711 - For files matching "\\`From ", create a nndoc/mbox summary.
20713 - For files matching "\\`BABYL OPTIONS:", create a nndoc/baby summary.
20715 - For files matching "\\`[^ \t\n]+:", create an *Article* buffer.
20717 - For other files, just find them normally.
20719 I'd like `nneething' to use this function, so it would work on a
20720 directory potentially containing mboxes or babyl files.
20723 Please send a mail to bwarsaw@@cnri.reston.va.us (Barry A. Warsaw) and
20724 tell him what you are doing.
20727 Currently, I get prompted:
20731 decend into sci.something ?
20735 The problem above is that since there is really only one subsection of
20736 science, shouldn't it prompt you for only descending sci.something? If
20737 there was a sci.somethingelse group or section, then it should prompt
20738 for sci? first the sci.something? then sci.somethingelse?...
20741 Ja, det burde være en måte å si slikt. Kanskje en ny variabel?
20742 `gnus-use-few-score-files'? SÃ¥ kunne score-regler legges til den
20743 "mest" lokale score-fila. F. eks. ville no-gruppene betjenes av
20744 "no.all.SCORE", osv.
20747 What i want is for Gnus to treat any sequence or combination of the following
20748 as a single spoiler warning and hide it all, replacing it with a "Next Page"
20754 more than n blank lines
20756 more than m identical lines
20757 (which should be replaced with button to show them)
20759 any whitespace surrounding any of the above
20763 Well, we could allow a new value to `gnus-thread-ignore-subject' --
20764 `spaces', or something. (We could even default to that.) And then
20765 subjects that differ in white space only could be considered the
20766 "same" subject for threading purposes.
20769 Modes to preprocess the contents (e.g. jka-compr) use the second form
20770 "(REGEXP FUNCTION NON-NIL)" while ordinary modes (e.g. tex) use the first
20771 form "(REGEXP . FUNCTION)", so you could use it to distinguish between
20772 those two types of modes. (auto-modes-alist, insert-file-contents-literally.)
20775 Under XEmacs -- do funny article marks:
20778 soup - bowl of soup
20779 score below - dim light bulb
20780 score over - bright light bulb
20783 Yes. I think the algorithm is as follows:
20788 show-list-of-articles-in-group
20789 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20790 if (no-more-articles-in-group-to-select)
20791 if (articles-selected)
20792 start-reading-selected-articles;
20793 junk-unread-articles;
20798 else if (key-pressed = '.')
20799 if (consolidated-menus) # same as hide-thread in Gnus
20800 select-thread-under-cursor;
20802 select-article-under-cursor;
20806 if (key-pressed == SPACE)
20807 if (more-pages-in-article)
20809 else if (more-selected-articles-to-read)
20816 My precise need here would have been to limit files to Incoming*.
20817 One could think of some `nneething-only-files' variable, but I guess
20818 it would have been unacceptable if one was using many unrelated such
20821 A more useful approach would be to, in response to the `G D' prompt, be
20822 allowed to say something like: `~/.mail/Incoming*', somewhat limiting
20823 the top-level directory only (in case directories would be matched by
20824 the wildcard expression).
20827 It would be nice if it also handled
20829 <URL:news://sunsite.auc.dk/>
20831 which should correspond to `B nntp RET sunsite.auc.dk' in *Group*.
20836 Take a look at w3-menu.el in the Emacs-W3 distribution - this works out
20837 really well. Each menu is 'named' by a symbol that would be on a
20838 gnus-*-menus (where * would be whatever, but at least group, summary, and
20839 article versions) variable.
20841 So for gnus-summary-menus, I would set to '(sort mark dispose ...)
20843 A value of '1' would just put _all_ the menus in a single 'GNUS' menu in
20844 the main menubar. This approach works really well for Emacs-W3 and VM.
20848 nndoc should take care to create unique Message-IDs for all its
20851 gnus-score-followup-article only works when you have a summary buffer
20852 active. Make it work when posting from the group buffer as well.
20853 (message-sent-hook).
20855 rewrite gnus-demon to use run-with-idle-timers.
20858 * Enhancements to Gnus:
20862 * gnus-servers (gnus-start-server-buffer?)--enters Gnus and goes
20863 straight to the server buffer, without opening any connections to
20866 * gnus-server-read-server-newsrc--produces a buffer very similar to
20867 the group buffer, but with only groups from that server listed;
20868 quitting this buffer returns to the server buffer.
20871 add a command to check the integrity of an nnfolder folder --
20872 go through the article numbers and see that there are no duplicates,
20876 `unsmileyfy-buffer' to undo smileification.
20879 a command to give all relevant info on an article, including all
20883 when doing `-request-accept-article', the backends should do
20884 the nnmail duplicate checking.
20887 allow `message-signature-file' to be a function to return the
20888 value of the signature file.
20891 In addition, I would love it if I could configure message-tab so that it
20892 could call `bbdb-complete-name' in other headers. So, some sort of
20895 (setq message-tab-alist
20896 '((message-header-regexp message-expand-group)
20897 ("^\\(To\\|[cC]c\\|[bB]cc\\)" bbdb-complete-name)))
20899 then you could run the relevant function to complete the information in
20903 cache the newsgroups file locally to avoid reloading it all the time.
20906 a command to import a buffer into a group.
20909 nnweb should allow fetching by Message-ID from servers.
20912 point in the article buffer doesn't always go to the
20913 beginning of the buffer when selecting new articles.
20916 a command to process mark all unread articles.
20919 `gnus-gather-threads-by-references-and-subject' -- first
20920 do gathering by references, and then go through the dummy roots and
20921 do more gathering by subject.
20924 gnus-uu-mark-in-numerical-order -- process mark articles in
20925 article numerical order.
20928 (gnus-thread-total-score
20929 (gnus-id-to-thread (mail-header-id (gnus-summary-article-header))))
20933 sorting by score is wrong when using sparse threads.
20936 a command to fetch an arbitrary article -- without having to be
20937 in the summary buffer.
20940 a new nncvs backend. Each group would show an article, using
20941 version branches as threading, checkin date as the date, etc.
20944 @uref{http://www.dejanews.com/forms/dnsetfilter_exp.html}?
20945 This filter allows one to construct advance queries on the Dejanews
20946 database such as specifying start and end dates, subject, author,
20947 and/or newsgroup name.
20950 new Date header scoring type -- older, newer
20953 use the summary toolbar in the article buffer.
20956 a command to fetch all articles that are less than X days old.
20959 in pick mode, `q' should save the list of selected articles in the
20960 group info. The next time the group is selected, these articles
20961 will automatically get the process mark.
20964 Isn't it possible to (also?) allow M-^ to automatically try the
20965 default server if it fails on the current server? (controlled by a
20966 user variable, (nil, t, 'ask)).
20969 make it possible to cancel articles using the select method for the
20973 `gnus-summary-select-article-on-entry' or something. It'll default
20974 to t and will select whatever article decided by `gnus-auto-select-first'.
20977 a new variable to control which selection commands should be unselecting.
20978 `first', `best', `next', `prev', `next-unread', `prev-unread' are
20982 be able to select groups that have no articles in them
20983 to be able to post in them (using the current select method).
20986 be able to post via DejaNews.
20989 `x' should retain any sortings that have been performed.
20992 allow the user to specify the precedence of the secondary marks. Also
20993 allow them to be displayed separately.
20996 gnus-summary-save-in-pipe should concatenate the results from
20997 the processes when doing a process marked pipe.
21000 a new match type, like Followup, but which adds Thread matches on all
21001 articles that match a certain From header.
21004 a function that can be read from kill-emacs-query-functions to offer
21005 saving living summary buffers.
21008 a function for selecting a particular group which will contain
21009 the articles listed in a list of article numbers/id's.
21012 a battery of character translation functions to translate common
21013 Mac, MS (etc) characters into ISO 8859-1.
21016 (defun article-fix-m$word ()
21017 "Fix M$Word smartquotes in an article."
21020 (let ((buffer-read-only nil))
21021 (goto-char (point-min))
21022 (while (search-forward "\221" nil t)
21023 (replace-match "`" t t))
21024 (goto-char (point-min))
21025 (while (search-forward "\222" nil t)
21026 (replace-match "'" t t))
21027 (goto-char (point-min))
21028 (while (search-forward "\223" nil t)
21029 (replace-match "\"" t t))
21030 (goto-char (point-min))
21031 (while (search-forward "\224" nil t)
21032 (replace-match "\"" t t)))))
21037 (add-hook 'gnus-exit-query-functions
21039 (if (and (file-exists-p nnmail-spool-file)
21040 (> (nnheader-file-size nnmail-spool-file) 0))
21041 (yes-or-no-p "New mail has arrived. Quit Gnus anyways? ")
21042 (y-or-n-p "Are you sure you want to quit Gnus? "))))
21046 allow message-default-headers to be a function.
21049 new Date score match types -- < > = (etc) that take floating point
21050 numbers and match on the age of the article.
21054 > > > If so, I've got one gripe: It seems that when I fire up gnus 5.2.25
21055 > > > under xemacs-19.14, it's creating a new frame, but is erasing the
21056 > > > buffer in the frame that it was called from =:-O
21058 > > Hm. How do you start up Gnus? From the toolbar or with
21059 > > `M-x gnus-other-frame'?
21061 > I normally start it up from the toolbar; at
21062 > least that's the way I've caught it doing the
21067 all commands that react to the process mark should push
21068 the current process mark set onto the stack.
21071 gnus-article-hide-pgp
21072 Selv ville jeg nok ha valgt å slette den dersom teksten matcher
21074 "\\(This\s+\\)?[^ ]+ has been automatically signed by"
21076 og det er maks hundre tegn mellom match-end og ----linja. Men -det-
21077 er min type heuristikk og langt fra alles.
21080 `gnus-subscribe-sorted' -- insert new groups where they would have been
21081 sorted to if `gnus-group-sort-function' were run.
21084 gnus-(group,summary)-highlight should respect any `face' text props set
21088 use run-with-idle-timer for gnus-demon instead of the
21089 home-brewed stuff for better reliability.
21092 add a way to select which NoCeM type to apply -- spam, troll, etc.
21095 nndraft-request-group should tally auto-save files.
21098 implement nntp-retry-on-break and nntp-command-timeout.
21101 gnus-article-highlight-limit that says when not to highlight (long)
21105 (nnoo-set SERVER VARIABLE VALUE)
21111 interrupitng agent fetching of articles should save articles.
21114 command to open a digest group, and copy all the articles there to the
21118 a variable to disable article body highlights if there's more than
21119 X characters in the body.
21122 handle 480/381 authinfo requests separately.
21125 include the texi/dir file in the distribution.
21128 format spec to "tab" to a position.
21131 Move all prompting to the new `M-n' default style.
21134 command to display all dormant articles.
21137 gnus-auto-select-next makeover -- list of things it should do.
21140 a score match type that adds scores matching on From if From has replied
21141 to something someone else has said.
21144 Read Netscape discussion groups:
21145 snews://secnews.netscape.com/netscape.communicator.unix
21148 One command to edit the original version if an article, and one to edit
21149 the displayed version.
21152 @kbd{T v} -- make all process-marked articles the children of the
21156 Switch from initial text to the new default text mechanism.
21159 How about making it possible to expire local articles? Will it be
21160 possible to make various constraints on when an article can be
21161 expired, e.g. (read), (age > 14 days), or the more interesting (read
21165 New limit command---limit to articles that have a certain string
21166 in the head or body.
21169 Allow breaking lengthy @sc{nntp} commands.
21172 gnus-article-highlight-limit, to disable highlighting in big articles.
21175 Editing an article should put the article to be edited
21176 in a special, unique buffer.
21179 A command to send a mail to the admin-address group param.
21182 A Date scoring type that will match if the article
21183 is less than a certain number of days old.
21186 New spec: %~(tab 56) to put point on column 56
21189 Allow Gnus Agent scoring to use normal score files.
21192 Rething the Agent active file thing. `M-g' doesn't update the active
21193 file, for instance.
21196 With dummy roots, `^' and then selecing the first article
21197 in any other dummy thread will make Gnus highlight the
21198 dummy root instead of the first article.
21201 Propagate all group properties (marks, article numbers, etc) up to the
21202 topics for displaying.
21205 `n' in the group buffer with topics should go to the next group
21206 with unread articles, even if that group is hidden in a topic.
21209 gnus-posting-styles doesn't work in drafts.
21212 gnus-summary-limit-include-cached is slow when there are
21213 many articles in the cache, since it regenerates big parts of the
21214 summary buffer for each article.
21217 Implement gnus-batch-brew-soup.
21220 Group parameters and summary commands for un/subscribing to mailing
21224 Introduce nnmail-home-directory.
21227 gnus-fetch-group and friends should exit Gnus when the user
21231 The jingle is only played on the second invocation of Gnus.
21234 Bouncing articles should do MIME.
21237 Crossposted articles should "inherit" the % or @ mark from the other
21238 groups it has been crossposted to, or something. (Agent.)
21241 If point is on a group that appears multiple times in topics, and
21242 you press `l', point will move to the first instance of the group.
21245 A spec for the group line format to display the number of
21246 agent-downloaded articles in the group.
21249 Some nntp servers never respond when posting, so there should be a
21250 timeout for all commands.
21253 When stading on a topic line and `t'-ing, point goes to the last line.
21254 It should go somewhere else.
21257 I'm having trouble accessing a newsgroup with a "+" in its name with
21258 Gnus. There is a new newsgroup on msnews.microsoft.com named
21259 "microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time" that I'm trying to
21261 "nntp+msnews.microsoft.com:microsoft.public.multimedia.directx.html+time"
21262 but it gives an error that it cant access the group.
21264 Is the "+" character illegal in newsgroup names? Is there any way in
21265 Gnus to work around this? (gnus 5.6.45 - XEmacs 20.4)
21272 Subject: Answer to your mails 01.01.1999-01.05.1999
21273 --text follows this line--
21274 Sorry I killfiled you...
21276 Under the subject "foo", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
21278 Under the subject "foo1", you wrote on 01.01.1999:
21283 Allow "orphan" scores in the Agent scoring.
21287 - Edit article's summary line.
21289 - Sort lines in buffer by subject
21291 --> the old subject line appears in Summary buffer, not the one that was
21297 Remove list identifiers from the subject in the summary when doing `^'
21301 Have the Agent write out articles, one by one, as it retrieves them,
21302 to avoid having to re-fetch them all if Emacs should crash while
21306 Be able to forward groups of messages as MIME digests.
21309 nnweb should include the "get whole article" article when getting articles.
21312 When I type W W c (gnus-article-hide-citation) in the summary
21313 buffer, the citations are revealed, but the [+] buttons don't turn
21314 into [-] buttons. (If I click on one of the [+] buttons, it does
21315 turn into a [-] button.)
21318 Perhaps there should be a command to "attach" a buffer of comments to
21319 a message? That is, `B WHATEVER', you're popped into a buffer, write
21320 something, end with `C-c C-c', and then the thing you've written gets
21321 to be the child of the message you're commenting.
21324 Handle external-body parts.
21327 When renaming a group name, nnmail-split-history does not get the group
21331 Allow mail splitting on bodies when using advanced mail splitting.
21334 (body "whatever.text")
21338 Be able to run `J u' from summary buffers.
21341 Solve the halting problem.
21350 @section The Manual
21354 This manual was generated from a TeXinfo file and then run through
21355 either @code{texi2dvi}
21357 or my own home-brewed TeXinfo to \LaTeX\ transformer,
21358 and then run through @code{latex} and @code{dvips}
21360 to get what you hold in your hands now.
21362 The following conventions have been used:
21367 This is a @samp{string}
21370 This is a @kbd{keystroke}
21373 This is a @file{file}
21376 This is a @code{symbol}
21380 So if I were to say ``set @code{flargnoze} to @samp{yes}'', that would
21384 (setq flargnoze "yes")
21387 If I say ``set @code{flumphel} to @code{yes}'', that would mean:
21390 (setq flumphel 'yes)
21393 @samp{yes} and @code{yes} are two @emph{very} different things---don't
21394 ever get them confused.
21398 Of course, everything in this manual is of vital interest, so you should
21399 read it all. Several times. However, if you feel like skimming the
21400 manual, look for that gnu head you should see in the margin over
21401 there---it means that what's being discussed is of more importance than
21402 the rest of the stuff. (On the other hand, if everything is infinitely
21403 important, how can anything be more important than that? Just one more
21404 of the mysteries of this world, I guess.)
21410 @node On Writing Manuals
21411 @section On Writing Manuals
21413 I guess most manuals are written after-the-fact; documenting a program
21414 that's already there. This is not how this manual is written. When
21415 implementing something, I write the manual entry for that something
21416 straight away. I then see that it's difficult to explain the
21417 functionality, so I write how it's supposed to be, and then I change the
21418 implementation. Writing the documentation and writing the code goes
21421 This, of course, means that this manual has no, or little, flow. It
21422 documents absolutely everything in Gnus, but often not where you're
21423 looking for it. It is a reference manual, and not a guide to how to get
21426 That would be a totally different book, that should be written using the
21427 reference manual as source material. It would look quite differently.
21432 @section Terminology
21434 @cindex terminology
21439 This is what you are supposed to use this thing for---reading news.
21440 News is generally fetched from a nearby @sc{nntp} server, and is
21441 generally publicly available to everybody. If you post news, the entire
21442 world is likely to read just what you have written, and they'll all
21443 snigger mischievously. Behind your back.
21447 Everything that's delivered to you personally is mail. Some news/mail
21448 readers (like Gnus) blur the distinction between mail and news, but
21449 there is a difference. Mail is private. News is public. Mailing is
21450 not posting, and replying is not following up.
21454 Send a mail to the person who has written what you are reading.
21458 Post an article to the current newsgroup responding to the article you
21463 Gnus gets fed articles from a number of backends, both news and mail
21464 backends. Gnus does not handle the underlying media, so to speak---this
21465 is all done by the backends.
21469 Gnus will always use one method (and backend) as the @dfn{native}, or
21470 default, way of getting news.
21474 You can also have any number of foreign groups active at the same time.
21475 These are groups that use non-native non-secondary backends for getting
21480 Secondary backends are somewhere half-way between being native and being
21481 foreign, but they mostly act like they are native.
21485 A message that has been posted as news.
21488 @cindex mail message
21489 A message that has been mailed.
21493 A mail message or news article
21497 The top part of a message, where administrative information (etc.) is
21502 The rest of an article. Everything not in the head is in the
21507 A line from the head of an article.
21511 A collection of such lines, or a collection of heads. Or even a
21512 collection of @sc{nov} lines.
21516 When Gnus enters a group, it asks the backend for the headers of all
21517 unread articles in the group. Most servers support the News OverView
21518 format, which is more compact and much faster to read and parse than the
21519 normal @sc{head} format.
21523 Each group is subscribed at some @dfn{level} or other (1-9). The ones
21524 that have a lower level are ``more'' subscribed than the groups with a
21525 higher level. In fact, groups on levels 1-5 are considered
21526 @dfn{subscribed}; 6-7 are @dfn{unsubscribed}; 8 are @dfn{zombies}; and 9
21527 are @dfn{killed}. Commands for listing groups and scanning for new
21528 articles will all use the numeric prefix as @dfn{working level}.
21530 @item killed groups
21531 @cindex killed groups
21532 No information on killed groups is stored or updated, which makes killed
21533 groups much easier to handle than subscribed groups.
21535 @item zombie groups
21536 @cindex zombie groups
21537 Just like killed groups, only slightly less dead.
21540 @cindex active file
21541 The news server has to keep track of what articles it carries, and what
21542 groups exist. All this information in stored in the active file, which
21543 is rather large, as you might surmise.
21546 @cindex bogus groups
21547 A group that exists in the @file{.newsrc} file, but isn't known to the
21548 server (i.e., it isn't in the active file), is a @emph{bogus group}.
21549 This means that the group probably doesn't exist (any more).
21552 @cindex activating groups
21553 The act of asking the server for info on a group and computing the
21554 number of unread articles is called @dfn{activating the group}.
21555 Un-activated groups are listed with @samp{*} in the group buffer.
21559 A machine one can connect to and get news (or mail) from.
21561 @item select method
21562 @cindex select method
21563 A structure that specifies the backend, the server and the virtual
21566 @item virtual server
21567 @cindex virtual server
21568 A named select method. Since a select method defines all there is to
21569 know about connecting to a (physical) server, taking the thing as a
21570 whole is a virtual server.
21574 Taking a buffer and running it through a filter of some sort. The
21575 result will (more often than not) be cleaner and more pleasing than the
21578 @item ephemeral groups
21579 @cindex ephemeral groups
21580 Most groups store data on what articles you have read. @dfn{Ephemeral}
21581 groups are groups that will have no data stored---when you exit the
21582 group, it'll disappear into the aether.
21585 @cindex solid groups
21586 This is the opposite of ephemeral groups. All groups listed in the
21587 group buffer are solid groups.
21589 @item sparse articles
21590 @cindex sparse articles
21591 These are article placeholders shown in the summary buffer when
21592 @code{gnus-build-sparse-threads} has been switched on.
21596 To put responses to articles directly after the articles they respond
21597 to---in a hierarchical fashion.
21601 @cindex thread root
21602 The first article in a thread is the root. It is the ancestor of all
21603 articles in the thread.
21607 An article that has responses.
21611 An article that responds to a different article---its parent.
21615 A collection of messages in one file. The most common digest format is
21616 specified by RFC 1153.
21622 @node Customization
21623 @section Customization
21624 @cindex general customization
21626 All variables are properly documented elsewhere in this manual. This
21627 section is designed to give general pointers on how to customize Gnus
21628 for some quite common situations.
21631 * Slow/Expensive Connection:: You run a local Emacs and get the news elsewhere.
21632 * Slow Terminal Connection:: You run a remote Emacs.
21633 * Little Disk Space:: You feel that having large setup files is icky.
21634 * Slow Machine:: You feel like buying a faster machine.
21638 @node Slow/Expensive Connection
21639 @subsection Slow/Expensive @sc{nntp} Connection
21641 If you run Emacs on a machine locally, and get your news from a machine
21642 over some very thin strings, you want to cut down on the amount of data
21643 Gnus has to get from the @sc{nntp} server.
21647 @item gnus-read-active-file
21648 Set this to @code{nil}, which will inhibit Gnus from requesting the
21649 entire active file from the server. This file is often v. large. You
21650 also have to set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21651 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make sure that Gnus
21652 doesn't suddenly decide to fetch the active file anyway.
21654 @item gnus-nov-is-evil
21655 This one has to be @code{nil}. If not, grabbing article headers from
21656 the @sc{nntp} server will not be very fast. Not all @sc{nntp} servers
21657 support @sc{xover}; Gnus will detect this by itself.
21661 @node Slow Terminal Connection
21662 @subsection Slow Terminal Connection
21664 Let's say you use your home computer for dialing up the system that runs
21665 Emacs and Gnus. If your modem is slow, you want to reduce (as much as
21666 possible) the amount of data sent over the wires.
21670 @item gnus-auto-center-summary
21671 Set this to @code{nil} to inhibit Gnus from re-centering the summary
21672 buffer all the time. If it is @code{vertical}, do only vertical
21673 re-centering. If it is neither @code{nil} nor @code{vertical}, do both
21674 horizontal and vertical recentering.
21676 @item gnus-visible-headers
21677 Cut down on the headers included in the articles to the
21678 minimum. You can, in fact, make do without them altogether---most of the
21679 useful data is in the summary buffer, anyway. Set this variable to
21680 @samp{^NEVVVVER} or @samp{From:}, or whatever you feel you need.
21682 Set this hook to all the available hiding commands:
21684 (setq gnus-treat-hide-headers 'head
21685 gnus-treat-hide-signature t
21686 gnus-treat-hide-citation t)
21689 @item gnus-use-full-window
21690 By setting this to @code{nil}, you can make all the windows smaller.
21691 While this doesn't really cut down much generally, it means that you
21692 have to see smaller portions of articles before deciding that you didn't
21693 want to read them anyway.
21695 @item gnus-thread-hide-subtree
21696 If this is non-@code{nil}, all threads in the summary buffer will be
21699 @item gnus-updated-mode-lines
21700 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not put information in the buffer mode
21701 lines, which might save some time.
21705 @node Little Disk Space
21706 @subsection Little Disk Space
21709 The startup files can get rather large, so you may want to cut their
21710 sizes a bit if you are running out of space.
21714 @item gnus-save-newsrc-file
21715 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never save @file{.newsrc}---it will
21716 only save @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21717 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21720 @item gnus-read-newsrc-file
21721 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will never read @file{.newsrc}---it will
21722 only read @file{.newsrc.eld}. This means that you will not be able to
21723 use any other newsreaders than Gnus. This variable is @code{t} by
21726 @item gnus-save-killed-list
21727 If this is @code{nil}, Gnus will not save the list of dead groups. You
21728 should also set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} to @code{ask-server}
21729 and @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} if you set this
21730 variable to @code{nil}. This variable is @code{t} by default.
21736 @subsection Slow Machine
21737 @cindex slow machine
21739 If you have a slow machine, or are just really impatient, there are a
21740 few things you can do to make Gnus run faster.
21742 Set @code{gnus-check-new-newsgroups} and
21743 @code{gnus-check-bogus-newsgroups} to @code{nil} to make startup faster.
21745 Set @code{gnus-show-threads}, @code{gnus-use-cross-reference} and
21746 @code{gnus-nov-is-evil} to @code{nil} to make entering and exiting the
21747 summary buffer faster.
21751 @node Troubleshooting
21752 @section Troubleshooting
21753 @cindex troubleshooting
21755 Gnus works @emph{so} well straight out of the box---I can't imagine any
21763 Make sure your computer is switched on.
21766 Make sure that you really load the current Gnus version. If you have
21767 been running @sc{gnus}, you need to exit Emacs and start it up again before
21771 Try doing an @kbd{M-x gnus-version}. If you get something that looks
21772 like @samp{Gnus v5.46; nntp 4.0} you have the right files loaded. If,
21773 on the other hand, you get something like @samp{NNTP 3.x} or @samp{nntp
21774 flee}, you have some old @file{.el} files lying around. Delete these.
21777 Read the help group (@kbd{G h} in the group buffer) for a FAQ and a
21781 @vindex max-lisp-eval-depth
21782 Gnus works on many recursive structures, and in some extreme (and very
21783 rare) cases Gnus may recurse down ``too deeply'' and Emacs will beep at
21784 you. If this happens to you, set @code{max-lisp-eval-depth} to 500 or
21785 something like that.
21788 If all else fails, report the problem as a bug.
21791 @cindex reporting bugs
21793 @kindex M-x gnus-bug
21795 If you find a bug in Gnus, you can report it with the @kbd{M-x gnus-bug}
21796 command. @kbd{M-x set-variable RET debug-on-error RET t RET}, and send
21797 me the backtrace. I will fix bugs, but I can only fix them if you send
21798 me a precise description as to how to reproduce the bug.
21800 You really can never be too detailed in a bug report. Always use the
21801 @kbd{M-x gnus-bug} command when you make bug reports, even if it creates
21802 a 10Kb mail each time you use it, and even if you have sent me your
21803 environment 500 times before. I don't care. I want the full info each
21806 It is also important to remember that I have no memory whatsoever. If
21807 you send a bug report, and I send you a reply, and then you just send
21808 back ``No, it's not! Moron!'', I will have no idea what you are
21809 insulting me about. Always over-explain everything. It's much easier
21810 for all of us---if I don't have all the information I need, I will just
21811 mail you and ask for more info, and everything takes more time.
21813 If the problem you're seeing is very visual, and you can't quite explain
21814 it, copy the Emacs window to a file (with @code{xwd}, for instance), put
21815 it somewhere it can be reached, and include the URL of the picture in
21818 If you just need help, you are better off asking on
21819 @samp{gnu.emacs.gnus}. I'm not very helpful.
21821 @cindex gnu.emacs.gnus
21822 @cindex ding mailing list
21823 You can also ask on the ding mailing list---@samp{ding@@gnus.org}.
21824 Write to @samp{ding-request@@gnus.org} to subscribe.
21828 @node Gnus Reference Guide
21829 @section Gnus Reference Guide
21831 It is my hope that other people will figure out smart stuff that Gnus
21832 can do, and that other people will write those smart things as well. To
21833 facilitate that I thought it would be a good idea to describe the inner
21834 workings of Gnus. And some of the not-so-inner workings, while I'm at
21837 You can never expect the internals of a program not to change, but I
21838 will be defining (in some details) the interface between Gnus and its
21839 backends (this is written in stone), the format of the score files
21840 (ditto), data structures (some are less likely to change than others)
21841 and general methods of operation.
21844 * Gnus Utility Functions:: Common functions and variable to use.
21845 * Backend Interface:: How Gnus communicates with the servers.
21846 * Score File Syntax:: A BNF definition of the score file standard.
21847 * Headers:: How Gnus stores headers internally.
21848 * Ranges:: A handy format for storing mucho numbers.
21849 * Group Info:: The group info format.
21850 * Extended Interactive:: Symbolic prefixes and stuff.
21851 * Emacs/XEmacs Code:: Gnus can be run under all modern Emacsen.
21852 * Various File Formats:: Formats of files that Gnus use.
21856 @node Gnus Utility Functions
21857 @subsection Gnus Utility Functions
21858 @cindex Gnus utility functions
21859 @cindex utility functions
21861 @cindex internal variables
21863 When writing small functions to be run from hooks (and stuff), it's
21864 vital to have access to the Gnus internal functions and variables.
21865 Below is a list of the most common ones.
21869 @item gnus-newsgroup-name
21870 @vindex gnus-newsgroup-name
21871 This variable holds the name of the current newsgroup.
21873 @item gnus-find-method-for-group
21874 @findex gnus-find-method-for-group
21875 A function that returns the select method for @var{group}.
21877 @item gnus-group-real-name
21878 @findex gnus-group-real-name
21879 Takes a full (prefixed) Gnus group name, and returns the unprefixed
21882 @item gnus-group-prefixed-name
21883 @findex gnus-group-prefixed-name
21884 Takes an unprefixed group name and a select method, and returns the full
21885 (prefixed) Gnus group name.
21887 @item gnus-get-info
21888 @findex gnus-get-info
21889 Returns the group info list for @var{group}.
21891 @item gnus-group-unread
21892 @findex gnus-group-unread
21893 The number of unread articles in @var{group}, or @code{t} if that is
21897 @findex gnus-active
21898 The active entry for @var{group}.
21900 @item gnus-set-active
21901 @findex gnus-set-active
21902 Set the active entry for @var{group}.
21904 @item gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21905 @findex gnus-add-current-to-buffer-list
21906 Adds the current buffer to the list of buffers to be killed on Gnus
21909 @item gnus-continuum-version
21910 @findex gnus-continuum-version
21911 Takes a Gnus version string as a parameter and returns a floating point
21912 number. Earlier versions will always get a lower number than later
21915 @item gnus-group-read-only-p
21916 @findex gnus-group-read-only-p
21917 Says whether @var{group} is read-only or not.
21919 @item gnus-news-group-p
21920 @findex gnus-news-group-p
21921 Says whether @var{group} came from a news backend.
21923 @item gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21924 @findex gnus-ephemeral-group-p
21925 Says whether @var{group} is ephemeral or not.
21927 @item gnus-server-to-method
21928 @findex gnus-server-to-method
21929 Returns the select method corresponding to @var{server}.
21931 @item gnus-server-equal
21932 @findex gnus-server-equal
21933 Says whether two virtual servers are equal.
21935 @item gnus-group-native-p
21936 @findex gnus-group-native-p
21937 Says whether @var{group} is native or not.
21939 @item gnus-group-secondary-p
21940 @findex gnus-group-secondary-p
21941 Says whether @var{group} is secondary or not.
21943 @item gnus-group-foreign-p
21944 @findex gnus-group-foreign-p
21945 Says whether @var{group} is foreign or not.
21947 @item group-group-find-parameter
21948 @findex group-group-find-parameter
21949 Returns the parameter list of @var{group}. If given a second parameter,
21950 returns the value of that parameter for @var{group}.
21952 @item gnus-group-set-parameter
21953 @findex gnus-group-set-parameter
21954 Takes three parameters; @var{group}, @var{parameter} and @var{value}.
21956 @item gnus-narrow-to-body
21957 @findex gnus-narrow-to-body
21958 Narrows the current buffer to the body of the article.
21960 @item gnus-check-backend-function
21961 @findex gnus-check-backend-function
21962 Takes two parameters, @var{function} and @var{group}. If the backend
21963 @var{group} comes from supports @var{function}, return non-@code{nil}.
21966 (gnus-check-backend-function "request-scan" "nnml:misc")
21970 @item gnus-read-method
21971 @findex gnus-read-method
21972 Prompts the user for a select method.
21977 @node Backend Interface
21978 @subsection Backend Interface
21980 Gnus doesn't know anything about @sc{nntp}, spools, mail or virtual
21981 groups. It only knows how to talk to @dfn{virtual servers}. A virtual
21982 server is a @dfn{backend} and some @dfn{backend variables}. As examples
21983 of the first, we have @code{nntp}, @code{nnspool} and @code{nnmbox}. As
21984 examples of the latter we have @code{nntp-port-number} and
21985 @code{nnmbox-directory}.
21987 When Gnus asks for information from a backend---say @code{nntp}---on
21988 something, it will normally include a virtual server name in the
21989 function parameters. (If not, the backend should use the ``current''
21990 virtual server.) For instance, @code{nntp-request-list} takes a virtual
21991 server as its only (optional) parameter. If this virtual server hasn't
21992 been opened, the function should fail.
21994 Note that a virtual server name has no relation to some physical server
21995 name. Take this example:
21999 (nntp-address "ifi.uio.no")
22000 (nntp-port-number 4324))
22003 Here the virtual server name is @samp{odd-one} while the name of
22004 the physical server is @samp{ifi.uio.no}.
22006 The backends should be able to switch between several virtual servers.
22007 The standard backends implement this by keeping an alist of virtual
22008 server environments that they pull down/push up when needed.
22010 There are two groups of interface functions: @dfn{required functions},
22011 which must be present, and @dfn{optional functions}, which Gnus will
22012 always check for presence before attempting to call 'em.
22014 All these functions are expected to return data in the buffer
22015 @code{nntp-server-buffer} (@samp{ *nntpd*}), which is somewhat
22016 unfortunately named, but we'll have to live with it. When I talk about
22017 @dfn{resulting data}, I always refer to the data in that buffer. When I
22018 talk about @dfn{return value}, I talk about the function value returned by
22019 the function call. Functions that fail should return @code{nil} as the
22022 Some backends could be said to be @dfn{server-forming} backends, and
22023 some might be said not to be. The latter are backends that generally
22024 only operate on one group at a time, and have no concept of ``server''
22025 -- they have a group, and they deliver info on that group and nothing
22028 In the examples and definitions I will refer to the imaginary backend
22031 @cindex @code{nnchoke}
22034 * Required Backend Functions:: Functions that must be implemented.
22035 * Optional Backend Functions:: Functions that need not be implemented.
22036 * Error Messaging:: How to get messages and report errors.
22037 * Writing New Backends:: Extending old backends.
22038 * Hooking New Backends Into Gnus:: What has to be done on the Gnus end.
22039 * Mail-like Backends:: Some tips on mail backends.
22043 @node Required Backend Functions
22044 @subsubsection Required Backend Functions
22048 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-headers ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FETCH-OLD)
22050 @var{articles} is either a range of article numbers or a list of
22051 @code{Message-ID}s. Current backends do not fully support either---only
22052 sequences (lists) of article numbers, and most backends do not support
22053 retrieval of @code{Message-ID}s. But they should try for both.
22055 The result data should either be HEADs or NOV lines, and the result
22056 value should either be @code{headers} or @code{nov} to reflect this.
22057 This might later be expanded to @code{various}, which will be a mixture
22058 of HEADs and NOV lines, but this is currently not supported by Gnus.
22060 If @var{fetch-old} is non-@code{nil} it says to try fetching "extra
22061 headers", in some meaning of the word. This is generally done by
22062 fetching (at most) @var{fetch-old} extra headers less than the smallest
22063 article number in @code{articles}, and filling the gaps as well. The
22064 presence of this parameter can be ignored if the backend finds it
22065 cumbersome to follow the request. If this is non-@code{nil} and not a
22066 number, do maximum fetches.
22068 Here's an example HEAD:
22071 221 1056 Article retrieved.
22072 Path: ifi.uio.no!sturles
22073 From: sturles@@ifi.uio.no (Sturle Sunde)
22074 Newsgroups: ifi.discussion
22075 Subject: Re: Something very droll
22076 Date: 27 Oct 1994 14:02:57 +0100
22077 Organization: Dept. of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway
22079 Message-ID: <38o8e1$a0o@@holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no>
22080 References: <38jdmq$4qu@@visbur.ifi.uio.no>
22081 NNTP-Posting-Host: holmenkollen.ifi.uio.no
22085 So a @code{headers} return value would imply that there's a number of
22086 these in the data buffer.
22088 Here's a BNF definition of such a buffer:
22092 head = error / valid-head
22093 error-message = [ "4" / "5" ] 2number " " <error message> eol
22094 valid-head = valid-message *header "." eol
22095 valid-message = "221 " <number> " Article retrieved." eol
22096 header = <text> eol
22099 If the return value is @code{nov}, the data buffer should contain
22100 @dfn{network overview database} lines. These are basically fields
22104 nov-buffer = *nov-line
22105 nov-line = 8*9 [ field <TAB> ] eol
22106 field = <text except TAB>
22109 For a closer look at what should be in those fields,
22113 @item (nnchoke-open-server SERVER &optional DEFINITIONS)
22115 @var{server} is here the virtual server name. @var{definitions} is a
22116 list of @code{(VARIABLE VALUE)} pairs that define this virtual server.
22118 If the server can't be opened, no error should be signaled. The backend
22119 may then choose to refuse further attempts at connecting to this
22120 server. In fact, it should do so.
22122 If the server is opened already, this function should return a
22123 non-@code{nil} value. There should be no data returned.
22126 @item (nnchoke-close-server &optional SERVER)
22128 Close connection to @var{server} and free all resources connected
22129 to it. Return @code{nil} if the server couldn't be closed for some
22132 There should be no data returned.
22135 @item (nnchoke-request-close)
22137 Close connection to all servers and free all resources that the backend
22138 have reserved. All buffers that have been created by that backend
22139 should be killed. (Not the @code{nntp-server-buffer}, though.) This
22140 function is generally only called when Gnus is shutting down.
22142 There should be no data returned.
22145 @item (nnchoke-server-opened &optional SERVER)
22147 If @var{server} is the current virtual server, and the connection to the
22148 physical server is alive, then this function should return a
22149 non-@code{nil} vlue. This function should under no circumstances
22150 attempt to reconnect to a server we have lost connection to.
22152 There should be no data returned.
22155 @item (nnchoke-status-message &optional SERVER)
22157 This function should return the last error message from @var{server}.
22159 There should be no data returned.
22162 @item (nnchoke-request-article ARTICLE &optional GROUP SERVER TO-BUFFER)
22164 The result data from this function should be the article specified by
22165 @var{article}. This might either be a @code{Message-ID} or a number.
22166 It is optional whether to implement retrieval by @code{Message-ID}, but
22167 it would be nice if that were possible.
22169 If @var{to-buffer} is non-@code{nil}, the result data should be returned
22170 in this buffer instead of the normal data buffer. This is to make it
22171 possible to avoid copying large amounts of data from one buffer to
22172 another, while Gnus mainly requests articles to be inserted directly
22173 into its article buffer.
22175 If it is at all possible, this function should return a cons cell where
22176 the @code{car} is the group name the article was fetched from, and the @code{cdr} is
22177 the article number. This will enable Gnus to find out what the real
22178 group and article numbers are when fetching articles by
22179 @code{Message-ID}. If this isn't possible, @code{t} should be returned
22180 on successful article retrieval.
22183 @item (nnchoke-request-group GROUP &optional SERVER FAST)
22185 Get data on @var{group}. This function also has the side effect of
22186 making @var{group} the current group.
22188 If @var{fast}, don't bother to return useful data, just make @var{group}
22191 Here's an example of some result data and a definition of the same:
22194 211 56 1000 1059 ifi.discussion
22197 The first number is the status, which should be 211. Next is the
22198 total number of articles in the group, the lowest article number, the
22199 highest article number, and finally the group name. Note that the total
22200 number of articles may be less than one might think while just
22201 considering the highest and lowest article numbers, but some articles
22202 may have been canceled. Gnus just discards the total-number, so
22203 whether one should take the bother to generate it properly (if that is a
22204 problem) is left as an exercise to the reader.
22207 group-status = [ error / info ] eol
22208 error = [ "4" / "5" ] 2<number> " " <Error message>
22209 info = "211 " 3* [ <number> " " ] <string>
22213 @item (nnchoke-close-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22215 Close @var{group} and free any resources connected to it. This will be
22216 a no-op on most backends.
22218 There should be no data returned.
22221 @item (nnchoke-request-list &optional SERVER)
22223 Return a list of all groups available on @var{server}. And that means
22226 Here's an example from a server that only carries two groups:
22229 ifi.test 0000002200 0000002000 y
22230 ifi.discussion 3324 3300 n
22233 On each line we have a group name, then the highest article number in
22234 that group, the lowest article number, and finally a flag.
22237 active-file = *active-line
22238 active-line = name " " <number> " " <number> " " flags eol
22240 flags = "n" / "y" / "m" / "x" / "j" / "=" name
22243 The flag says whether the group is read-only (@samp{n}), is moderated
22244 (@samp{m}), is dead (@samp{x}), is aliased to some other group
22245 (@samp{=other-group}) or none of the above (@samp{y}).
22248 @item (nnchoke-request-post &optional SERVER)
22250 This function should post the current buffer. It might return whether
22251 the posting was successful or not, but that's not required. If, for
22252 instance, the posting is done asynchronously, it has generally not been
22253 completed by the time this function concludes. In that case, this
22254 function should set up some kind of sentinel to beep the user loud and
22255 clear if the posting could not be completed.
22257 There should be no result data from this function.
22262 @node Optional Backend Functions
22263 @subsubsection Optional Backend Functions
22267 @item (nnchoke-retrieve-groups GROUPS &optional SERVER)
22269 @var{groups} is a list of groups, and this function should request data
22270 on all those groups. How it does it is of no concern to Gnus, but it
22271 should attempt to do this in a speedy fashion.
22273 The return value of this function can be either @code{active} or
22274 @code{group}, which says what the format of the result data is. The
22275 former is in the same format as the data from
22276 @code{nnchoke-request-list}, while the latter is a buffer full of lines
22277 in the same format as @code{nnchoke-request-group} gives.
22280 group-buffer = *active-line / *group-status
22284 @item (nnchoke-request-update-info GROUP INFO &optional SERVER)
22286 A Gnus group info (@pxref{Group Info}) is handed to the backend for
22287 alterations. This comes in handy if the backend really carries all the
22288 information (as is the case with virtual and imap groups). This
22289 function should destructively alter the info to suit its needs, and
22290 should return the (altered) group info.
22292 There should be no result data from this function.
22295 @item (nnchoke-request-type GROUP &optional ARTICLE)
22297 When the user issues commands for ``sending news'' (@kbd{F} in the
22298 summary buffer, for instance), Gnus has to know whether the article the
22299 user is following up on is news or mail. This function should return
22300 @code{news} if @var{article} in @var{group} is news, @code{mail} if it
22301 is mail and @code{unknown} if the type can't be decided. (The
22302 @var{article} parameter is necessary in @code{nnvirtual} groups which
22303 might very well combine mail groups and news groups.) Both @var{group}
22304 and @var{article} may be @code{nil}.
22306 There should be no result data from this function.
22309 @item (nnchoke-request-set-mark GROUP ACTION &optional SERVER)
22311 Set/remove/add marks on articles. Normally Gnus handles the article
22312 marks (such as read, ticked, expired etc) internally, and store them in
22313 @code{~/.newsrc.eld}. Some backends (such as @sc{imap}) however carry
22314 all information about the articles on the server, so Gnus need to
22315 propagate the mark information to the server.
22317 ACTION is a list of mark setting requests, having this format:
22320 (RANGE ACTION MARK)
22323 Range is a range of articles you wish to update marks on. Action is
22324 @code{set}, @code{add} or @code{del}, respectively used for removing all
22325 existing marks and setting them as specified, adding (preserving the
22326 marks not mentioned) mark and removing (preserving the marks not
22327 mentioned) marks. Mark is a list of marks; where each mark is a symbol.
22328 Currently used marks are @code{read}, @code{tick}, @code{reply},
22329 @code{expire}, @code{killed}, @code{dormant}, @code{save},
22330 @code{download} and @code{unsend}, but your backend should, if possible,
22331 not limit itself to these.
22333 Given contradictory actions, the last action in the list should be the
22334 effective one. That is, if your action contains a request to add the
22335 @code{tick} mark on article 1 and, later in the list, a request to
22336 remove the mark on the same article, the mark should in fact be removed.
22338 An example action list:
22341 (((5 12 30) 'del '(tick))
22342 ((10 . 90) 'add '(read expire))
22343 ((92 94) 'del '(read)))
22346 The function should return a range of articles it wasn't able to set the
22347 mark on (currently not used for anything).
22349 There should be no result data from this function.
22351 @item (nnchoke-request-update-mark GROUP ARTICLE MARK)
22353 If the user tries to set a mark that the backend doesn't like, this
22354 function may change the mark. Gnus will use whatever this function
22355 returns as the mark for @var{article} instead of the original
22356 @var{mark}. If the backend doesn't care, it must return the original
22357 @var{mark}, and not @code{nil} or any other type of garbage.
22359 The only use for this I can see is what @code{nnvirtual} does with
22360 it---if a component group is auto-expirable, marking an article as read
22361 in the virtual group should result in the article being marked as
22364 There should be no result data from this function.
22367 @item (nnchoke-request-scan &optional GROUP SERVER)
22369 This function may be called at any time (by Gnus or anything else) to
22370 request that the backend check for incoming articles, in one way or
22371 another. A mail backend will typically read the spool file or query the
22372 POP server when this function is invoked. The @var{group} doesn't have
22373 to be heeded---if the backend decides that it is too much work just
22374 scanning for a single group, it may do a total scan of all groups. It
22375 would be nice, however, to keep things local if that's practical.
22377 There should be no result data from this function.
22380 @item (nnchoke-request-group-description GROUP &optional SERVER)
22382 The result data from this function should be a description of
22386 description-line = name <TAB> description eol
22388 description = <text>
22391 @item (nnchoke-request-list-newsgroups &optional SERVER)
22393 The result data from this function should be the description of all
22394 groups available on the server.
22397 description-buffer = *description-line
22401 @item (nnchoke-request-newgroups DATE &optional SERVER)
22403 The result data from this function should be all groups that were
22404 created after @samp{date}, which is in normal human-readable date
22405 format. The data should be in the active buffer format.
22408 @item (nnchoke-request-create-group GROUP &optional SERVER)
22410 This function should create an empty group with name @var{group}.
22412 There should be no return data.
22415 @item (nnchoke-request-expire-articles ARTICLES &optional GROUP SERVER FORCE)
22417 This function should run the expiry process on all articles in the
22418 @var{articles} range (which is currently a simple list of article
22419 numbers.) It is left up to the backend to decide how old articles
22420 should be before they are removed by this function. If @var{force} is
22421 non-@code{nil}, all @var{articles} should be deleted, no matter how new
22424 This function should return a list of articles that it did not/was not
22427 There should be no result data returned.
22430 @item (nnchoke-request-move-article ARTICLE GROUP SERVER ACCEPT-FORM
22433 This function should move @var{article} (which is a number) from
22434 @var{group} by calling @var{accept-form}.
22436 This function should ready the article in question for moving by
22437 removing any header lines it has added to the article, and generally
22438 should ``tidy up'' the article. Then it should @code{eval}
22439 @var{accept-form} in the buffer where the ``tidy'' article is. This
22440 will do the actual copying. If this @code{eval} returns a
22441 non-@code{nil} value, the article should be removed.
22443 If @var{last} is @code{nil}, that means that there is a high likelihood
22444 that there will be more requests issued shortly, so that allows some
22447 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22448 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22450 There should be no data returned.
22453 @item (nnchoke-request-accept-article GROUP &optional SERVER LAST)
22455 This function takes the current buffer and inserts it into @var{group}.
22456 If @var{last} in @code{nil}, that means that there will be more calls to
22457 this function in short order.
22459 The function should return a cons where the @code{car} is the group name and
22460 the @code{cdr} is the article number that the article was entered as.
22462 There should be no data returned.
22465 @item (nnchoke-request-replace-article ARTICLE GROUP BUFFER)
22467 This function should remove @var{article} (which is a number) from
22468 @var{group} and insert @var{buffer} there instead.
22470 There should be no data returned.
22473 @item (nnchoke-request-delete-group GROUP FORCE &optional SERVER)
22475 This function should delete @var{group}. If @var{force}, it should
22476 really delete all the articles in the group, and then delete the group
22477 itself. (If there is such a thing as ``the group itself''.)
22479 There should be no data returned.
22482 @item (nnchoke-request-rename-group GROUP NEW-NAME &optional SERVER)
22484 This function should rename @var{group} into @var{new-name}. All
22485 articles in @var{group} should move to @var{new-name}.
22487 There should be no data returned.
22492 @node Error Messaging
22493 @subsubsection Error Messaging
22495 @findex nnheader-report
22496 @findex nnheader-get-report
22497 The backends should use the function @code{nnheader-report} to report
22498 error conditions---they should not raise errors when they aren't able to
22499 perform a request. The first argument to this function is the backend
22500 symbol, and the rest are interpreted as arguments to @code{format} if
22501 there are multiple of them, or just a string if there is one of them.
22502 This function must always returns @code{nil}.
22505 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "You did something totally bogus")
22507 (nnheader-report 'nnchoke "Could not request group %s" group)
22510 Gnus, in turn, will call @code{nnheader-get-report} when it gets a
22511 @code{nil} back from a server, and this function returns the most
22512 recently reported message for the backend in question. This function
22513 takes one argument---the server symbol.
22515 Internally, these functions access @var{backend}@code{-status-string},
22516 so the @code{nnchoke} backend will have its error message stored in
22517 @code{nnchoke-status-string}.
22520 @node Writing New Backends
22521 @subsubsection Writing New Backends
22523 Many backends are quite similar. @code{nnml} is just like
22524 @code{nnspool}, but it allows you to edit the articles on the server.
22525 @code{nnmh} is just like @code{nnml}, but it doesn't use an active file,
22526 and it doesn't maintain overview databases. @code{nndir} is just like
22527 @code{nnml}, but it has no concept of ``groups'', and it doesn't allow
22530 It would make sense if it were possible to ``inherit'' functions from
22531 backends when writing new backends. And, indeed, you can do that if you
22532 want to. (You don't have to if you don't want to, of course.)
22534 All the backends declare their public variables and functions by using a
22535 package called @code{nnoo}.
22537 To inherit functions from other backends (and allow other backends to
22538 inherit functions from the current backend), you should use the
22544 This macro declares the first parameter to be a child of the subsequent
22545 parameters. For instance:
22548 (nnoo-declare nndir
22552 @code{nndir} has declared here that it intends to inherit functions from
22553 both @code{nnml} and @code{nnmh}.
22556 This macro is equivalent to @code{defvar}, but registers the variable as
22557 a public server variable. Most state-oriented variables should be
22558 declared with @code{defvoo} instead of @code{defvar}.
22560 In addition to the normal @code{defvar} parameters, it takes a list of
22561 variables in the parent backends to map the variable to when executing
22562 a function in those backends.
22565 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22566 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22567 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22570 This means that @code{nnml-current-directory} will be set to
22571 @code{nndir-directory} when an @code{nnml} function is called on behalf
22572 of @code{nndir}. (The same with @code{nnmh}.)
22574 @item nnoo-define-basics
22575 This macro defines some common functions that almost all backends should
22579 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22583 This macro is just like @code{defun} and takes the same parameters. In
22584 addition to doing the normal @code{defun} things, it registers the
22585 function as being public so that other backends can inherit it.
22587 @item nnoo-map-functions
22588 This macro allows mapping of functions from the current backend to
22589 functions from the parent backends.
22592 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22593 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22594 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0))
22597 This means that when @code{nndir-retrieve-headers} is called, the first,
22598 third, and fourth parameters will be passed on to
22599 @code{nnml-retrieve-headers}, while the second parameter is set to the
22600 value of @code{nndir-current-group}.
22603 This macro allows importing functions from backends. It should be the
22604 last thing in the source file, since it will only define functions that
22605 haven't already been defined.
22611 nnmh-request-newgroups)
22615 This means that calls to @code{nndir-request-list} should just be passed
22616 on to @code{nnmh-request-list}, while all public functions from
22617 @code{nnml} that haven't been defined in @code{nndir} yet should be
22622 Below is a slightly shortened version of the @code{nndir} backend.
22625 ;;; nndir.el --- single directory newsgroup access for Gnus
22626 ;; Copyright (C) 1995,96 Free Software Foundation, Inc.
22630 (require 'nnheader)
22634 (eval-when-compile (require 'cl))
22636 (nnoo-declare nndir
22639 (defvoo nndir-directory nil
22640 "Where nndir will look for groups."
22641 nnml-current-directory nnmh-current-directory)
22643 (defvoo nndir-nov-is-evil nil
22644 "*Non-nil means that nndir will never retrieve NOV headers."
22647 (defvoo nndir-current-group "" nil nnml-current-group nnmh-current-group)
22648 (defvoo nndir-top-directory nil nil nnml-directory nnmh-directory)
22649 (defvoo nndir-get-new-mail nil nil nnml-get-new-mail nnmh-get-new-mail)
22651 (defvoo nndir-status-string "" nil nnmh-status-string)
22652 (defconst nndir-version "nndir 1.0")
22654 ;;; Interface functions.
22656 (nnoo-define-basics nndir)
22658 (deffoo nndir-open-server (server &optional defs)
22659 (setq nndir-directory
22660 (or (cadr (assq 'nndir-directory defs))
22662 (unless (assq 'nndir-directory defs)
22663 (push `(nndir-directory ,server) defs))
22664 (push `(nndir-current-group
22665 ,(file-name-nondirectory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22667 (push `(nndir-top-directory
22668 ,(file-name-directory (directory-file-name nndir-directory)))
22670 (nnoo-change-server 'nndir server defs))
22672 (nnoo-map-functions nndir
22673 (nnml-retrieve-headers 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22674 (nnmh-request-article 0 nndir-current-group 0 0)
22675 (nnmh-request-group nndir-current-group 0 0)
22676 (nnmh-close-group nndir-current-group 0))
22680 nnmh-status-message
22682 nnmh-request-newgroups))
22688 @node Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22689 @subsubsection Hooking New Backends Into Gnus
22691 @vindex gnus-valid-select-methods
22692 Having Gnus start using your new backend is rather easy---you just
22693 declare it with the @code{gnus-declare-backend} functions. This will
22694 enter the backend into the @code{gnus-valid-select-methods} variable.
22696 @code{gnus-declare-backend} takes two parameters---the backend name and
22697 an arbitrary number of @dfn{abilities}.
22702 (gnus-declare-backend "nnchoke" 'mail 'respool 'address)
22705 The abilities can be:
22709 This is a mailish backend---followups should (probably) go via mail.
22711 This is a newsish backend---followups should (probably) go via news.
22713 This backend supports both mail and news.
22715 This is neither a post nor mail backend---it's something completely
22718 It supports respooling---or rather, it is able to modify its source
22719 articles and groups.
22721 The name of the server should be in the virtual server name. This is
22722 true for almost all backends.
22723 @item prompt-address
22724 The user should be prompted for an address when doing commands like
22725 @kbd{B} in the group buffer. This is true for backends like
22726 @code{nntp}, but not @code{nnmbox}, for instance.
22730 @node Mail-like Backends
22731 @subsubsection Mail-like Backends
22733 One of the things that separate the mail backends from the rest of the
22734 backends is the heavy dependence by the mail backends on common
22735 functions in @file{nnmail.el}. For instance, here's the definition of
22736 @code{nnml-request-scan}:
22739 (deffoo nnml-request-scan (&optional group server)
22740 (setq nnml-article-file-alist nil)
22741 (nnmail-get-new-mail 'nnml 'nnml-save-nov nnml-directory group))
22744 It simply calls @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} with a few parameters,
22745 and @code{nnmail} takes care of all the moving and splitting of the
22748 This function takes four parameters.
22752 This should be a symbol to designate which backend is responsible for
22755 @item exit-function
22756 This function should be called after the splitting has been performed.
22758 @item temp-directory
22759 Where the temporary files should be stored.
22762 This optional argument should be a group name if the splitting is to be
22763 performed for one group only.
22766 @code{nnmail-get-new-mail} will call @var{backend}@code{-save-mail} to
22767 save each article. @var{backend}@code{-active-number} will be called to
22768 find the article number assigned to this article.
22770 The function also uses the following variables:
22771 @var{backend}@code{-get-new-mail} (to see whether to get new mail for
22772 this backend); and @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} and
22773 @var{backend}@code{-active-file} to generate the new active file.
22774 @var{backend}@code{-group-alist} should be a group-active alist, like
22778 (("a-group" (1 . 10))
22779 ("some-group" (34 . 39)))
22783 @node Score File Syntax
22784 @subsection Score File Syntax
22786 Score files are meant to be easily parseable, but yet extremely
22787 mallable. It was decided that something that had the same read syntax
22788 as an Emacs Lisp list would fit that spec.
22790 Here's a typical score file:
22794 ("win95" -10000 nil s)
22801 BNF definition of a score file:
22804 score-file = "" / "(" *element ")"
22805 element = rule / atom
22806 rule = string-rule / number-rule / date-rule
22807 string-rule = "(" quote string-header quote space *string-match ")"
22808 number-rule = "(" quote number-header quote space *number-match ")"
22809 date-rule = "(" quote date-header quote space *date-match ")"
22811 string-header = "subject" / "from" / "references" / "message-id" /
22812 "xref" / "body" / "head" / "all" / "followup"
22813 number-header = "lines" / "chars"
22814 date-header = "date"
22815 string-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22816 space date [ "" / [ space string-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22817 score = "nil" / <integer>
22818 date = "nil" / <natural number>
22819 string-match-t = "nil" / "s" / "substring" / "S" / "Substring" /
22820 "r" / "regex" / "R" / "Regex" /
22821 "e" / "exact" / "E" / "Exact" /
22822 "f" / "fuzzy" / "F" / "Fuzzy"
22823 number-match = "(" <integer> [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22824 space date [ "" / [ space number-match-t ] ] ] ] ] ")"
22825 number-match-t = "nil" / "=" / "<" / ">" / ">=" / "<="
22826 date-match = "(" quote <string> quote [ "" / [ space score [ "" /
22827 space date [ "" / [ space date-match-t ] ] ] ] ")"
22828 date-match-t = "nil" / "at" / "before" / "after"
22829 atom = "(" [ required-atom / optional-atom ] ")"
22830 required-atom = mark / expunge / mark-and-expunge / files /
22831 exclude-files / read-only / touched
22832 optional-atom = adapt / local / eval
22833 mark = "mark" space nil-or-number
22834 nil-or-number = "nil" / <integer>
22835 expunge = "expunge" space nil-or-number
22836 mark-and-expunge = "mark-and-expunge" space nil-or-number
22837 files = "files" *[ space <string> ]
22838 exclude-files = "exclude-files" *[ space <string> ]
22839 read-only = "read-only" [ space "nil" / space "t" ]
22840 adapt = "adapt" [ space "ignore" / space "t" / space adapt-rule ]
22841 adapt-rule = "(" *[ <string> *[ "(" <string> <integer> ")" ] ")"
22842 local = "local" *[ space "(" <string> space <form> ")" ]
22843 eval = "eval" space <form>
22844 space = *[ " " / <TAB> / <NEWLINE> ]
22847 Any unrecognized elements in a score file should be ignored, but not
22850 As you can see, white space is needed, but the type and amount of white
22851 space is irrelevant. This means that formatting of the score file is
22852 left up to the programmer---if it's simpler to just spew it all out on
22853 one looong line, then that's ok.
22855 The meaning of the various atoms are explained elsewhere in this
22856 manual (@pxref{Score File Format}).
22860 @subsection Headers
22862 Internally Gnus uses a format for storing article headers that
22863 corresponds to the @sc{nov} format in a mysterious fashion. One could
22864 almost suspect that the author looked at the @sc{nov} specification and
22865 just shamelessly @emph{stole} the entire thing, and one would be right.
22867 @dfn{Header} is a severely overloaded term. ``Header'' is used in
22868 RFC 1036 to talk about lines in the head of an article (e.g.,
22869 @code{From}). It is used by many people as a synonym for
22870 ``head''---``the header and the body''. (That should be avoided, in my
22871 opinion.) And Gnus uses a format internally that it calls ``header'',
22872 which is what I'm talking about here. This is a 9-element vector,
22873 basically, with each header (ouch) having one slot.
22875 These slots are, in order: @code{number}, @code{subject}, @code{from},
22876 @code{date}, @code{id}, @code{references}, @code{chars}, @code{lines},
22877 @code{xref}, and @code{extra}. There are macros for accessing and
22878 setting these slots---they all have predictable names beginning with
22879 @code{mail-header-} and @code{mail-header-set-}, respectively.
22881 All these slots contain strings, except the @code{extra} slot, which
22882 contains an alist of header/value pairs (@pxref{To From Newsgroups}).
22888 @sc{gnus} introduced a concept that I found so useful that I've started
22889 using it a lot and have elaborated on it greatly.
22891 The question is simple: If you have a large amount of objects that are
22892 identified by numbers (say, articles, to take a @emph{wild} example)
22893 that you want to qualify as being ``included'', a normal sequence isn't
22894 very useful. (A 200,000 length sequence is a bit long-winded.)
22896 The solution is as simple as the question: You just collapse the
22900 (1 2 3 4 5 6 10 11 12)
22903 is transformed into
22906 ((1 . 6) (10 . 12))
22909 To avoid having those nasty @samp{(13 . 13)} elements to denote a
22910 lonesome object, a @samp{13} is a valid element:
22913 ((1 . 6) 7 (10 . 12))
22916 This means that comparing two ranges to find out whether they are equal
22917 is slightly tricky:
22920 ((1 . 5) 7 8 (10 . 12))
22926 ((1 . 5) (7 . 8) (10 . 12))
22929 are equal. In fact, any non-descending list is a range:
22935 is a perfectly valid range, although a pretty long-winded one. This is
22942 and is equal to the previous range.
22944 Here's a BNF definition of ranges. Of course, one must remember the
22945 semantic requirement that the numbers are non-descending. (Any number
22946 of repetition of the same number is allowed, but apt to disappear in
22950 range = simple-range / normal-range
22951 simple-range = "(" number " . " number ")"
22952 normal-range = "(" start-contents ")"
22953 contents = "" / simple-range *[ " " contents ] /
22954 number *[ " " contents ]
22957 Gnus currently uses ranges to keep track of read articles and article
22958 marks. I plan on implementing a number of range operators in C if The
22959 Powers That Be are willing to let me. (I haven't asked yet, because I
22960 need to do some more thinking on what operators I need to make life
22961 totally range-based without ever having to convert back to normal
22966 @subsection Group Info
22968 Gnus stores all permanent info on groups in a @dfn{group info} list.
22969 This list is from three to six elements (or more) long and exhaustively
22970 describes the group.
22972 Here are two example group infos; one is a very simple group while the
22973 second is a more complex one:
22976 ("no.group" 5 ((1 . 54324)))
22978 ("nnml:my.mail" 3 ((1 . 5) 9 (20 . 55))
22979 ((tick (15 . 19)) (replied 3 6 (19 . 3)))
22981 ((auto-expire . t) (to-address . "ding@@gnus.org")))
22984 The first element is the @dfn{group name}---as Gnus knows the group,
22985 anyway. The second element is the @dfn{subscription level}, which
22986 normally is a small integer. (It can also be the @dfn{rank}, which is a
22987 cons cell where the @code{car} is the level and the @code{cdr} is the
22988 score.) The third element is a list of ranges of read articles. The
22989 fourth element is a list of lists of article marks of various kinds.
22990 The fifth element is the select method (or virtual server, if you like).
22991 The sixth element is a list of @dfn{group parameters}, which is what
22992 this section is about.
22994 Any of the last three elements may be missing if they are not required.
22995 In fact, the vast majority of groups will normally only have the first
22996 three elements, which saves quite a lot of cons cells.
22998 Here's a BNF definition of the group info format:
23001 info = "(" group space ralevel space read
23002 [ "" / [ space marks-list [ "" / [ space method [ "" /
23003 space parameters ] ] ] ] ] ")"
23004 group = quote <string> quote
23005 ralevel = rank / level
23006 level = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23007 rank = "(" level "." score ")"
23008 score = <integer in the range of 1 to inf>
23010 marks-lists = nil / "(" *marks ")"
23011 marks = "(" <string> range ")"
23012 method = "(" <string> *elisp-forms ")"
23013 parameters = "(" *elisp-forms ")"
23016 Actually that @samp{marks} rule is a fib. A @samp{marks} is a
23017 @samp{<string>} consed on to a @samp{range}, but that's a bitch to say
23020 If you have a Gnus info and want to access the elements, Gnus offers a
23021 series of macros for getting/setting these elements.
23024 @item gnus-info-group
23025 @itemx gnus-info-set-group
23026 @findex gnus-info-group
23027 @findex gnus-info-set-group
23028 Get/set the group name.
23030 @item gnus-info-rank
23031 @itemx gnus-info-set-rank
23032 @findex gnus-info-rank
23033 @findex gnus-info-set-rank
23034 Get/set the group rank (@pxref{Group Score}).
23036 @item gnus-info-level
23037 @itemx gnus-info-set-level
23038 @findex gnus-info-level
23039 @findex gnus-info-set-level
23040 Get/set the group level.
23042 @item gnus-info-score
23043 @itemx gnus-info-set-score
23044 @findex gnus-info-score
23045 @findex gnus-info-set-score
23046 Get/set the group score (@pxref{Group Score}).
23048 @item gnus-info-read
23049 @itemx gnus-info-set-read
23050 @findex gnus-info-read
23051 @findex gnus-info-set-read
23052 Get/set the ranges of read articles.
23054 @item gnus-info-marks
23055 @itemx gnus-info-set-marks
23056 @findex gnus-info-marks
23057 @findex gnus-info-set-marks
23058 Get/set the lists of ranges of marked articles.
23060 @item gnus-info-method
23061 @itemx gnus-info-set-method
23062 @findex gnus-info-method
23063 @findex gnus-info-set-method
23064 Get/set the group select method.
23066 @item gnus-info-params
23067 @itemx gnus-info-set-params
23068 @findex gnus-info-params
23069 @findex gnus-info-set-params
23070 Get/set the group parameters.
23073 All the getter functions take one parameter---the info list. The setter
23074 functions take two parameters---the info list and the new value.
23076 The last three elements in the group info aren't mandatory, so it may be
23077 necessary to extend the group info before setting the element. If this
23078 is necessary, you can just pass on a non-@code{nil} third parameter to
23079 the three final setter functions to have this happen automatically.
23082 @node Extended Interactive
23083 @subsection Extended Interactive
23084 @cindex interactive
23085 @findex gnus-interactive
23087 Gnus extends the standard Emacs @code{interactive} specification
23088 slightly to allow easy use of the symbolic prefix (@pxref{Symbolic
23089 Prefixes}). Here's an example of how this is used:
23092 (defun gnus-summary-increase-score (&optional score symp)
23093 (interactive (gnus-interactive "P\ny"))
23098 The best thing to do would have been to implement
23099 @code{gnus-interactive} as a macro which would have returned an
23100 @code{interactive} form, but this isn't possible since Emacs checks
23101 whether a function is interactive or not by simply doing an @code{assq}
23102 on the lambda form. So, instead we have @code{gnus-interactive}
23103 function that takes a string and returns values that are usable to
23104 @code{interactive}.
23106 This function accepts (almost) all normal @code{interactive} specs, but
23111 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbol
23112 The current symbolic prefix---the @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol}
23116 @vindex gnus-current-prefix-symbols
23117 A list of the current symbolic prefixes---the
23118 @code{gnus-current-prefix-symbol} variable.
23121 The current article number---the @code{gnus-summary-article-number}
23125 The current article header---the @code{gnus-summary-article-header}
23129 The current group name---the @code{gnus-group-group-name}
23135 @node Emacs/XEmacs Code
23136 @subsection Emacs/XEmacs Code
23140 While Gnus runs under Emacs, XEmacs and Mule, I decided that one of the
23141 platforms must be the primary one. I chose Emacs. Not because I don't
23142 like XEmacs or Mule, but because it comes first alphabetically.
23144 This means that Gnus will byte-compile under Emacs with nary a warning,
23145 while XEmacs will pump out gigabytes of warnings while byte-compiling.
23146 As I use byte-compilation warnings to help me root out trivial errors in
23147 Gnus, that's very useful.
23149 I've also consistently used Emacs function interfaces, but have used
23150 Gnusey aliases for the functions. To take an example: Emacs defines a
23151 @code{run-at-time} function while XEmacs defines a @code{start-itimer}
23152 function. I then define a function called @code{gnus-run-at-time} that
23153 takes the same parameters as the Emacs @code{run-at-time}. When running
23154 Gnus under Emacs, the former function is just an alias for the latter.
23155 However, when running under XEmacs, the former is an alias for the
23156 following function:
23159 (defun gnus-xmas-run-at-time (time repeat function &rest args)
23163 (,function ,@@args))
23167 This sort of thing has been done for bunches of functions. Gnus does
23168 not redefine any native Emacs functions while running under XEmacs---it
23169 does this @code{defalias} thing with Gnus equivalents instead. Cleaner
23172 In the cases where the XEmacs function interface was obviously cleaner,
23173 I used it instead. For example @code{gnus-region-active-p} is an alias
23174 for @code{region-active-p} in XEmacs, whereas in Emacs it is a function.
23176 Of course, I could have chosen XEmacs as my native platform and done
23177 mapping functions the other way around. But I didn't. The performance
23178 hit these indirections impose on Gnus under XEmacs should be slight.
23181 @node Various File Formats
23182 @subsection Various File Formats
23185 * Active File Format:: Information on articles and groups available.
23186 * Newsgroups File Format:: Group descriptions.
23190 @node Active File Format
23191 @subsubsection Active File Format
23193 The active file lists all groups available on the server in
23194 question. It also lists the highest and lowest current article numbers
23197 Here's an excerpt from a typical active file:
23200 soc.motss 296030 293865 y
23201 alt.binaries.pictures.fractals 3922 3913 n
23202 comp.sources.unix 1605 1593 m
23203 comp.binaries.ibm.pc 5097 5089 y
23204 no.general 1000 900 y
23207 Here's a pseudo-BNF definition of this file:
23210 active = *group-line
23211 group-line = group space high-number space low-number space flag <NEWLINE>
23212 group = <non-white-space string>
23214 high-number = <non-negative integer>
23215 low-number = <positive integer>
23216 flag = "y" / "n" / "m" / "j" / "x" / "=" group
23219 For a full description of this file, see the manual pages for
23220 @samp{innd}, in particular @samp{active(5)}.
23223 @node Newsgroups File Format
23224 @subsubsection Newsgroups File Format
23226 The newsgroups file lists groups along with their descriptions. Not all
23227 groups on the server have to be listed, and not all groups in the file
23228 have to exist on the server. The file is meant purely as information to
23231 The format is quite simple; a group name, a tab, and the description.
23232 Here's the definition:
23236 line = group tab description <NEWLINE>
23237 group = <non-white-space string>
23239 description = <string>
23244 @node Emacs for Heathens
23245 @section Emacs for Heathens
23247 Believe it or not, but some people who use Gnus haven't really used
23248 Emacs much before they embarked on their journey on the Gnus Love Boat.
23249 If you are one of those unfortunates whom ``@kbd{M-C-a}'', ``kill the
23250 region'', and ``set @code{gnus-flargblossen} to an alist where the key
23251 is a regexp that is used for matching on the group name'' are magical
23252 phrases with little or no meaning, then this appendix is for you. If
23253 you are already familiar with Emacs, just ignore this and go fondle your
23257 * Keystrokes:: Entering text and executing commands.
23258 * Emacs Lisp:: The built-in Emacs programming language.
23263 @subsection Keystrokes
23267 Q: What is an experienced Emacs user?
23270 A: A person who wishes that the terminal had pedals.
23273 Yes, when you use Emacs, you are apt to use the control key, the shift
23274 key and the meta key a lot. This is very annoying to some people
23275 (notably @code{vi}le users), and the rest of us just love the hell out
23276 of it. Just give up and submit. Emacs really does stand for
23277 ``Escape-Meta-Alt-Control-Shift'', and not ``Editing Macros'', as you
23278 may have heard from other disreputable sources (like the Emacs author).
23280 The shift keys are normally located near your pinky fingers, and are
23281 normally used to get capital letters and stuff. You probably use it all
23282 the time. The control key is normally marked ``CTRL'' or something like
23283 that. The meta key is, funnily enough, never marked as such on any
23284 keyboard. The one I'm currently at has a key that's marked ``Alt'',
23285 which is the meta key on this keyboard. It's usually located somewhere
23286 to the left hand side of the keyboard, usually on the bottom row.
23288 Now, us Emacs people don't say ``press the meta-control-m key'',
23289 because that's just too inconvenient. We say ``press the @kbd{M-C-m}
23290 key''. @kbd{M-} is the prefix that means ``meta'' and ``C-'' is the
23291 prefix that means ``control''. So ``press @kbd{C-k}'' means ``press
23292 down the control key, and hold it down while you press @kbd{k}''.
23293 ``Press @kbd{M-C-k}'' means ``press down and hold down the meta key and
23294 the control key and then press @kbd{k}''. Simple, ay?
23296 This is somewhat complicated by the fact that not all keyboards have a
23297 meta key. In that case you can use the ``escape'' key. Then @kbd{M-k}
23298 means ``press escape, release escape, press @kbd{k}''. That's much more
23299 work than if you have a meta key, so if that's the case, I respectfully
23300 suggest you get a real keyboard with a meta key. You can't live without
23306 @subsection Emacs Lisp
23308 Emacs is the King of Editors because it's really a Lisp interpreter.
23309 Each and every key you tap runs some Emacs Lisp code snippet, and since
23310 Emacs Lisp is an interpreted language, that means that you can configure
23311 any key to run any arbitrary code. You just, like, do it.
23313 Gnus is written in Emacs Lisp, and is run as a bunch of interpreted
23314 functions. (These are byte-compiled for speed, but it's still
23315 interpreted.) If you decide that you don't like the way Gnus does
23316 certain things, it's trivial to have it do something a different way.
23317 (Well, at least if you know how to write Lisp code.) However, that's
23318 beyond the scope of this manual, so we are simply going to talk about
23319 some common constructs that you normally use in your @file{.emacs} file
23322 If you want to set the variable @code{gnus-florgbnize} to four (4), you
23323 write the following:
23326 (setq gnus-florgbnize 4)
23329 This function (really ``special form'') @code{setq} is the one that can
23330 set a variable to some value. This is really all you need to know. Now
23331 you can go and fill your @code{.emacs} file with lots of these to change
23334 If you have put that thing in your @code{.emacs} file, it will be read
23335 and @code{eval}ed (which is lisp-ese for ``run'') the next time you
23336 start Emacs. If you want to change the variable right away, simply say
23337 @kbd{C-x C-e} after the closing parenthesis. That will @code{eval} the
23338 previous ``form'', which is a simple @code{setq} statement here.
23340 Go ahead---just try it, if you're located at your Emacs. After you
23341 @kbd{C-x C-e}, you will see @samp{4} appear in the echo area, which
23342 is the return value of the form you @code{eval}ed.
23346 If the manual says ``set @code{gnus-read-active-file} to @code{some}'',
23350 (setq gnus-read-active-file 'some)
23353 On the other hand, if the manual says ``set @code{gnus-nntp-server} to
23354 @samp{nntp.ifi.uio.no}'', that means:
23357 (setq gnus-nntp-server "nntp.ifi.uio.no")
23360 So be careful not to mix up strings (the latter) with symbols (the
23361 former). The manual is unambiguous, but it can be confusing.
23364 @include gnus-faq.texi